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CONTESTANT NO.____________
2012 UNDERGRADUATE RANGE MANAGEMENT EXAM
(a mini-URME)
Society for Range Management, Wyoming Student Competition
Laramie, Wyoming
November 10, 2012
Instructions
This examination consists of 49 multiple choice questions. Choose the one
best answer for each question and fill in the appropriate circle on the scantron
answer sheet provided.
Put your assigned contestant number on this examination booklet. Put your
name and contestant number on the scantron answer sheet.
Length of Testing Period
60 Minutes
Grading
The entire examination is worth 150 points.
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I. RANGE ECOLOGY (30 points)
1. Which is a type of seed dormancy?
a. Physiological
b. Morphological
c. Mechanical
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
2. Plant ecophysiology is best defined as the study of:
a. processes influencing the size and distribution of populations
b. physiological function of individual plants in their environment
c. structure, function and distribution of groups of plants
d. biochemical processes within plants
3. Which of the following are freezing tolerance mechanisms for plants?
a. Depression of freezing point
b. Supercooling
c. Production of extracellular ice and tolerance of dehydration
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
4. The CO2 compensation point is best defined as the:
a. CO2 concentration at which photosynthesis equals respiration
b. light intensity at which photosynthesis equals respiration
c. CO2 liberated in the presence of light
d. light intensity at which respiration no longer increases
5. The conversion of organic nitrogen to the inorganic ammonium (NH4+) form is termed:
a. mineralization
b. denitrification
c. nitrification
d. volatilization
e. none of the above
6. C4 plants are less responsive to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations than C3
plants because:
a. they have a lower photosynthetic rate than C3 plants
b. internal CO2 concentrations are higher than in C3 plants
c. their stomata are completely closed more often than C3 plants
d. all of the above
7. Which of the following would be a representative 13C value for a C3 plant species?
a. –13‰
b. 0‰
c. –27‰
d. none of the above
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For questions 8-9, please use the following figure (Wang et al. 2011 REM)
8. (4 pts) If 70% of the annual precipitation (450 mm) occurs in months other than AprilJuly, what is the estimated ANPP?
a. 850 kg ha-1
b. 2279 kg ha-1
c. 3351 kg ha-1
d. None of the above
9. (4 pts) Weather predictions are for precipitation to be 25% above the long-term mean
of 12 cm total for the months of April through July. What is the predicted increase in
ANPP associated with this greater precipitation?
a. 103 kg ha-1
b. 238 kg ha-1
c. 969 kg ha-1
d. None of the above
10. Slow changes in physiological state or morphology in response to chronic exposure to
a new environment is called:
a. Acclimation
b. Transpiration
c. Hypothermia
d. Behavioral thermoregulation
11. Increasing wind velocity will ______ evaporation and ______ the effectiveness of
precipitation.
a. Increase, decrease
b. Decrease, increase
c. Increase, increase
d. Decrease, decrease
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12. The process which occurs when two or more organisms are making a common
endeavor to acquire a resource in excess of immediate supply is called:
a. Allelopathy
b. Mutualism
c. Competition
d. Neutralism
13. The ___ develops into the first leaf of the grass plant.
a. scutellum
b. coleoptile
c. coleorhiza
d. plumule
II. GRAZING MANAGEMENT (24 points)
14. (4 pts) How many days should a herd of 820 steers (0.7 AUE) graze in a 2,400 ha
pasture that has a grazing capacity of 0.4 AUM/ha?
a. 1.7
b. 10.5
c. 50.8
d. 317.7
For question 15, please use the following table (Harmoney and Jaeger 2011 REM)
15. (4 pts) Which of the following statements regarding grazing systems is most correct?
a. Grazing system did not affect average daily gain with a notable exception of
early-season (May-July) average daily gain
b. Grazing system did affect steer production with the season-long stocking (SLS)
having greater production than the intensive early-stocking (IES)
c. Grazing system did not affect total steer gain with a notable exception of average
total steer gain from July-October
16. If a rancher turns bulls out on April 28, what would be the expected starting date of
calving?
