State FFA Forestry 2014 Contest

State FFA Forestry 2014 Contest

Written Examination (200 points)

This exam consists of 38 multiple choice and 12 true or false questions, each worth 3 points. Mark your answers on your scantron bubble sheet. DO NOT mark on this exam.

Multiple choice questions

1. Which of the following species is the Two-lined Chestnut Borer most likely to attack?

a)  Quaking aspen

b)  Sugar maple

c)  White oak

d)  Green ash

1. If you follow a bearing of 225 degrees, what is your direction of travel?

a)  North east

b)  South east

c)  North west

d)  South west

1. The pile of pulpwood that you are scaling is 6 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 20 feet long. How many standard cords are contained in the pile?

a)  6

b)  7.5

c)  8

d)  15

1. Which of the following organizations represents the forestry profession in Minnesota and nationally?

a)  American Society of Forestry

b)  American Forestry Association

c)  Society of American Foresters

d)  National Forestry Society

1. If you pace a 5 chain course, how far did you pace?

a)  500 feet

b)  330 feet

c)  300 feet

d)  250 feet

1. Aspen has been used for paper, structural panels, and furniture. It is not used for flooring. Why?

a)  The white color is not considered desirable by most homeowners.

b)  Aspen is low density and would dent easily and wear down if used for flooring.

c)  The demand for corn dog sticks has driven up the cost of aspen lumber too much.

d)  Aspen is prone to warp and buckling after it is installed for flooring.

1. The angular deviation of magnetic north from true north is referred to as what?

a)  Magic declination

b)  Magnetic north

c)  Magnetic inclination

d)  Magnetic declination

1. Sawlog diameters are measured to the nearest inch:

a)  Inside the bark at the large end of the log

b)  Inside the bark at the small end of the log

c)  Outside the bark at the large end of the log

d)  Outside the bark at the small end of the log

1. When are fires most likely to occur and burn most intensely?

a)  Early morning on sunny days

b)  Middle of the afternoon on sunny days

c)  Late morning on sunny days

d)  Night with clear skies and low humidity

1. Which of the following is the most destructive type of forest insect?

a)  Tree borers

b)  Mites

c)  Gall insects

d)  Leaf feeders

11.  You tally 15 trees using a 5 factor wedge prism within a plot. What is basal area in square feet per acre of the trees around that point?

a)  75

b)  100

c)  150

d)  200

12.  Which of the following two things do you need to know to determine site index for a given tree?

a)  Tree age and soil type

b)  Soil type and basal area

c)  Basal area and tree age

d)  Tree age and tree height

13.  You come upon a tree where some of the bark has been stripped off of the tree several feet above ground and you find twigs and branches on the ground. What animal likely caused the damage?

a)  Porcupine

b)  Beaver

c)  Squirrel

d)  Raccoon

14.  White pine is a low density species and is typically not used for beams or joists. Why?

a)  Low density species are weaker and beams need to be strong to support the floor or roof.

b)  Most of the white pine logs go to make firewood because they burn hot and long.

c)  White pine trees are too small to make into joists.

d)  It is difficult to dry white pine without soaking the lumber in caustic chemicals.

15.  A forester interested in managing habitat for deer and ruffed grouse would favor which of the following species?

a)  Ash

b)  Tamarack

c)  White pine

d)  Aspen

16.  You are doing a regeneration survey in a plot with a radius of 5.3 feet and counted 2 seedlings. How many seedlings would that represent per acre?

a)  50

b)  100

c)  500

d)  1,000

17.  What is an instrument consisting of a thin wedge of glass used to estimate?

a)  Basal area per acre

b)  Tree height

c)  Tree diameter

d)  Tree age

18.  What are timber harvest and forest management Best Management Practices (BMPs) generally designed to do?

a)  Maintain water quality during and after timber harvest operations

b)  Provide procedures for setting up a timber sale

c)  Design sampling procedures for determining volume in a timber stand

d)  Help you determine when to set up a timber sale

19.  Which of the following is not a reason why Christmas trees are shaped.

a)  To correct deformities

b)  To remove multiple leaders

c)  To make it easier to color the tree

d)  To prune lower branches to form a handle and complete base whorl

20.  Why is red oak often used for making furniture?

a)  The wood is soft and pliable.

b)  It is easy to treat red oak with preservative chemicals.

c)  Red oak is strong and has an attractive appearance.

d)  Red oak is not well suited for firewood and furniture is the only way they can use the wood.

