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Contest Elements:
This contest tests identification skills, compass skills,
and ecological information. Youth will be asked to identify,
from samples, trees and plant leaves and fruits and a few
multiple choice questions about identification or natural
history features, insect and disease damage, and wildlife.
Youth will also walk along a trail and identify specimens in
the woods. A multiple-choice portion of the contest will
cover two ecosystems:
Bottomland Hardwood Forest and
Sandhill Forest. Youth will have a list of species from
which they will copy the appropriate number--they will not
have to spell common names or know Latin names. There will
also be a section on map and compass skills. There will be
from 10 to 25 questions on each of six sections; the Junior
contest is the shortest and the Senior contest is the
longest.
In keeping with the ecosystems focus, the tree and plant
species for which Seniors are responsible for on the I.D.
section of contest will also emphasize species that are
typical of featured ecosystems. These highlighted ecosystem
descriptions contain lists of trees and other plants that
are not on the tree and plants I.D. contest lists, but youth
should know which ecosystem the plants are associated with.
The 2010 contest will include these elements. This is a
summary of the quiz for three age groups by stations:
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Junior |
Intermediate |
Senior |
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Tree ID |
ID 15 trees by leaf, twig, or fruit |
ID 20 trees by leaf, twig, or fruit |
ID 25 trees by leaf, twig, or fruit |
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Plant ID |
ID 10 plants by leaf, twig, or flower |
ID 15 plants by leaf, twig or flower |
ID 20 plants by leaf, twig or flower |
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Insects/Disease ID |
ID 15 insects or diseases by specimen or evidence |
ID 20 insects or diseases by specimen or evidence |
ID 30 insects or diseases by specimen or evidence |
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Forest Hike |
ID 20 animals, trees, and processes on a trail |
ID 20 animals, trees, and processes on a trail |
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Forest Ecology
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Answer 5-10 multiple choice or T/F questions on each
forest ecosystem from Forest Stories
Discovering the Sandhill
A Ghost
on the Suwannee |
Answer 10-15 multiple choice or T/F questions on
each forest ecosystem from Ecosystem Descriptions
Bottomland Hardwoods
Sandhills
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Answer 10-20 multiple choice or T/F questions on
each forest ecosystem from Ecosystem Descriptions
Bottomland Hardwoods
Sandhills
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Map &
Compass |
Identify topographic map symbols and correctly use a
compass |
Identify topographic map symbols and correctly use a
compass |
Identify topographic map symbols, correctly use a
compass, and estimate distance by pace |
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Tree
Measurement |
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Measure the merchantable height and diameter of 8
trees |
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Forest Quiz Bowl |
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Teams compete to answer 15 questions about forestry
in a timed session with 30 seconds per question, and
then answer as many questions as they can answer in
a 2 minute Speed Quiz |
Information on each portion of the contest is found on this
web site:
Tree ID: See official tree lists and
tree descriptions
Plant ID: See official plant lists and
plant descriptions
Insect and Disease ID: See official
insect and disease lists and descriptions
Forest Hike: See wildlife pictures and
descriptions
Forest Ecology: See
forest stories (for Juniors)
and ecosystem descriptions on each of the two highlighted
ecosystems:
Ecosystem 1;
Ecosystem 2
Map and Compass:
See map symbol information, compass
information, and pacing information
Tree Measurement: See information on tree measurement.
Download info from
http://www.aces.edu/n4hfi/page76.html
Forest Quiz Bowl: Procedure is described. Quiz questions
will be taken from the descriptions of Senior Trees marked
with *, and the
National 4H Forestry Manual Units A
and B.
Contest Participants:
Youth will compete in teams of 3 to 4 individuals at the
Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels. Juniors are youth
ages 8-10 by September 1 of the current 4H program year.
Intermediates are youth ages 11 to 13 years by September 1,
of the current 4H program year. Seniors are ages 14-18 as
of September 1, of the current 4H program year. Each county
can register up to 24 youth in 2 Junior, Intermediate and
Senior teams. Individual youth may compete if there are not
enough to form a team. Teams of a minimum of 3 youth may be
registered, as the three highest scores from a 4-person team
are used in competition. Senior participants must not have
been a previous first place team winner.
Contest Awards
All contestants will receive a certificate that verifies
their participation. The top three team and individual
winners in each contest will receive a trophy. In addition,
the highest scoring Senior team will be eligible to compete
in the National Forestry Invitational. The highest scoring
team among first year county contestants will also take home
a trophy. Ties for recognition will be broken by weighting
sections of the contest in this order: tree ID, plant ID,
ecosystem quiz, insect/disease, field map/compass. A $500
scholarship from the University of Florida's School of
Forest Resources and Conservation will be offered to the
Senior High Scoring Individual of the 4-H Forest Ecology
Contest if he or she chooses to enroll at the University of
Florida and declares a major in the School of Forest
Resources and Conservation. The scholarship will be renewed
for up to 3 additional years if a grade point average of 3.0
is maintained.
An Awards Ceremony will be held when all scoring is
concluded. We anticipate this will be between 1:00 and 2:00
p.m. Guided hikes and outdoor activities will be offered
between the conclusion of the competition and the awards
ceremony.
For Observers:
When all contestants have finished the contest, we will open
the stations to observers and contestants. Youth and coaches
will be able to ask questions about forest plant
identification, for example, and learn more about the
contest. Counties are encouraged to bring non-competing
youth to learn more about the contest. Please register
these youth by printing and completing the non-competing
form. Coaches will be able to take plant samples home to
start collections.
Training Information:
This website provides all the information 4-H'ers need to
successfully compete in the 4-H Forest Ecology Contest.
Information is presented on forest ecosystems, trees,
plants, wildlife, forest health, and map & compass.
Although it helps to go outside and identify real trees and
forest plants, you aren't limited to the plants growing in
your part of the state. This site includes over 120
descriptions of trees and plants with detailed photos--in
all parts of Florida.
The Contest will require 4-H'ers to be able to identify
selected forest trees and plants from Florida 4H tree and
plant lists. Each year, the lists will include:
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The eighteen dominant trees presented in the 4-H Forest
Resource Project Books;
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Selected trees from the Official List of the National
4-H Forestry Invitational; and
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Trees and plants commonly found in a natural outdoor
setting, from branches or other significant parts, or
from photographs depicting key features of a tree or
plant. There will also be multiple-choice questions on
how certain trees and plants can be identified.
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