a. January 10
b. February 1
c. March 10
d. April 1
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17. Older plants compared to younger plants have a ______ percentage of lignin and
cellulose and ______ digestibility.
a. Lower, higher
b. Lower, lower
c. Higher, higher
d. Higher, lower
For questions 18 and 19, please use the following figure (Brunson and Tanaka 2011 REM)
18. (4 pts) If the stocking rate for the spring period was 0.4 AUM/ha with a total pasture
size of 750 hectares, what would be the stocking rate for the early summer time period
if all the livestock are moved from the spring to the early summer range, and the BLM
deeded range has four 250 hectare pastures used in a rotation during the early
summer time period?
a. 0.225 AUM/ha
b. 0.45 AUM/ha
c. 0.9 AUM/ha
d. 1.8 AUM/ha
19. (4 pts) If the stocking rate for the fall period was 2.1 AUM/ha with a total pasture size of
500 hectares, how much hay would need to be feed during the winter period for all the
livestock moved from the fall aftermath to winter feed area, assuming 10 kg of hay is
needed per AU each day?
a. 21,000 kg
b. 42,000 kg
c. 682,500 kg
d. 1,365,000 kg
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20. (4 pts) A producer is contemplating a switch from a cow-calf (AUE=1.3) to yearling
(AUE=0.65) grazing operation. Implementation of this switch in grazing operations will
involve changing the grazing season, which was formerly year-round to now a May 1 –
October 31 grazing season. In addition, the stocking rate will be doubled during the
new grazing season (to 0.8 AUM/ha) compared to the prior year-round rate of 0.4
AUM/ha. Which of the following statements is most correct regarding the total number
of yearlings in the new grazing operation compared to the number of cow-calf pairs in
the prior grazing operation?
a. There will be the same number of yearlings as cow-calf pairs the previous year
b. There will be twice the number of yearlings as cow-calf pairs the previous year
c. There will be four times the number of yearlings as cow-calf pairs the previous year
d. There will be eight times the number of yearlings as cow-calf pairs the
previous year
IIa. GRAZING MANAGEMENT PROBLEM (6 points) – See END OF TEST
III. RANGE IMPROVEMENT (24 points)
For question 21, please use the following figure (Abatzoglou and Kolden 2011 REM)
21. (4 pts) As wildfire potential increases:
a. Invasion potential is negatively affected
b. Climate variability becomes greater
c. Potential establishment of invasives is unaffected
d. Fuels and fire regimes are altered through positive feedbacks on invasion
potential and establishment of invasives
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22. Selective herbicides are classified as those that ______, while translocated herbicides
are classified as those that ______.
a. Kill particular groups of species, are applied to one plant part and carried to
other plant parts
b. Kill plant parts directly exposed, kill or damage all plant species
c. Are applied to one plant part and carried to other plant parts, kill particular groups of
species
d. Kill or damage all plant species, kill plant parts directly exposed
23. Discounting is a procedure used to determine:
a. The cost of an improvement practice
b. The returns from an improvement practice
c. The present value of a future sum
d. Current ranch value
e. Variable costs
24. (4 pts) For a planting of species X, which has 385,000 seeds/kg and PLS of 74%, how
many kg/ha of seed need to be planted to achieve 215 PLS/m 2?
a. 4.1
b. 5.6
c. 7.5
d. 10.0
e. 159.1
25. Reducing the density of shrubs in shrublands with a selective herbicide can:
a. Increase production of understory grasses
b. Increase potential sites for invasion by non-desirable plants
c. Increase grazing capacity
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
26. Which soil amendment is most commonly used to decrease soil acidity?
a. Nitrogen fertilizer
b. Manure application
c. Compost application
d. Sewage sludge application
e. Lime application
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For questions 27 and 28, please use the following table (Vermeire and Roth 2011 REM)
27. (4 pts) Which of the following statements is most correct regarding fuel loads?
