SAF Forest Ecology & Silviculture 3

Question 1

What is the primary ecological function of coarse woody debris (CWD) in a forest ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

Providing wildlife habitat and serving as a nutrient and carbon reservoir

Answer

CWD serves as critical habitat for cavity-nesting birds, amphibians, and invertebrates while slowly releasing nutrients back into the soil as it decomposes and storing significant amounts of carbon.

Question 2

Which of the following silvicultural treatments is specifically designed to concentrate growth on the best trees by removing competitors, and is most commonly applied in young stands?

Accepted Answer

Crop-tree release

Answer

Crop-tree release removes trees immediately adjacent to selected crop trees to free their crowns on multiple sides, concentrating diameter growth on the highest-quality individuals in young to mid-rotation stands.

Question 3

Nitrogen fixation in forest ecosystems is carried out by which of the following organisms associated with red alder?

Accepted Answer

Actinomycetes of the genus Frankia

Answer

Red alder forms a symbiotic relationship with Frankia actinomycetes in root nodules, allowing the tree to fix atmospheric nitrogen and significantly enrich forest soils.

Question 4

The 'intermediate' crown class designation refers to trees that:

Accepted Answer

Receive limited direct sunlight and are mostly shaded from above

Answer

Intermediate trees have smaller, crowded crowns that extend into the general canopy level but receive only limited direct light because they are largely overtopped by dominant and codominant trees.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the 'masting' phenomenon in forest trees?

Accepted Answer

Episodic, synchronous production of large seed crops at irregular intervals

Answer

Masting is the synchronized, intermittent production of large seed crops (mast years) by a population of trees, thought to overwhelm seed predators and improve regeneration success in favorable years.

(SAF) Society of American Foresters Certification Practice Test

(SAF) Society of American Foresters Certification Practice Test

SAF Forest Ecology & Silviculture 3