- Describe how the perspective (goals, objectives) of rangeland
revegetation has changed over the last several decades. (10 points)
- List positive and negative aspects of using non-native plants for
rangeland revegetation. (10 points)
- In the past, trial and error have guided our efforts for rangeland
revegetation. What broad scientific categories of information are now
needed to restore native rangeland vegetation? (10 points)
- Explain why it is difficult to evaluate the impact of human activities
on arid and semi-arid vegetation productivity? What kinds of data
(experiments, etc.) are needed to adequately evaluate dryland vegetation
productivity responses to our activities? (10 points)
- Describe how the perspective (goals, objectives) of rangeland
revegetation has changed over the last several decades. (10 points)
- List positive and negative aspects of using non-native plants for
rangeland revegetation. (10 points)
- In the past, trial and error have guided our efforts for rangeland
revegetation. What broad scientific categories of information are now
needed to restore native rangeland vegetation? (10 points)
- Explain why it is difficult to evaluate the impact of human activities
on arid and semi-arid vegetation productivity. What kinds of data
(experiments, etc.) are needed to adequately evaluate dryland vegetation
responses to our activities? (10 points)
- News flash! Someone just discovered that an extract from bark beetle
wings is a potential cure for brain cancer. Your goal is to create as
much habitat as possible for bark beetles in lodgepole pine forests, and
you know that bark beetle populations typically grow rapidly when dead
wood is available. How would you create and maintain a large population
of bark beetles for the next 100 years? (10 points)
- Forest stands on Mt. Lemmon are in terrible condition from a timber
production standpoint: trees have poor form and spacing. The only viable
option for genetic improvement of these stands is clearcutting. Why isn't
the Forest Service administering extensive clearcuts on the mountain? (5
points)
- Sketch diagrams illustrating alternate-strip and progressive-strip
clearcuts. (6 points)
- Identify the most appropriate harvest-regeneration method [coppice
(without standards), clearcut, seed-tree, shelterwood, selection
(single-tree)]. (2 points each)
- Even-aged; can regenerate tolerant species
- Uneven-aged
- Enter stand twice per rotation
- Least potential for genetic improvement
- Very difficult to estimate growth and volume
- Series of cuts near the end of the rotation
- What is the "coppice with standards" harvest-regeneration system? Why
isn't it an appropriate system for most conifers? (5 points)
- List the habitat type of the stand described on the attached "Stand
and site evaluation for silvicultural prescriptions." (8 points)
- List 2 species in this habitat type with <1% density or cover but 100%
constancy (frequency). (2 points)
- Congratulations! You've just been hired by the USDA Forest Service as
a vegetation management specialist in western Oregon. You start your job
in one month. Since you know virtually nothing about ecology and
management in this region, what will you do (i.e., what specific steps
will you do to prepare yourself for your new job)? (12 points)
- Graduate:
Traditionally, those who have conducted rangeland revegetation tended to
regard shrubs as competitors for resources that might be used by perennial
grasses. How has our perception of shrubs changed within the context of a
more modern revegetation doctrine? Specifically, what can shrubs add to a
revegetation effort? (20 points)
- Graduate:
Forests are not inherently simple. Yet, humans typically have tried to
simplify forest management. What is wrong with this approach? How can we
"do better" in the future? (Hint: think; be creative) (15 points)
- Graduate:
Vegetation management decisions used to be based on biological criteria.
Within the last few decades, they have been based largely on economic
criteria. More recently, vegetation management decisions have been based
on social and political criteria. We seem to be moving away from
management based on biology and ecology, at least on federally-managed
lands. Vegetation managers are essentially applied ecologists; they are
not political or social scientists. Can they remain true to their
education as applied ecologists and still contribute to decision-making in
today's society? How? (15 points)