Forestry

Forestry is an ID event for both divisions which will rotate in for the 2011-2012 season. The event consists of identifying trees and answering general questions about them. It is on a 2-year rotation with three other events: entomology, herpetology, and ornithology. The last time it was an event was in 2005.


 * Note – The procedure listed below is based on the past event, as well as other identification events. The actual event will likely be similar to the description below, however, the details may vary. This wiki will be updated when the 2011-2012 rules are released.

Event overview
Forestry is an event in which participants learn about a variety of North American trees. The competition is usually 1/2 identification and 1/2 knowledge-based questions. There may also be questions about trees and forestry in general. Guides to identification and studying will be included below.

Most competitions will likely be run in stations, with a specimen or photograph to identify at each station and several questions about the tree. Typically 1-3 minutes are give for each station. The event may also be run as a powerpoint if it is allowed in the rules.

Certain resources will be allowed. This will probably include one field guide, maybe two, and one to two sheets of notes. There is always the possibility that binders will be re-added into the event; however, this is unlikely based on recent trends.

Field guides
Since identification events in the past have allowed the use of at least one field guide, this will probably hold true for forestry. This section will list some of the most common guides and their advantages/disadvantages.


 * Sibley Guide to Trees
 * Includes many species; very easy-to-use layout.
 * Has many pictures for each tree; including leaves, fruit, twigs, bark, seeds, and sometimes the whole tree.
 * Drawings, not photographs.
 * Has an intro section with a lot of good reading material.
 * Range maps for every tree.
 * Does not include much information (apart from IDing), but has lots of space to write in.
 * Larger and heavier than most other field guides (this does not matter much in SO).

Tree lists
The tree list varies from state to state, where local trees are tested upon rather than trees from another region of the country (for example, a cactus would not be asked on a Michigan test). At the national level, all trees may be asked.

[[Media:Forestry05-MN-list.xls|Minnesota 2005 Tree List]]

Georgia 2005 Tree List

Examples of tree lists and differences between states.

[[Media:Master Tree List 2004.xls|2004 National Tree]]

The National Tree List from 2005 is not readily available (If you have it, please put it in)

Resources
A team may bring in resources to the test to aid them in identification and answering questions. A combination of student developed notes and professional guides tend to have the best results. Participants should be familiar with their resources and be able to quickly find what they are looking for in order to take advantage of them. A good resource page about a specific tree should contain:
 * Scientific name of specimen
 * Common name of specimen
 * Picture of specimen leaves, bark, wood, fruit, seeds, etc.
 * Page number in a specific guide
 * Habitat of specimen
 * Commercial uses of specimen
 * Any other facts about the specimen deemed important by the team

The most common professional guides to use are the National Audubon Society Field Guides and field guides specific to an area (such as a state).

Identification
There are several methods for quick identification of a specimen. There are two things to be considered before identifying: What sort of sample (leaf, bark, wood, fruit, or seed) do you have? What is the easiest way to identify using this sample?

If The Sample is a Leaf
If the sample is a leaf, the easiest catchall method of identification is leaf shape. Leaf shape can be broken down into a few, distinct families:

Conifer

 * Needle-Like
 * Scale-Like

Broadleaf

 * Compound Leaves
 * Pinnate
 * Palmate
 * Oak Shape
 * Maple Shape
 * Elm Shape
 * Unique Shape

If the Sample is a Fruit
Fruits are unique to the species they come from. There may be similarities between fruits, but all are easily differentiated (for example, the Black Cherry, Prunus serotina, has fruits similar to the Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana, except that they are black when ripe). Most fruits come from trees with elm-shaped leaves.

If the Sample is Not a Leaf or Fruit
Many other samples are given alongside leaves, and few are given alone. If bark, wood, or seeds are given, there is probably something significant about that particular tree (for example, the Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera, has unique bark and a buckeye is a seed unique to the Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra, so they may be given for identification)

Question
Attach:http://www.lima.ohio-state.edu/trees/redbud.jpg ?

Identify this specimen.
 * 1) What is the common name of this specimen?
 * 2) What time of year does this species flower?
 * 3) What is the main commercial use of this tree?

Answer
Cercis canadensis
 * 1) (Eastern) Redbud
 * 2) Spring
 * 3) Ornamental