State FFA Forestry 2013 Contest

Written Examination (200 points)

This exam consists of 30 multiple choice and 10 true or false questions, each worth 5 points. Mark your answers on the front side of your scantron answer sheet. DO NOT mark on this exam.

Multiple choice questions

  1. When producing Christmas trees, what is the name of the process of a) cutting back/trimming current growth of the terminal leader and side branches and b) removing competing terminal leaders?

a)Pruning

b)Shearing

c)Topping

d)Shaping

  1. Which of the following factors does NOT affect the behavior of a forest fire?

a)Winds

b)Relative humidity

c)Topography

d)Location of homes in the area

  1. You want to create a windbreak to protect your farm home from heavy snows where the prevailing winds are from the northwest. To create the most effective windbreak, trees and shrubs should be planted on which sides of the area you are trying to protect?

a)South and East

b)South and West

c)North and West

d)North and East

  1. You walk into a managed stand of timber where repeated harvesting has occurred over time. The uneven-aged stand contains older, middle-aged and very young trees. Which silvicultural method is being applied?

a)Selection

b)Shelterwood

c)Seed-tree

d)Clearcut

  1. Which of the following seasons is the best time of year to perform most mechanical site preparation?

a)Spring

b)Summer

c)Fall

d)Winter

  1. You are considering purchasing 2-0 seedlings. What does the 2-0 mean?

a)The seedlings are 2 feet tall

b)The seedlings are 2 inches in diameter

c)The seedlings were grown in a nursery seedbed for 2 years and never transplanted in a second nursery bed

d)The seedlings need to be planted at a spacing of 2 feet apart from each other

  1. A timber sale contains 800 cords of pulpwood and 41.9 MBF of sawtimber. If all of the sale volume was reported as cords, what is the total volume of the sale in cord equivalents?

a)800.4 cords

b)804.2 cords

c)841.9 cords

d)900 cords

  1. The pest which has killed and continues to kill many elm trees in Minnesota and elsewhere is an example of which type of insect?

a)Defoliator

b)Bark beetle

c)Sucking insect

d)Wood borer

  1. When buying firewood, which of the following would you prefer?

a)Low density species that has not been seasoned

b)High density species that has not been seasoned

c)High density species that has been seasoned

d)Low density species that is partially decayed

  1. Which of the following represents the proper planting depth for seedlings?

a)The top of the root collar

b)The base of the root collar

c)One foot deeper than the top of the root collar

d)Six inches deeper than the top of the root collar

  1. What type of regeneration system is represented by the image below?

a)Clearcutting regeneration system

b)Seed tree regeneration system

c)Uniform shelterwood regeneration system

d)Single-tree selection regeneration system

  1. 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 can not breathe and therefore suffocates

  1. A mature stand of jack pine is ready for harvest. Which of the following silvicultural methods would you recommend if the goal is to regenerate jack pine again for the next rotation?

a)Selection

b)Shelterwood

c)Seed-tree

d)Clearcut

  1. What is the name of the process where live and dead branches are removed from the main stem of a standing tree?

a)Commercial thinning

b)Noncommercial thinning

c)Girdling

d)Pruning

  1. According to the Scribner Decimal C volume table, a 12-foot long log with a small end diameter of 16 inches has 12 board feet of volume. How many board feet of volume are actually in the log?

a)12 board feet

b)120 board feet

c)1,200 board feet

d)12,000 board feet

  1. You notice that many of your seedlings have been girdled. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the girdling?

a)Rabbits

b)Deer

c)Porcupines

d)Squirrels

  1. Some preservatives have been prohibited because of safety concerns. Why?

a)Wood exposed to preservatives will get weaker over time and fall apart

b)Preservatives in wood absorb oxygen from the air and may suffocate nearby plants and animals

c)Some preservatives are radioactive and cause household pets to glow in the dark if they get too close to them

d)Preservatives can be toxic to people in some of the same ways that they are poisonous to fungi

