Ecosystem Restoration Flashcards
7 cards from real CEP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ecosystem Restoration flashcards as text
Which federal law provides the primary legal framework for wetland restoration projects requiring dredge-and-fill activities in the United States?
Answer: Clean Water Act Section 404
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the US, which governs most wetland restoration construction activities.
In prairie restoration, the practice of 'plug planting' is best described as:
Answer: Transplanting small rooted plant starts into prepared substrate
Plug planting involves transplanting small rooted native plants (plugs) into restoration sites to establish vegetation faster than direct seeding alone.
What term describes the minimum viable population (MVP) threshold concept in restoration ecology?
Answer: The smallest population with a 95% chance of persisting for 100 years
MVP is typically defined as the smallest isolated population having a 95% (or similar) probability of survival for 100 years despite stochastic events.
A restoration planner is designing a riparian buffer. Which factor most directly determines the appropriate buffer width to achieve water quality protection?
Answer: Adjacent land use and pollutant loading
Buffer width requirements are primarily driven by the type and intensity of adjacent land uses and the corresponding pollutant loads the buffer must intercept.
The 'reference site' approach in restoration ecology is used primarily to:
Answer: Define target conditions and success metrics for a restoration project
Reference sites represent relatively undisturbed examples of the target ecosystem type and are used to set measurable ecological goals for restoration.
Which of the following best characterizes 'passive restoration'?
Answer: Removing stressors and allowing natural recovery without active intervention
Passive restoration relies on natural regeneration by eliminating or reducing the disturbance pressures that prevent ecosystem recovery.
In stream channel restoration, a 'natural channel design' approach relies most heavily on:
Answer: Regional hydraulic geometry relationships and geomorphic principles
Natural channel design uses regional curves relating drainage area to channel dimensions (width, depth, meander) derived from stable reference reaches in the same physiographic region.