Forest Measurements Exam 1 UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Compartment/unit - CORRECT ANSWER - a grouping of stands for the purpose of
management, usually based on location
Stand - CORRECT ANSWER - a unit of forest land delineated by age class, species
structure, ecosystem type or other cohesive unit
Sampling point - CORRECT ANSWER - a point in a stand where measurements will be
taken, can be a randomly chosen or systematically chosen point depending on sampling method
Plot - CORRECT ANSWER - another name for a sampling point, can be a fixed
permanent plot (research or systematic cruise) or random plot (coordinates chosen at random)
Coordinate geometry - CORRECT ANSWER - a grid system with a central point used to
locate points of interest such as measurement trees within a plot
Geographic geometry - CORRECT ANSWER - a coordinate system that enables every
location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers and letters so that one of the
numbers/letters represents vertical position and the other set represent horizontal position. We
will focus on coordinates of latitude, longitude, and elevation
UTM - CORRECT ANSWER - Universal Transverse Mercator is a conformal projection
that uses a 2-dimensional cartesian coordinate system to give locations on earth. Know that UTM
zone number runs north/south, has a center point from which locations within the zone are
mapped in distances E or W
SPS/SPCS - CORRECT ANSWER - US State Plane Coordinate System is not a
projection. it is a coordinate system that divides the US, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands into
more than 120 numbered sections referred to as zones.
, Significant Digits - CORRECT ANSWER - The "Sig figs" of a number are digits that
carry meaning contributing to its measurement resolutions. If the equipment shows 2 decimal
places use 2 decimal places in your recordings
Routing Off Protocol - CORRECT ANSWER - to minimize personal bias and maintain
consistency of measurements and calculations it is good to use a systematic approach to
rounding. For example: if you have 27.65 and 104.15 you can look at the number preceding the 5
- If it is even, then ignore the 5 and the digit remains the same 27.65 become 27.6. If the
preceding number is odd, then round up 104.15 becomes 104.2
Precision - CORRECT ANSWER - coming as close as possible to measuring the actual
real world metrics of our stand of interest with each measurement. The clustering of sample
values around their own average. Ex: all the dominate trees in the plantation should be around
the same total height.
Accuracy - CORRECT ANSWER - exactness, correctness, freedom from error
Bias - CORRECT ANSWER - can bet personal or instrumental, personal outlook,
unreasoned judgement, prejudice
Sampling bias - CORRECT ANSWER - Ex: not putting a plot in a briar patch even though
that was where it was intended to go just to avoid the briars.
Measuring horizontal distances - CORRECT ANSWER - Distance across the ground;
direct methods (chain, tape, pace, electronic devices) and indirect methods
Chain - CORRECT ANSWER - tool horizontal distance measurement. 1 chain= 66 feet
Pace - CORRECT ANSWER - a tool for estimating the number of chains, two full steps=
1 pace, number of paces per chain varies person to person
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Compartment/unit - CORRECT ANSWER - a grouping of stands for the purpose of
management, usually based on location
Stand - CORRECT ANSWER - a unit of forest land delineated by age class, species
structure, ecosystem type or other cohesive unit
Sampling point - CORRECT ANSWER - a point in a stand where measurements will be
taken, can be a randomly chosen or systematically chosen point depending on sampling method
Plot - CORRECT ANSWER - another name for a sampling point, can be a fixed
permanent plot (research or systematic cruise) or random plot (coordinates chosen at random)
Coordinate geometry - CORRECT ANSWER - a grid system with a central point used to
locate points of interest such as measurement trees within a plot
Geographic geometry - CORRECT ANSWER - a coordinate system that enables every
location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers and letters so that one of the
numbers/letters represents vertical position and the other set represent horizontal position. We
will focus on coordinates of latitude, longitude, and elevation
UTM - CORRECT ANSWER - Universal Transverse Mercator is a conformal projection
that uses a 2-dimensional cartesian coordinate system to give locations on earth. Know that UTM
zone number runs north/south, has a center point from which locations within the zone are
mapped in distances E or W
SPS/SPCS - CORRECT ANSWER - US State Plane Coordinate System is not a
projection. it is a coordinate system that divides the US, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands into
more than 120 numbered sections referred to as zones.
, Significant Digits - CORRECT ANSWER - The "Sig figs" of a number are digits that
carry meaning contributing to its measurement resolutions. If the equipment shows 2 decimal
places use 2 decimal places in your recordings
Routing Off Protocol - CORRECT ANSWER - to minimize personal bias and maintain
consistency of measurements and calculations it is good to use a systematic approach to
rounding. For example: if you have 27.65 and 104.15 you can look at the number preceding the 5
- If it is even, then ignore the 5 and the digit remains the same 27.65 become 27.6. If the
preceding number is odd, then round up 104.15 becomes 104.2
Precision - CORRECT ANSWER - coming as close as possible to measuring the actual
real world metrics of our stand of interest with each measurement. The clustering of sample
values around their own average. Ex: all the dominate trees in the plantation should be around
the same total height.
Accuracy - CORRECT ANSWER - exactness, correctness, freedom from error
Bias - CORRECT ANSWER - can bet personal or instrumental, personal outlook,
unreasoned judgement, prejudice
Sampling bias - CORRECT ANSWER - Ex: not putting a plot in a briar patch even though
that was where it was intended to go just to avoid the briars.
Measuring horizontal distances - CORRECT ANSWER - Distance across the ground;
direct methods (chain, tape, pace, electronic devices) and indirect methods
Chain - CORRECT ANSWER - tool horizontal distance measurement. 1 chain= 66 feet
Pace - CORRECT ANSWER - a tool for estimating the number of chains, two full steps=
1 pace, number of paces per chain varies person to person
