Junior Natural Resources

1. Junior Natural Resources Career Development Event GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office To accompany Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Lesson July 2002

2. The Natural Resources CDE provides the opportunity for FFA members to demonstrate their knowledge of natural resources. OVERVIEW

3. Purpose • Promote the instruction of natural resources in the Ag classroom • Recognize students who have demonstrated skills and competencies as a result of this instruction • Train future participants in • Environmental/Natural Resources CDE • Forestry CDE • Land Judging CDE • Envirothon

4. Who’s Eligible • Active FFA members in the 6th,7th,8th, or 9th grades • 9th graders who have competed in any Area Forestry CDE are ineligible • Ten students make a team • The Top 2 Area Team Winners may participate in the State CDE that same year

5. All general FFA rules apply to this CDE Participants are grouped with a judge and must remain in that group throughout the entire event Each team member can enter only 1 event Time limit 45 minutes- AREA 60 minutes- STATE All written material is furnished Participants must be prepared for adverse weather conditions Rules

6. Materials provided by student Clean, note-free clipboard 2 pencils non-graphing calculator own equipment check guide for exceptions Materials provided by FFA score sheet graph paper exams Event Format

7. Individual Activities • Tree Identification • Timber Stand Improvement and Thinning • Timber Cruising for Cord Volume • Land Measurement • Hand Compass Practicum • Tree/Forest Disorders • Land Use • Soil Sampling • Wildlife Management • Fish Management

8. Tree Identification • Identify by common names of 45 trees by -full trees, cut foliage, herbarium sheets with pressed foliage, photographs, bark, limbs, cones, fruits, nuts, or any other tree part -complete names must be reproduced exactly • no credit given to partially correct names • misspelled names receive half credit

9. Example • Correct: Yellow-Poplar • Incorrect: Poplar • 1/2 Credit: Yellow Poplar

10. Timber Stand Improvementand/or Thinning • A selected area will contain 20 marked trees considered as a forest management site • Participants score each marked tree by either • Harvest- utilize the tree for forest production • Leave- tree remains in stand • Deaden- tree with no value or for wildlife purposes • Participants are given a situation and must make a decision based on given information • Markets available, wildlife habitat considerations, present condition of stand, final goal of the management plan

11. Reason Why Each Tree Was Harvested, Left, or Deadened • future crop tree • non-merchantable • wildlife/aesthetics • insect infestation • disease • lack of vigor or growth, suppressed or restricted crown or spacing • crooked, forked, malformed of leaning • other • more than one reason may be used if two or more reasons are of equal importance

12. Timber Cruising for Cord Volume • Participants will measure 10 pre-numbered trees for volume in cords • Participants record diameter in breast height (dbh) to the nearest inch • Record total height of each tree down to the nearest 5-foot length • Volume tables and weight factors are provided to calculate cords and tons

13. Land Measurement • Participants determine the acreage to the nearest .001 of land that is delineated by at least three, but no more than six, corner stakes • Must provide own hand compass • Graph paper is provided to draw plot • All computations must be shown

14. Hand Compass Practicum • Participants use a compass and pacing to the nearest foot to determine the bearings and distances of four designated lines. • Azimuth readings will also be calculated • A minimum of four stations will be given

15. Tree/Forest Disorders • Samples of 10-20 disorders, insects, or diseases (from the official list) are displayed for the participants to identify • Complete common name should be reproduced exactly as given in the official list • Correct but misspelled words will not receive full credit

16. Example • Correct: Black Turpentine Beetle • Incorrect: Turpentine Beetle • 1/2 Credit: Black Turpantine Beetle (misspelled)

17. Land Use • Participants evaluate individually and collectively each of the seven land class factors • slope of land • topsoil thickness • erosion • topsoil texture • permeability of subsoil • drainage and effective depth of soil

18. Soil Sampling • Participant will take a soil sample from plot representing a field, pasture, orchard, garden, or lawn and complete the information on the soil sample bag • Participant will also take a short exam and answer oral questions about proper techniques • Participant must bring necessary equipment for properly taking the soil sample

19. Wildlife Management • Participants will identify a designated number of species of wildlife from the official list • Participants must also answer questions on habitat, hunting regulations, preferred foods and biology of the animal • Complete common name must be reproduced exactly as it appears on the list

20. Example • Correct: Mourning Dove • Incorrect: Dove • 1/2 Credit: Morning Dove (misspelled)

21. Fish Management • Participants are required to identify a designated number of species of fish from the official list. • Participants will also answer questions on habitat, fishing regulations, preferred foods, and biology of the fish • Complete common name should be reproduced exactly as it appears on the official list

22. Example • Correct: Largemouth Bass • Incorrect: Bass • 1/2 Credit: Large Mouth Bass (misspelled)

23. See Junior Natural Resources CDE Information for detailed information