  1. Which of the following pieces of equipment is used to carry short logs from the stump to the landing during a timber harvest?

a)Slasher

b)Cable skidder

c)Grapple skidder

d)Forwarder

  1. Wood floors can get dented when something heavy falls on the floor. The specific gravity (Sg) measures how dense a species is: higher Sg is more dense, lower Sg is less dense. Which species would you prefer for wood flooring:

a)Quaking aspen (Sg = 0.39)

b)Redwood (Sg = 37)

c)Sugar maple (Sg = 0.63)

d)Eastern white pine (Sg = 35)

  1. When selecting the species of Christmas trees to plant, it is important to consider what species have traditionally been in high demand. Which of the following lists of species dominates sales for plantation grown Christmas trees in the United States?

a)Douglas fir, tamarack

b)Douglas fir, balsam fir

c)Fraser fir, red pine

d)Colorado blue spruce, Eastern hemlock

  1. Assume that your pace factor is 5.5 feet. You took 20 steps. According to that pace factor, how far did you travel in those 20 steps?

a)5.5 feet

b)20 feet

c)55 feet

d)110 feet

  1. What is the name of the timber harvesting system where trees are felled, the top and limbs are removed, and the tree stem is cut into individual products at the stump area?

a)Whole-tree system

b)Shortwood or cut-to-length system

c)Tree length system

d)Full-tree system

  1. How many square miles are in a township?

a)36

b)640

c)23,040

d)43,560

  1. The pest which is of concern to ash trees in Minnesota and elsewhere is an example of which type of insect?

a)Defoliator

b)Bark beetle

c)Twin and stem feeder

d)Wood borer

  1. You want to plant your seedlings at a 10 feet x 10 feet spacing. How many trees would you plant in an acre?

a)400

b)436

c)540

d)4,000

  1. 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

  1. The interior structural columns for hog barns are often made from treated wood. Why would treated wood be preferred to cedar (naturally durable species) for this application?

a)When pigs eat the arsenic in the wood, there is less need for nitrates to preserve the ham for future generations

b)Treated wood is better able to withstand the high decay hazards from ground contact

c)Cedar would be too expensive and it would be stronger than the treated lumber

d)Odors developed in the hog barn are considered incompatible with the favorable smells of many cedar species

  1. Under which of the following situations is winter browning of conifers more common in Minnesota?

a)Conifers are found on the South side of a building

b)Conifers are found on the North side of a building

c)Conifers are planted too deep in the soil

d)Conifers are planted late in the fall

  1. When planting tree seedlings, which of the following practices is NOT recommended?

a)Protect unopened bundles of seedlings from the drying effects of the wind

b)Protect unopened bundles of seedlings covered to protect them from the sun

c)Keep partially used bundles of seedlings uncovered so that they can be accessed quickly

d)Keep tree roots at the bottom of the bucket/planting bag in which they are carried into the field

  1. Which of the following best describes a frill girdle?

a)A garment which is worn for support while working in the woods

b)A method used to improve individual tree quality

c)A method used to kill trees

d)An even-aged regeneration system

True-False questions

For the following ten true or false questions, mark A on the scantron form if the statement is true and B if the statement is false.

True False

31. ABIn a choose and cut Christmas tree operation, the buyer chooses a pre-cut tree which has been selected by the buyer.

32. AB Having access to a nearby source of water and adequate cover are important to wildlife.

33. ABThe nominal dimensions of lumber are smaller than the actual dimensions.

34. AB Providing a diversity of vegetation is the key to creating habitat which supports a variety of wildlife species.

35. ABA coppice forest consists wholly or mainly of planted trees.

36. ABA watershed is the land area from which water flows toward a forest.

37. AB Bucking or slashing is the process of cutting trees into shorter lengths, such as pulpwood.

38. ABHerbaceous openings are important to forest wildlife for cover.

39. AB Conifer species provide an excellent cover for wildlife during the winter.

40. AB Site index is an expression of forest site quality based on the expected height of dominant trees at a specified age.

