ECOSCAPER LEVEL 2 SAMPLE/PRACTICE
TEST
Note: You will
receive no feedback, scores, results,
etc.
Welcome to the Ecoscaper
Level 2 Sample/Practice Test page. We
are pleased you have decided to undertake
this educational certification process.
Answers to all questions asked in this
test can be found in the following Wild
Ones resource materials:
1. Wild Ones New Member Handbook
2. Wild Ones Landscaping with Native
Plants
3. Wild Ones web site at www.for-wild.org
Correct answers of
75% or more of the test questions will
give you a passing grade. You are welcome
to take the test over as many times as
you wish. This sample
test will not be sent to Wild Ones, and will not be scored.
We wish you luck in
this new challenge.
SAMPLE/PRACTICE
TEST
1. When
preparing an erosion-prone site such
as a hillside for seeding with native
plants, which one of the following is
true? (Click the one correct answer.)
A. Remove
existing vegetation in the fall, then
wait until late spring to seed it, and
burn it three times the first year
B. Plant
as many shallow-rooted forbs as possible
C. Minimize
how much the soil is disturbed, and plant
immediately following cultivation, using
a nurse crop of oats and a cover of mulch,
stabilized with netting if needed
2. What
is the primary goal of pre-treating
seed prior to planting it? (Click the
one correct answer.)
A. To
imitate Nature in order to change
the seed from a dry, dormant embryo
to a visible sprout
B. To
kill invasive weed seeds
C. To
ensure that the seed has been pollinated
3. The term for the
process of mixing seed with equal amounts
of clean, moist sand, then placing it
in the refrigerator is: (Click the one
correct answer.)
A. Scarification
B. Inoculation
C. Moist
stratification
D. Growth
boosterism
4. In cold climates,
what keeps seed from sprouting as soon
as it falls to the ground after an October
rain, then freezing before the seedling
can mature? (Click the one correct answer.)
A. Scarification
B. Thick
coverings of the seed or germination-inhibiting
chemicals prevent immediate germination
C. It
takes at least one freeze-thaw
cycle for the seed to become imbedded
in the soil with enough contact area
to allow germination
D. None
of the above
5.
When
planting a woodland in an area where
the trees are far from their mature
size so that much of the area is in
full sun, it is better to plant the
woodland plants that you want to be
there in 10 years right away so that
they are well established when they
become shaded in the future.
True
False
6. About 85%
of non-native plants cause all the environmental
damage because of their abundant reproduction.
True
False
7. The economic impact
of invasive weeds is estimated to cost
the United States economy more than: (Click
the one correct answer.)
A. Three
million dollars per year ($3,000,000)
B. Three
hundred million dollars per year
($300,000,000)
C. More
than $35 billion dollars per year
($35,000,000,000)
8. Impacts of invasive
weeds include: (Click the one correct
answer.)
A. The
longer invasive weeds are ignored
the more herbicide is needed to
control them
B. Hybridization
with native species can occur,
potentially leading to loss of original
strains
C. Insect
life cycles, microbial activity,
soil characteristics, and other
natural processes can be altered
D. All
of the above
9.
Nature typically follows
a random vs. orderly process. Similarly,
wildlife randomly appears in different
areas, regardless of availability of
favorable habitat.
True
False
10. Wild Ones advocates
using plants and seeds from as wide an
area as possible, including distant states,
to help diversify the gene pool.
True
False
11.
When collecting seeds,
collect all the seed from a few of
the largest plants and avoid any plants
that don’t
appear to be growing well.
True
False
12. Which of the following
statements is true? (Click the one correct
answer.)
A. Shrubs need to be pruned to encourage
more branching thus increasing fruit
production for wildlife
B. Lawns are teeming with life and are
artistic expressions of their owners
C. It is necessary to spray mature trees
with biocides to keep insects in check
D. Aesthetic impoverishment empowered
several artists, including Lorrie Otto,
to defy conformity laws and plant their
yards with diverse plant communities
that soon teemed with life
E. Scientists are unconcerned about protecting
genotypes but do care about endangered
species
13. All living species
today are: (Click as many as necessary.)
A. Genetic libraries which record evolutionary
events all across the span of time
B. Direct descendants of the organisms
that lived 5.8 to 3.8 billion years ago
C. Survivors of geological history/ evolutionary
process
14. Potential biological
wealth is being destroyed by: (Click
as many as necessary.)
A. Human action through habitat destruction
B. Invasive non-native species
C. Pollution
D. Discordant
rates of evolutionary process between
plant and animal life
E. Too
many rain gardens
15. In
a sustainable world (which values do NOT belong)?
(Click as many as necessary.)
A. People will recycle some of the time
B. People will live closer to work or
work at home
C. Historic buildings will be torn down
and rebuilt
D. Small towns will become part of an
ever-expanding web of modern metropolitan
urban living
E. People will live and work in mixed
use neighborhoods where neighborliness
and sociability are the norm
16. A
sustainable landscape might include
(which do NOT belong)?