a. Numbers of live cladodes of prickly pear cactus are strongly reduced as fuel loads
increase
b. Numbers of new cladodes of prickly pear cactus are strongly increased as fuel
loads decrease
c. Root organic matter of prickly pear cactus exhibits no differential responses
to fuel loads >1500 kg/ha
28. (4 pts) Which of the following statements is most correct regarding fuel loads?
a. Fuel loads affect numbers of new cladodes but not mass of total live cladodes
b. Fuel loads affect numbers of live cladodes but not mass of live original cladodes
c. Fuel loads affect mass but not numbers of cladodes of prickly pear cactus
IIIa. RANGE IMPROVEMENT PROBLEM (6 points) - SEE END OF TEST
IV. RANGE REGIONS (16 points)
29. In the western United States, which community would you expect to occur at a higher
elevation than Sagebrush-Grass?
a. Pinyon-Juniper
b. Salt-desert Shrub
c. Both A and B
30. In the Douglas fir-aspen zone of the Western Coniferous forest, which of the following
statements is correct?
a. Douglas fir is fire tolerant, but not shade tolerant
b. Aspen is fire tolerant, but not shade tolerant
c. Aspen is both fire and shade tolerant
d. Aspen is shade tolerant, but not fire tolerant
31. Which of the following combinations of range regions and grazing resistance is correct?
a. Palouse prairie – high grazing resistance
b. shortgrass prairie – high grazing resistance
c. southern pine forest – low grazing resistance
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
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32. Which of the following grasslands occupies the largest area today?
a. tallgrass prairie
b. shortgrass prairie
c. southern mixed prairie
d. northern mixed prairie
For questions 33 and 34, please use the following figure (Brooks and Chambers 2011
REM)
33. (4 pts) Regarding precipitation, which of the following statements is most correct?
a. Perennial grasses in these desert regions decrease with increasing
percentage of winter precipitation
b. The percentage of winter precipitation is more important in productivity of these
desert regions than is annual precipitation amount
c. The annual precipitation amount is more important in the percentage of woody
perennials in the plant communities of these desert regions than percentage of
winter precipitation
34. (4 pts) Which of the following statements is most correct?
a. Woody perennials are greater in the Great Basin desert compared to the
Chihuahuan desert primarily because of greater annual precipitation
b. Perennial grasses are greater in Chihuahuan desert compared to the Great
Basin desert primarily because of a lower percentage of winter precipitation
c. Woody perennial are generally greater in the Mojave desert compared to the
Sonoran desert primarily because of greater annual precipitation
V. RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS (20 points)
35. Which of the following plots would have the largest perimeter to area ratio?
a. Circular plot with area of 1m2
b. Square plot with area of 1m2
c. Rectangular plot with area of 1m2
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36. Which of the following would one expect when variability in plant communities
increases?
a. Number of quadrats examined should increase
b. Quadrat size should increase
c. Need for stratification should increase
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
37. The frequency value of a species is dependent upon:
a. Quadrat size
b. Plant distribution
c. Plant size
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
38. Which of the following plant characteristics is least subject to annual fluctuations?
a. basal cover
b. frequency
c. foliar cover
d. biomass
39. (4 pts) The net cost per cow unit is $475. If the calves weaned per cow exposed to a
bull is 85%, what is the breakeven cost ($/kg) on weaned calves weighing 270 kg?
a. $1.50
b. $1.74
c. $2.07
d. $2.41
40. (4 pts) Clipping of grazed plots (25 cm X 20 cm) results in the estimate of 15 grams of
remaining residue per plot. What is this value expressed as kg/ha?
a. 3
b. 30
c. 300
d. 3000
41. (4 pts) A range utilization study of a pasture indicates that 50% of the key species on
the key areas has been utilized to date. The management goal for proper use is 60%.
