SAF Quizbowl Questions

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.

Chlorosis

An abnormally yellow color of plant tissue, resulting from partial failure to develop chlorophyll, caused by a nitrogen deficiency.

Necrosis

Tissue death; visual evidence is when plant leaves turn brown; due to too much nitrogen in the plant.

pole stand

a stand of trees with diameters ranging from 4 inches to approximately 10 inches.

yield table

a tabulation of volume, basal area, number of trees, etc. per acre found in full stands on specified sites at specified ages

cull

a tree or log of merchantable size rendered useless for all but firewood because of shape, disease, insect infestation or injury

Seed year /Masting

a year in which a given species produces a large seed crop. usually applied to trees of irregular or infrequent seed production

Site index

an expression of forest site quality based on the height of the dominant trees at a specified age (usually 50 years in the eastern U.S.)

Derived trait

an innovated character state in a taxon

umbo

cone feature (1)

apophysis

cone feature (2)

Phylogeny

evolutionary history of a group

sanitation cut

harvesting or killing trees infected or highly susceptible to insects or diseases to protect the rest of the forest stand.

TSI (timber stand improvement)

improving the growth and/or species makeup by removing the less desirable trees, vines and occasionnaly large shrubs

Cronartium ribicola (White Pine Blister Rust)

native to Asia, this fungal pathogen has a complex life cycle that requires two hosts and was introduced to North America around the turn of the twentieth century. Since its introduction, it has spread to 38 states and caused substantial damage and mortality especially in commercially valuable species. Initially establishes in lead stomata, then moves towards the stem

crown thin

reduces crowding within the main crown canopy and increases the light around foliage of the residual trees

selection thin

removal of trees larger than a prescribed diameter limit to favor smaller trees of good growth form and condition; removes dominant trees to favor smaller ones of lower crown classes

mechanical/geometric thin

removal of trees within a fixed spacing interval or by rows or strips with fixed distances between them; removes trees in plantations by rows

low thin

removes trees of lower crown positions, leaving the larger and more free-to-grow trees more or less evenly spaced over the area

consistence

resistance of a soil, at various moisture contents, to mechanical stress (i.e. squishing, crushing, etc.)

Multicolored Asian lady beetle

sometimes called the Halloween lady beetle, was brought from Japan to control aphids on trees. It does good work, though can be a nuisance to people when its populations are very high (swarming). [WISCONSIN]

Standard Error

std. dev./ square root of n =

Flocculation

the clumping together of small, suspended, solid particles within soils using Ca as the "bonder"

declination

the difference between true north and magnetic north

MBF

thousand board feet