State FFA Forestry 2013 Contest

Chainsaw Practicum (50 Points)

This practicum consists of 7 multiple choice and 3 true-false questions, each worth 5 points. Mark your answers on thefront side of the scantron answer sheet. DO NOT mark on this exam.

Multiple choice questions

  1. In the image above, what is number “1” pointing toward?

a)Guide bar

b)Fuel pump

c)Carburetor adjusting screws

d)Chain sprocket

  1. In the image above, what is the silver colored object that number “2” pointing toward?

a)Muffler

b)Chain catcher

c)Chain sprocket cover

d)Throttle trigger

  1. You purchased 4 gallons (512 ounces) of gasoline for your chainsaw. Approximately how much two-stroke engine oil do you need to add to the gas?

a)1 ounce

b)5 ounces

c)10 ounces

d)50 ounces

  1. Which of the following is NOT recommended as proper protective apparel/attire when operating a chainsaw?

a)Sturdy boots with nonslip soles

b)Long, loose-fitting clothing

c)Ear plugs or ear mufflers

d)Gloves

  1. After operating your chainsaw for a while, you notice that the chain sags below the guide bar. To fix the problem, which of the following would you need to do?

a)Add more chain and sprocket oil

b)Purchase a new guide bar

c)Release the hand (chain) guard

d)Retension the saw chain

  1. Without additional additives to extend its life, what is the maximum length of time you should keep fuel for your chainsaw?

a)A week

b)A month

c)Three months

d)A year

  1. Assume that you need to add fuel to your chainsaw. In the image above, which labeled arrow is pointed toward the fuel filler cap?

a)Arrow A

b)Arrow B

c)Arrow C

d)Arrow D

True-False questions

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

True False

  1. AB You are going to visit your friend who lives at a high altitude location in the Rocky Mountains. She wants you to bring your chainsaw along to do some cutting for her. When you start working at her place, you notice that your saw does not run satisfactorily. To fix the problem, a logical first step is to try adjusting the carburetor.
  1. ABYou determine that there is a noticeable loss of engine power in your saw. A likely reason is that you are running low on bar and chain oil in the saw.
  1. ABWhen felling a tree, hinge wood determines the direction the tree will fall.

State FFA Forestry 2013 Contest

Map Interpretation Practicum (50 Points)

This practicum consists of 10 multiple choice, each worth 5 points. Mark your answers on the front side of the scantron answer sheet. DO NOT mark on this exam.

  1. What is the elevation of the highest point in Section 35?

a)1575 feet

b)1600 feet

c) 1575 yards

d) 1650 feet

  1. How many different Townships does Dryden Creek flow through on this map?

a)1

b)2

c) 3

d) 4

  1. What is the approximate longitude of the center of Section 35?

a)46°10’

b)46°07’10”

c) 90°37’35”

d) 90°35’

  1. Approximately how many acres are inside the area delineated in black?

a)800

b)400

c) 440

d) 340

  1. About how long is Mackenberg Road between the ends of the marker?

a)¾ mile

b)4 miles

c) 1 ½ miles

d) 3 miles

  1. What is the section number of the northeastern corner of the map, indicated by the number 6?

a)25

b)23

c) 19

d) 18

  1. What is the legal description of the lookout tower in Section 12?

a)SW ¼, NE ¼

b)SW ¼, NW ¼

c) NE ¼, SW ¼

d) SE ¼, NW ¼

  1. Approximately how long is the diagonal (NW-SE) portion of State Highway 13 on this map?

a)3 ½ miles

b)22 miles

c) 1 ¾ miles

d) 6 ½ miles

  1. Which best describes the primary difference between the land at the two ends of the arrow?

a)Wetland vs. upland

b)Public vs. private ownership

c) Forest vs. non-forest

d) Open water vs. swamp

  1. This is a range line. About how far is this range line from the nearest principal meridian?

a)No way to know from this map

b)6 miles

c) 36 miles

d) 72 miles

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