The pasture has been stocked with 200 animal units for the past 4 months at the time
of the survey. What is the estimated grazing capacity of this pasture in AUM's?
a. 133
b. 300
c. 533
d. 960
e. 1200
Va. RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS PROBLEM (10 points) - SEE END OF TEST
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VI. MULTIPLE USE RELATIONSHIPS (14 points)
42. Infiltration is defined as the _______, while percolation refers to the _______.
a. movement of water into a soil profile, movement of water from soil profile into a
plant’s root
b. movement of water within a soil profile, movement of water into a soil profile
c. movement of water from soil profile to the atmosphere, movement of water within a
soil profile
d. movement of water into a soil profile, movement of water from soil profile to the
atmosphere
e. movement of water into a soil profile, movement of water within a soil profile
For question 43, please use the following figure (Shindler et al. 2011 REM)
43. (4 pts) Which of the following would be a correct recommendation to policy makers
based on this data?
a. Urban persons are more likely to perceive overgrazing and wild horse
overpopulation as threats to rangelands than are rural persons
b. Rural persons are more likely to perceive invasive plants and juniper encroachment
as threats to rangelands than are urban persons
c. The perception of wildfire as threat to rangelands is similar between urban
and rural persons
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For questions 44 and 45, please use the following figure (Pierson et al. 2011 REM)
44. (4 pts) Which of the following statements regarding hydrologic response is most
correct?
a. As bare ground and slope increase, hydrologic responses of runoff and erosion are
decreased
b. As ground cover and roughness increase, hydrologic responses of runoff and
erosion are decreased
c. As aggregate stability and soil structure increase, hydrologic responses of runoff
and erosion are increased
d. As bare ground and slope decrease, hydrologic responses of runoff and erosion are
increased
45. (4 pts) Which of the following statements regarding hydrologic processes is most
correct?
a. Rainsplash and sheetflow processes dominate the hydrologic responses in areas
that are burned
b. Concentrated flow processes dominate the hydrologic responses in areas that are
not burned
c. Rainsplash and sheetflow processes dominate the hydrologic responses in
areas that are not burned
d. Rainsplash and sheetflow processes dominate the hydrologic responses in areas
that are in unstable states
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GRAZING MANAGEMENT PROBLEM (6 points)
One of your best friends has recently purchased a 14,000 ha ranch in Brazil and invites
you to provide consulting for the operation regarding grazing management. You take a
flight from Spokane to Salt Lake City to Houston to Rio de Janeiro and then an in-country
flight to Goiania via Brazilia. Once in Goiania, your friend picks you up at the airport and
drives you 400 km north and west to the ranch, which is in the cerrado (open
woodland/savanna) region. Here you meet up with some Embrapa researchers who
provide you with a quick overview of the primary forage species (all C4 grasses) and the
generalities of the grazing seasons (7 months wet / 5 months dry), along with their
interpretations of the prior management on the ranch. Your friend provides you information
on the past grazing management: 4000 Zebu (Bos indicus) yearlings (AU=0.60) were run
on the ranch for the entire year. Your friend wants to increase that number by 25% this
year, and intensify management by increasing stock density (yearlings/ha) to 25 during the
wet season months.
46. (6 pts) Using the data provided above, determine how many equal-sized pastures
(assume capacity is similar across the entire ranch) are needed to meet the goal of
stock density during the wet season grazing, if each pasture is used only once, all the
yearlings graze as a single herd, and the entire ranch is grazed during the wet season?