21.  What is the name of the approach to harvesting where trees are felled, skidded to a landing, and then processed at the landing (delimb, buck, pile)?

a)  Shortwood

b)  Tree-length

c)  Full-tree

d)  Selection

22.  When planning a standard windbreak, where would you commonly plant coniferous species?

a)  In the rows farthest away from the buildings

b)  In the rows closest to the buildings

c)  Only in the middle of the windbreak

d)  Throughout the entire windbreak

23.  Which of the following species is most likely to provide thermal cover for wildlife during winter?

a)  Aspen

b)  Tamarack

c)  Birch

d)  Balsam fir

24.  Some woods are said to be naturally durable. These woods include some cedar species and redwood. What causes this natural durability?

a)  The cell structure of the wood is very closed and therefore prevents fungus from entering.

b)  These species are very water repellant and fungus needs water to decay wood.

c)  These species have natural chemicals in the heartwood that inhibit the decay fungi from growing and destroying the wood.

d)  Naturally durable species excrete a fungicide inside the wood that kills fungus, ants, and termites on contact.

25.  To which of the following species does the term “deciduous” apply?

a)  Tamarack

b)  Black spruce

c)  Balsam fir

d)  White pine

26.  What is the name of the payment method in which payment is based on the appraised value of the tract?

a)  Lump sum

b)  Selective cut

c)  Consumer scale

d)  Weight scale

27.  How many sections are in a township?

a)  36

b)  640

c)  23,040

d)  43,560

28.  When building a deck, the decking boards that you walk on may be a species such as western red cedar. The columns and joists that support the deck will probably be treated lumber. Why do we build this way?

a)  Cedar has greater strength and can withstand all of the foot traffic on the deck.

b)  The preservative in treated wood helps to bolster the strength properties of the wood by filling in the void cavities inside the lumber.

c)  Cedar is considered more attractive and is preferred for the decking while the more dense and stronger treated lumber is used for the portion of the deck that we really do not see.

d)  b and c

29.  What is the alternate host for white pine blister rust?

a)  Eastern red cedar

b)  Apples and pears

c)  Aspen

d)  Gooseberries and currants

30.  The purpose of the log rule scale is to:

a)  Estimate the weight of the log

b)  Determine usable firewood available

c)  Estimate the board feet of lumber in a log

d)  Calculate the green volume of the log

31.  Which of the following watersheds is most likely to see the fastest increase in stream runoff after a large rainstorm?

a)  Clay soils with steep topography

b)  Sandy soil with steep topography

c)  Clay soil with flat topography

d)  Sandy soil with flat topography

32.  What is the recommended final spacing between rows of trees in a well-established windbreak?

a)  8 – 10 feet

b)  12 – 14 feet

c)  18 – 20 feet

d)  24 – 26 feet

33.  Why is sugar maple lumber used for bowling alleys?

a)  The higher sugar content in the wood makes the surface wear better over time.

b)  With more sugar in the wood, the sounds are more muffled.

c)  Sugar maple is softer and better able to withstand heavy bowling balls being dropped or thrown down the alley.

d)  Sugar maple is a very strong wood and thus well-suited for the wear and tear of a bowling alley.

34.  What type of equipment is depicted in the image below?

1

a)  Feller-buncher

b)  Skidder

c)  Delimber

d)  Slasher

1

35.  Which insect listed below is not currently a pest in Minnesota?

a)  Forest tent caterpillar

b)  Pine bark beetle

c)  Mountain pine beetle

d)  White pine weevil

36.  Wood that is used outside may rot if it gets wet. Preservatives stop the wood from rotting. How do they do that?

a)  Preservatives poison the fungi that decay the wood.

b)  Preservatives prevent water from being taken-up by the wood.

c)  Preservatives bind to water molecules and keep the wood dry.

d)  Oxygen in the wood is taken up by the preservative, the fungi cannot breathe and therefore suffocate.

37.  Which of the following is a preferred species for beaver?

a)  Aspen

b)  Oak

c)  Pine

d)  Spruce

38.  Which of the following agencies employ foresters in Minnesota?

a)  County Land Departments

b)  State Department of Natural Resources

c)  US Forest Service

d)  All of the above

True-False questions

For the following twelve true or false questions, mark A on the scantron bubble sheet if the statement is true and B if the statement is false.

True False

39. A B Green ash, white ash, black ash and mountain ash are all susceptible to the emerald ash borer.

40. A B Before it is burned, firewood should be cut, split and well-seasoned because this removes the water in the wood and helps the wood to burn better.