(Click as many as necessary.)
A. Lawn-like
areas maintained by grazing rather than
mowing
B. Solar-collecting panels in fields
interspersed with native grasses and
flowers.
C. Meadows, infrequently mowed.
D. Hiking and biking trails.
E. Edibles in the landscapes
F. Edge plantings near forests, fence
rows, pastures, and orchards.
G. Forests preserved in small, isolated
patches.
17. Which
of the following terms does NOT describe
a moisture-loving forest? (Click as
many as necessary.)
A. Mesophytic forest
B. Cloud forest
C. Temperate rain forest
D. Tropical rain forest
E. Xeric forest
F. Swamp forest
G. Fog forest
18.
In summer the leaves of the understory
trees are small and numerous to catch
as much light as possible.
True
False
19.
Evidence suggests that the fall of
great civilizations such as Greece
and Rome are linked to large forests
which prevented farming and the growing
of crops.
True
False
20.
Wetlands were formed in the landscapes
left when the glaciers of 10,000 to
20,000 years ago melted away.
True
False
21. The mowed lawn
aesthetic: (Click as many as necessary.)
A. Originated in the late 18th century
with the aristocracy in France and
England
B. Was adopted by U.S. colonists to tame
the wilderness
C. Was disregarded by landscape architects
D. Was adopted by the American middle
class after the Civil War
E. Was later promoted by the USDA and
the U.S. Golf Association
F. Was discouraged by Garden Clubs of
America who preferred native meadows
22.
Homeowners use far fewer pesticides
than farmers use.
True
False
23.
Mowing grass from mid-July to frost
is productive because it removes cover
for rats and keeps undesirable weeds
at bay.
True
False
24. Why
have elements such as rocks, broken
branches, decaying logs, and leaves
in a natural setting? (Click as many
as necessary.)
A. They
are just ornamental
B. It’s
easier to leave them there, than it is
to haul them away
C. They
are home to small organisms that will
help develop a diversified landscape
25. Why
is each native landscaped property
uniquely beautiful? (Click as many as
necessary.)
A. It
reflects the personality of the landscaper
B. It
reflects the home’s architecture
C. It
reflects the site conditions
D. It
reflects the availability of plant species
26. How
does a purist landscaper restore his
or her property? (Click as many as necessary.)
A. Finds
design inspiration in the records available
through their local courthouse, historical
society and nature center
B. Looks
for early survey maps
C. Goes
to the nearest chain nursery and talks
with the manager
D. Looks
for early settlers’ accounts describing
the lay of the land
E. Talks
with local native plant society and Wild
Ones members
27. Pollination
is not a free service. Investment and
stewardship are required to protect and
sustain it.
True
False
28. Because
we are allowing uncontrolled or unregulated
habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, disease
and pests to occur, wild and managed
pollinators are disappearing at an alarming
rate.
True
False
29. Although
wild and managed pollinators are disappearing
at a minimal rate, they provide pollination
services for over three-quarters of the
staple crop plants that feed humankind
and for over 90 percent of all flowering
plants in the world, so we want to be
protect them for the future.
True
False
30. Observing
the natural features about you, you see
colors and textures in the soil, leaf
litter, rocks, stems, flowers or in seedheads,
trunks and branches. What is the most
unnatural element about most modern landscapes? (Click
the one correct answer.)
A. How
evenly they are landscaped.
B. How
closely flowers grow together
C. Trees
planted only an arm’s length apart
31. Arriving back home
after going with your chapter to gather
seeds at a local Nature Center, it would
be a good idea to spread the seeds out
on wet cheesecloth in a dark, damp basement
or crawlspace for 12 to 14 days.
True
False
32. After bringing
home a bunch of newly gathered seeds,
it would be a good idea to spread the
seeds that need drying on newspaper,
clean chaff from those that need cleaning,
and put seeds of each species in their
own envelopes marked with common name,
botanical name, and place of origin.
True
False
33. What
choices should landowners consider when
formulating a natural landscaping plan? (Click
as many as necessary.)
A. Personal
preferences and financial limitations
B. Neighbor
relationships and local zoning
C. Availability
of non-native plant species
D. Gardening
skills and time available for landscape
development and maintenance
E. Methods
for keeping out wildlife
34. Moist seed stratification
is a process that mimics nature’s
cycle of freeze/thaw which breaks down
chemical/physical inhibitors of germination.
True
False
35. Scarification
is a process used to break the soft
coats of legume and puccoon seeds so
the seeds can absorb water.
True
False
36. What
are some other things you can do to learn
more about native landscaping? (Click
as many as necessary.)
A. Volunteering
to be a greeter at the door of chapter
meetings
B. Volunteering
to wash coffee mugs during clean-up following
the meeting
C. Read
the latest traditional gardening catalogs
published from outside your local ecoregion
D. Read “Wild
Ones Landscaping with Native Plants”
E. Volunteer
to supervise a plant rescue
F. Volunteer
to become a member of the local Wild
Ones Chapter board
37. After
you’ve developed your landscaping
plan, you should get it all done at once. (Click
the one correct answer.)