a. 70
b. 88
c. 120
d. 146
e. 560
Answer: to get 25 yearling/ha with 5000 yearlings (4000 from year before + added 25% or
1000 head) take the 5000 yearling divided by 25 to get a pasture size of 200 ha. 14,000
ha divided by 200 ha in each pasture = 70 pastures
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RANGE IMPROVEMENTS PROBLEM (6 points)
Your task is to develop a seeding mixture to provide seed to plant a 5,000 ha native
pasture that has some soil compaction problems and has been infested with annual brome
grasses. After consultation with the livestock producer who grazes cattle in this pasture, it
is decided that an aerator with an attached seedbox pulled by a large 4-wheeled tractor will
be used to apply the seed to the pasture. This aerator has spiral blades that increase
productivity by slicing through rhizomes to stimulate plant growth while it leaves litter in
place on the soil surface and breaks up soil compaction to allow nutrients and water to be
absorbed more readily. Local experts recommended a seed mixture that contained10% of
species A, 20% of species B, 30% of species C and D each, and the remaining 10% of
species E. Below is a summary table providing information.
Species
A
B
C
D
E
Bulk Seeding Rate
(kg/ha)
5.0
6.0
5.0
8.5
7.5
Cost
($/kg of bulk seed)
10.00
7.50
8.00
6.00
4.00
Germination
(%)
80
70
80
90
90
Purity
(%)
85
90
75
40
30
47. (6 pts) Which of the following species is the lowest cost in terms of $/kg of PLS seed?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
e. E
Answer: Obtain % PLS (germination X purity) for each species. Divide cost of bulk seed by
% PLS value to get dollars per kg of PLS seed.
Species A: 0.8 X 0.85 = 0.68 so 10.00/0.68 = 14.71 $/kg of PLS
Species B: 0.7 X 0.9 = 0.63 so 7.50/0.63 = 11.90 $/kg of PLS
Species C: 0.8 X 0.75 = 0.6 so 8.00/0.6 = 13.33 $/kg of PLS
Species D: 0.9 X 0.4 = 0.36 so 6.00/0.36 = 16.67 $/kg of PLS
Species E: 0.9 X 0.3 = 0.27 so 4.00/0.27 = 14.82 $/kg of PLS
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RANGE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS PROBLEM – 10 points total
You are charged with assessing shrub production on big game winter range for a cattle
ranch (5000 ha) in south-central Idaho that makes additional money by guiding big game
hunters in the fall. You are interested in estimating annual production (kg/ha) for Wyoming
big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young), an
important winter browse species for mule deer and elk on the ranch. You design a study
where you estimate sagebrush production in a 50 m long x 100 cm wide belt transect using
a sagebrush “reference unit” to quantify shrub production available to big game.
A reference unit is a “typical” branch that you cut from an unmarked sagebrush plant, away
from your transect. The browse material on the branch is similar to that on the smallest
plant and no less than one-twentieth of the largest plant you may encounter in your belt
transects. You use the reference unit to estimate how many reference units are found in
sagebrush plants in your belt transect. It is acceptable to record fractions of plants (e.g.,
9.5). Finally, you clip and weigh the current annual leader growth and leaves from the
reference unit to provide a fresh weight (7.0 g) to convert into estimated weights.
Reference Unit Method
Plant number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Number of reference
units in each
sagebrush plant
10
9
8
7
10
9.5
11
12
1
4.5
48. (5 pts) The above table reports results for the 10 Wyoming big sagebrush shrubs.
What is the average fresh weight (g) per Wyoming big sagebrush shrub?
a. 57.4
b. 82.0
c. 574.0
d. 820.0
Answer: Calculated as 70 + 63 + 56 + 49 + 70 + 66.5 + 77 + 84 + 7 + 31.5 = (574/10) =
57.4 g fresh weight
49. (5 pts) After determining that 40% of the fresh weight of the reference unit was water,
how much kg/shrub of dry matter did the Wyoming big sagebrush plants produce on
average?
a. 0.03
b. 2.23
c. 22.96
d. 34.44
Answer: 0.7 g of fresh weight becomes 0.42 g of dry matter with the 60% value.
Calculated as 34.44 g average dry weight x 1 kg/1000 g = 0.03 kg DM/shrub