Forest Resource Management & Planning Flashcards
7 cards from real SAF practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Forest Resource Management & Planning flashcards as text
A forester encounters a stand where the diameter distribution follows a negative exponential ('reverse J') curve. This pattern is characteristic of:
Answer: All-aged (uneven-aged) stand under selection management
The reverse-J or negative exponential diameter distribution, with many small trees and progressively fewer large trees, is the hallmark of a balanced all-aged selection forest.
Under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), forest plans must provide for:
Answer: Diversity of plant and animal communities and viable populations of native species
NFMA requires National Forest management plans to maintain diversity of plant and animal communities and ensure viable populations of native and desired species.
Which of the following best describes 'stand density index' (SDI)?
Answer: A measure of stand density based on tree numbers relative to their average diameter
SDI (Reineke's Stand Density Index) relates the number of trees per acre to a reference diameter, enabling comparison of stocking across stands of different sizes.
A forest manager wants to maintain old-growth structural characteristics while continuing some timber production. Which approach best meets both objectives?
Answer: Variable retention harvesting retaining legacy trees and structures
Variable retention harvesting deliberately retains biological legacies — large trees, snags, coarse woody debris — to sustain old-growth characteristics while allowing some harvest.
What is the primary purpose of a 'timber cruise' conducted before a commercial timber sale?
Answer: Estimate timber volume, species composition, and value to set sale terms
A pre-sale timber cruise inventories volume, species, quality, and grade so the forester can set an appropriate appraised value and sale contract terms.
When designing a forest road network, which factor most directly influences the minimum curve radius on a haul road?
Answer: Design vehicle wheelbase and truck length
Minimum curve radius on a forest haul road is governed primarily by the turning radius requirements of the longest log trucks or equipment that will use the road.
The 'forest cover type' classification system published by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) is based primarily on:
Answer: Dominant and co-dominant tree species composition
SAF forest cover types are defined by the dominant tree species or species combinations that characterize a stand's canopy composition.