41. A B When conducting point sampling in a variable radius plot with a wedge prism, the probability of a tree being counted as “in” is proportional to its diameter.

42. A B A red pine stand with a basal area of 20 square feet per acre should be thinned to improve growing conditions for the remaining trees.

43. A B Because species like white pine and basswood are soft and light (not dense or heavy), they are well-suited to be made into baseball bats.

44. A B Maintaining vegetative diversity is key to attracting a variety and abundance of wildlife to a woodland.

45. A B There is more wood in a face cord than a standard cord.

46. A B The volume removed per acre, sale location and sale size all affect the stumpage value of wood that a landowner might receive.

47. A B Lumber is first cut to a larger dimension to account for shrinkage during drying and planing after drying.

48. A B Ash is used for baseball bats because it is soft and light weight, thus making it easier to swing.

49. A B Ash logs, wood, chips or nursery stock can be moved within quarantined areas in Minnesota but cannot be transported outside of quarantined areas without a Compliance Agreement.

50. A B A seed tree harvest is designed to lead to artificial regeneration.

2014

State FFA Forestry Contest – Forestry Written Exam

ANSWER KEY

1

1. C
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. B
7. D
8. B
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. D
13. A
14. A
15. D
16. D
17. A
18. A
19. C
20. C
21. C
22. B
23. D
24. C
25. A
26. A
27. A
28. C
29. D
30. C
31. A
32. C
33. D
34. B
35. C
36. A
37. A
38. D
39. B
40. A
41. A
42. B
43. B
44. A
45. B
46. A
47. A
48. B
49. A
50. B

1

FFA Forestry Contest

2014 Forest Business Management Problem

Tim Burr, a logging business owner, is trying to decide whether he can make a profit on a timber sale that was recently advertised by a private landowner. Use the background information provided below to answer the 10 multiple-choice questions, each worth 5 points. Record your answer on the scantron bubble sheet.

Equipment

Type of equipment / Number of pieces of equipment / Owning and operating cost per scheduled hour per machine
Feller-buncher / 1 / $68.50
Skidders / 2 / $40.00
Slasher/bucker / 1 / $20.50
Total for all machines / $169.00

Operating Data

Number of employees (including owner) / 4
Employee wages (including owner) / $14.50 per hour
Fringe benefit rate (% of wages) / 29%
Contract hauling to market / $15.50 per cord

Harvest Site Data

Move cost to get equipment to site / $550/piece of equipment
Stumpage cost / $24.00 per cord
Sale area / 25 acres
Yield per acre / 23 cords
Harvesting rate / 115 cords per day
Scheduled hours worked per day / 8 hours

Owner’s Profit Requirement

Minimum profit required (percent of revenue received at the mill) / 3%

Marketing Information

Delivered price received at mill / $68.00 per cord

FFA Forestry Contest

Contestant name: ______Contestant No.: ______

School: ______

2014 Forest Business Management Problem (50 points)

Note: All dollar ($) values are rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount

This portion of the contest consists of 10 multiple choice questions, each worth 5 points. Mark your answers on the scantron bubble sheet. DO NOT mark on this exam.

1. / What is the total number of cords to be harvested at this sale?
a) 500 b) 575 c) 600 d) 625
2. / How many work days are required to harvest the sale?
a) 5 b) 8 c) 23 d) 25
3. / What is the total revenue that would be received from the mill for this sale?
a) $27,350 b) $32,100 c) $39,100 d) $45,500
4. / What is the total payroll (salary + fringe benefits) for this sale?
a) $2,359 b) $2,993 c) $3,215 d) $3,807
5. / What is the total move cost for this sale?
a) $550 b) $1,100 c) $2,200 d) $5,500
6. / What is the total cost to own and operate the machines at this sale (excluding labor)?
a) $15,270 b) $9,280 c) $6,760 d) $169
7. / What is the total cost to haul harvested wood to the mill from this sale?
a) $10,725 b) $10,250 c) $9,718 d) $8,913
8. / What is the total cost of stumpage for this sale?
a) $12,075 b) $13,800 c) $14,125 d) $14,877
9. / What is the logging business owner’s minimum profit required to bid on this sale?
a) $3 b) $872 c) $975 d) $1,173
10. / What is the net profit (Total Revenue – Total Expenses) for this sale?
a) $3,262 b) $4,512 c) $5,327 d) $7,166

2014