SAF Ecosystem Restoration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the range of environmental conditions within which a restored ecosystem can maintain its structure and function despite disturbances?
- Resistance threshold
- Resilience envelope (Correct answer)
- Stability domain
- Adaptive capacity
Correct answer: Resilience envelope
The resilience envelope defines the range of conditions an ecosystem can tolerate while still recovering and maintaining its ecological functions.
Question 2: In forest restoration, what is the primary purpose of using nurse logs?
- To provide timber for future harvest
- To create habitat for invasive species management
- To facilitate seedling establishment by providing moisture and nutrients (Correct answer)
- To mark property boundaries in restoration zones
Correct answer: To facilitate seedling establishment by providing moisture and nutrients
Nurse logs create favorable microsites for seedling germination and establishment by retaining moisture and providing nutrients as they decompose.
Question 3: What term describes the re-establishment of a native species in an area where it has been extirpated but where suitable habitat still exists?
- Introduction
- Reintroduction (Correct answer)
- Translocation
- Augmentation
Correct answer: Reintroduction
Reintroduction specifically refers to returning a species to an area within its historical range from which it has been eliminated.
Question 4: Which fire behavior characteristic is MOST important to assess when planning a prescribed burn for ecosystem restoration?
- Flame color
- Rate of spread (Correct answer)
- Smoke column height
- Ignition delay
Correct answer: Rate of spread
Rate of spread determines fire intensity and the area burned per unit time, which is critical for achieving restoration objectives safely.
Question 5: The 'assembly rules' concept in restoration ecology refers to:
- Legal regulations governing restoration projects
- Predictable sequences governing which species can colonize restored sites (Correct answer)
- Equipment protocols for restoration crews
- Funding allocation procedures for restoration programs
Correct answer: Predictable sequences governing which species can colonize restored sites
Assembly rules describe the ecological filters and biotic interactions that determine which species can successfully establish in a community in a given sequence.
Question 6: When restoring a degraded riparian zone, which practice BEST addresses both bank stability and habitat complexity simultaneously?
- Concrete channel lining
- Large wood placement combined with native riparian plantings (Correct answer)
- Rip-rap boulder placement only
- Deep tillage and grass seeding
Correct answer: Large wood placement combined with native riparian plantings
Large wood placement with native riparian plantings creates pool-riffle structure, provides cover, stabilizes banks, and builds diverse habitat in a single intervention.
Question 7: What is 'ecological memory' in the context of forest restoration?
- Historical records of past timber harvests
- The capacity of legacies like soil, seeds, and organisms to influence post-disturbance recovery (Correct answer)
- Computer modeling of past ecosystem states
- Long-term monitoring data collected by researchers
Correct answer: The capacity of legacies like soil, seeds, and organisms to influence post-disturbance recovery
Ecological memory encompasses biological legacies — residual seeds, soil organisms, organic matter — that retain information about pre-disturbance conditions and guide recovery.
SAF Ecosystem Restoration 2
Which concept describes the range of environmental conditions within which a restored ecosystem can maintain its structure and function despite disturbances?