A. You
should start your landscaping adventure
by tending a small garden in a location
where you can view it often
B. You
should start your plan all at once so
your yard will be finished as soon as
possible
38. Why
do Wild Ones members cover parts of their
yards with cardboard, carpeting, an old
pool liner, or three feet of shredded
leaves? (Choose the one correct answer.)
A. Smothering
materials such as these create a garden
bed with little effort, expense or damage
to the environmen.
B. Wild
Ones members want others observing their
efforts to think they are crazy
39. Why
is your home the perfect place for a
natural landscape? (Click as many as
necessary.)
A. Because
you care about the environment
B. Because
you want to learn more about nature
C. Because
you know it will make your cranky neighbor
unhappy
D. Because
you hanker to express your creativity
E. Because
you are wise enough to invest in a landscape
that becomes more self-sufficient over
the years
40. Businesses
must be smart about their products and
services. So why should they use
natural landscaping? (Click as many as
necessary.)
A. Because
business is about profit, and reducing
maintenance expenses improves the bottom
line
B.
Well-designed
and developed landscape diminishes corporate
image
C. Planting
native species reflects local interest
and civic-mindedness
D. Provides
a forum for publicity
41. What
percentage of pharmaceuticals now in
use are still derived from plants? (Click
the one correct answer.)
A. 0
- 9 percent
B. 10
- 20 percent
C. 21
- 40 percent
D. 41
- 50 percent
42. Why
is it important to provide a natural
landscape for senior housing locations? (Click
as many as necessary.)
A. Because
a natural landscape provides a portal
for the whole chain of life to act out
every day
B. Because
plants can spark memories and ignite
conversation
C. Because
feeding the birds gives people a sense
of purpose, and watching squirrels gives
us a sense of humor
D. Because
a special landscape gives us a sense
of place – which seems ever more
important when one has left behind their
familiar home
E. Because
most seniors are frightened of the insects
and this will help them get over their
fright
43. The
Memorandum written in 1994, by President
Bill Clinton instructs federal facilities
and federally funded projects to increase
environmentally and economically beneficial
landscaping practices. The benefits
which would be derived from this increase
include: (Click as many as necessary.)
A. Long-term
cost savings for the federal government
because of the reduction in the use of
fertilizer, pesticide and irrigation
B. FEMA
will require more funding to clean up
flood-prone areas
C.
Water
conservation
D. Pollution
and run-off prevention
E. Pesticide
and herbicide companies will increase
their lobbying efforts
44. Plant
communities help stabilize steep hillsides
and mitigate flood waters by providing
native vegetation to: (Click as many
as necessary.)
A. Intercept
runoff and subsurface water pollutants
from urban and agricultural land uses
and construction sites
B. Attract
non-native insect, bird, fish and animal
species to introduce non-native invasive
plant species
C. Augment
the permeability of the soil and helping
uptake of certain stormwater pollutants
45. The
more a city grows, replacing trees and
grass with buildings and roads, the
warmer it becomes.
True
False
46. Referring to Question
45 above, one economical cure for these “heat
islands” is the reintroduction
of non-native vegetation.
True
False
47. States
experience reduced costs when using roadside
wildflowers because: (Click as many as
necessary.)
A. Noxious
weeds become more invasive
B. There
is more erosion
C. Less
mowing means reduced maintenance costs
D. Strengthened
partnerships with natural resource agencies
and volunteer groups
E. Decreased
planting success with hardy native plants
48. What
are some of the reasons to buy native
seeds and plants from reputable suppliers?
(Click as many as necessary.)
A. Encourages
commerce in natural landscaping
B. Saves
labor
C. Encourages
depletion of wild resources
D. Permits
access to species not available by other
means
E. Makes
available expertly blended seed mixtures
of plant groups for specific sites
F. Supports
the businesses that do not support Wild
Ones
G. Provides
planting instructions
H. Slows
down the start-up of your landscaping
I. Gives
you poorly treated and stored seeds for
germination
49. The
investment to develop a naturally landscaped
yard is quite costly, unless you participate
in Wild Ones sponsored plant rescues
and seed gatherings and exchanges. What
cost benefits would be available to offset
this investment? (Click as many as necessary.)
A. Once
established, a native landscape requires
no fertilizer and no irrigation
B. Once
established, overall maintenance time
is reduced
C. You
can exchange the plants you’ve
rescued for nursery grown plants the
local nurser.
50. Why
does it take so long to completely restore
a natural area? (Click the one correct
answer.)
A. Because
fire is so important to the health of
a restored natural area, you can’t
begin a restoration project without first
having a burned.
B. Because
it can take centuries to amass the kind
of density and diversity exhibited in
preserved natural areas
C. Because
it takes time to get the people and equipment
together to do the planting
END OF TEST
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