LARE PLANNING & DESIGN VERIFIED STUDY GUIDE
urban-wildlife interface - Answers - areas where human development abuts
undeveloped land. Have the highest potential for wildfires because they introduce fire
catalysts like cigarettes and grills
3 variables determining fire danger - Answers - 1. existing fuel load
2. weather
3. topography
3 fire management zones - Answers - 1. building protection zone
2. building buffer zone
3. natural area fuel reduction zone
building protection zone - Answers - 30 ft from all sides of a structure, the building
protection zone should be free from vegetation or contain only low-growing, fire-
resistant plant species. Site furnishings should be non-flammable material like metal or
stone.
defensible space - Answers - aka building protection zone, this area is 30 ft from all
sides of a structure
fuel ladder effect - Answers - fire climbs up the tree (from the ground) and ignites the
structure. Fire departments will advise against planting trees in the building protection
zone to prevent this effect.
building buffer zone - Answers - from edge of building protection zone to all areas within
100 ft of structure; well-spaced, pruned trees allowed in this area if 10 ft apart drip line
to drip line; remove branches within 6 ft of ground or 1/3 of live crown height (whichever
is greater) to reduce the fuel ladder effect; frequent maintenance necessary
natural area fuel reduction zone - Answers - this zone extends indefinitely beyond buffer
zone; with the goal of reducing available fuel load by removing debris/brush/dead
branches that accumulate over time. Though maintenance is less frequent, trees should
be actively pruned to prevent "ladder fuel"
carrying capacity - Answers - a measure of the type and density of development that
can be supported without detrimental effects to society, the economy of the environment
without decreasing the capacity of the environment to sustain these uses into the future
habitat patches - Answers - fragmented habitats created by habitat fragmentation. The
size and distance between patches is reflected in biodiversity and ecosystem function.
habitat corridors - Answers - areas that connect habitat patches
,habitat gaps - Answers - areas between patches that are not connected and therefore
possess little ecosystem value
best way to preserve biodiversity - Answers - avoid activities that cause habitat
fragmentation
areas that should be given the highest priority for protection from development -
Answers - contiguous natural areas, especially riparian corridors and wetland areas
when is habitat restoration most effective? - Answers - when it addresses gaps in
existing corridors
benefits of wetlands to site and users - Answers - -groundwater recharge
-sediment stabilization
-flood attenuation
-water quality maintenance
-wildlife habitat
-climate moderation
-shoreline protection
characteristics that define wetlands - Answers - 1. hydrology
2. soils
3. the presence of specific vegetation
5 major wetland types - Answers - 1. marine - open ocean and its associated coastline
2. estuarine - tidal waters of coastal rivers, salty tidal marshes, mangrove swamps and
tidal flats
3. riverine - rivers and streams
4. lacustrine - lakes, reservoirs and large ponds
5. palustrine - marshes wet meadows, fens, bogs, swamps
what is the most productive and divers ecosystem type - Answers - salt marsh
bog - Answers - a type of wetland found in northern climates, characterized by acidic
soils, rich deposits of organic material such as peat, and diverse vegetation. Bogs and
fens are the identical with except bogs are fed by rainwater and fens are fed by
groundwater
estuary - Answers - a semi-enclosed coastal body of water connected with the open
sea. They are strongly affected by tidal action and contain brackish water, which is
seawater mixed with fresh water from land drainage
littoral shelf - Answers - shallow area in water body planted with native aquatic
vegetation located by outflow or at waterline/shoreline of a constructed wetland or
, stormwater management structure. Plantings are used to filter out the nutrients and
improve water quality.
marsh - Answers - wetland characterized by herbaceous vegetation no taller than 6'
swamp - Answers - wetland dominated by woody vegetation
acidification - Answers - excess of carbon dioxide or the presence of sulfur and nitrogen
compounds dissolved in water. Occurs do to air pollution or as a large-scale process
related to climate change
eutrophication - Answers - the overabundance of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
in water, leading to excessive plant growth, typically algae. Often resulting from fertilizer
runoff from agricultural lands or residential yards.
how does noise travel? - Answers - by line of site and dissipates over distance
key elements of noise analysis - Answers - - source and type of noise
- direction and distance that noise travels from source
- duration and intensity of noise
what techniques can be used to mitigate noise - Answers - - grading
- walls
- dense planting
5 factors determining effectiveness of noise barriers - Answers - 1. distance - barriers
should be constructed as close as possible to either the noise source or receiving
location
2. height - at minimum, barriers should be built to a height such that they block the line
of sight between source and receiver
3. continuity - a single, continuous barrier is more effective than multiple, fragmented
barriers because noise will penetrate any gaps in a barrier
4. length - barrier should generally be 1-2 times the length of the distance between the
source and the barrier
5. mass - greater mass creates better noise mitigation.
does surface texture impact noise diffraction? - Answers - yes, textured surface is more
effective than smooth. Note that vegetation makes a poor barrier for noise.
site design should accomplish - Answers - - protect the environment from unnecessary
impacts
- restore environmentally degraded areas
- reuse already developed sites
- build compact, distinctive, walkable places
- conserve resources like energy, water and building materials
urban-wildlife interface - Answers - areas where human development abuts
undeveloped land. Have the highest potential for wildfires because they introduce fire
catalysts like cigarettes and grills
3 variables determining fire danger - Answers - 1. existing fuel load
2. weather
3. topography
3 fire management zones - Answers - 1. building protection zone
2. building buffer zone
3. natural area fuel reduction zone
building protection zone - Answers - 30 ft from all sides of a structure, the building
protection zone should be free from vegetation or contain only low-growing, fire-
resistant plant species. Site furnishings should be non-flammable material like metal or
stone.
defensible space - Answers - aka building protection zone, this area is 30 ft from all
sides of a structure
fuel ladder effect - Answers - fire climbs up the tree (from the ground) and ignites the
structure. Fire departments will advise against planting trees in the building protection
zone to prevent this effect.
building buffer zone - Answers - from edge of building protection zone to all areas within
100 ft of structure; well-spaced, pruned trees allowed in this area if 10 ft apart drip line
to drip line; remove branches within 6 ft of ground or 1/3 of live crown height (whichever
is greater) to reduce the fuel ladder effect; frequent maintenance necessary
natural area fuel reduction zone - Answers - this zone extends indefinitely beyond buffer
zone; with the goal of reducing available fuel load by removing debris/brush/dead
branches that accumulate over time. Though maintenance is less frequent, trees should
be actively pruned to prevent "ladder fuel"
carrying capacity - Answers - a measure of the type and density of development that
can be supported without detrimental effects to society, the economy of the environment
without decreasing the capacity of the environment to sustain these uses into the future
habitat patches - Answers - fragmented habitats created by habitat fragmentation. The
size and distance between patches is reflected in biodiversity and ecosystem function.
habitat corridors - Answers - areas that connect habitat patches
,habitat gaps - Answers - areas between patches that are not connected and therefore
possess little ecosystem value
best way to preserve biodiversity - Answers - avoid activities that cause habitat
fragmentation
areas that should be given the highest priority for protection from development -
Answers - contiguous natural areas, especially riparian corridors and wetland areas
when is habitat restoration most effective? - Answers - when it addresses gaps in
existing corridors
benefits of wetlands to site and users - Answers - -groundwater recharge
-sediment stabilization
-flood attenuation
-water quality maintenance
-wildlife habitat
-climate moderation
-shoreline protection
characteristics that define wetlands - Answers - 1. hydrology
2. soils
3. the presence of specific vegetation
5 major wetland types - Answers - 1. marine - open ocean and its associated coastline
2. estuarine - tidal waters of coastal rivers, salty tidal marshes, mangrove swamps and
tidal flats
3. riverine - rivers and streams
4. lacustrine - lakes, reservoirs and large ponds
5. palustrine - marshes wet meadows, fens, bogs, swamps
what is the most productive and divers ecosystem type - Answers - salt marsh
bog - Answers - a type of wetland found in northern climates, characterized by acidic
soils, rich deposits of organic material such as peat, and diverse vegetation. Bogs and
fens are the identical with except bogs are fed by rainwater and fens are fed by
groundwater
estuary - Answers - a semi-enclosed coastal body of water connected with the open
sea. They are strongly affected by tidal action and contain brackish water, which is
seawater mixed with fresh water from land drainage
littoral shelf - Answers - shallow area in water body planted with native aquatic
vegetation located by outflow or at waterline/shoreline of a constructed wetland or
, stormwater management structure. Plantings are used to filter out the nutrients and
improve water quality.
marsh - Answers - wetland characterized by herbaceous vegetation no taller than 6'
swamp - Answers - wetland dominated by woody vegetation
acidification - Answers - excess of carbon dioxide or the presence of sulfur and nitrogen
compounds dissolved in water. Occurs do to air pollution or as a large-scale process
related to climate change
eutrophication - Answers - the overabundance of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
in water, leading to excessive plant growth, typically algae. Often resulting from fertilizer
runoff from agricultural lands or residential yards.
how does noise travel? - Answers - by line of site and dissipates over distance
key elements of noise analysis - Answers - - source and type of noise
- direction and distance that noise travels from source
- duration and intensity of noise
what techniques can be used to mitigate noise - Answers - - grading
- walls
- dense planting
5 factors determining effectiveness of noise barriers - Answers - 1. distance - barriers
should be constructed as close as possible to either the noise source or receiving
location
2. height - at minimum, barriers should be built to a height such that they block the line
of sight between source and receiver
3. continuity - a single, continuous barrier is more effective than multiple, fragmented
barriers because noise will penetrate any gaps in a barrier
4. length - barrier should generally be 1-2 times the length of the distance between the
source and the barrier
5. mass - greater mass creates better noise mitigation.
does surface texture impact noise diffraction? - Answers - yes, textured surface is more
effective than smooth. Note that vegetation makes a poor barrier for noise.
site design should accomplish - Answers - - protect the environment from unnecessary
impacts
- restore environmentally degraded areas
- reuse already developed sites
- build compact, distinctive, walkable places
- conserve resources like energy, water and building materials
