1998 Special NRI Study Training Assessment Your name:
Mailing Address: _____________________________(print) _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ Return to: Tom O'Connor NRCS 202 Snedecor Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011
All questions pertain to information in presentations, written instructions, the tutorial and the PSU exercise. Refer to your notes and printed or computer materials to answer the following questions.
1. Data recorded for the 1997 Foundation NRI should not be changed. (check one) q A. True q B. False 2. For the 1998 Special NRI Study, which of the following are categorically included in a cropland polygon? (check all that apply) q A. Horticulture q B. Permanent pastureland q C. Pastureland in crop rotation q D. Rowcrops q E. Hayland q F. CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) 3. For the 1998 Special NRI Study, conservation practices are only enumerated in cropland polygons. (check one) q A. True q B. False
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4. The 1998 Special NRI Study data gatherer is responsible for 1982, 1987, 1992 data being correctly recorded. (check one) q A. True q B. False 5. Which of the following statements best describes how to determine proper PSU and point locations for gathering information for the 1998 Special Study. (check one) q A. Use the 1997 PSU Support Tool printed on an acetate overlay q B. Use the original 1982 sample locator map (printed on 1:000K transportation maps) q C. Use the 1992 NRI PSU support map(s) on acetate overlay or GIS q D. Use the location fitting where data were collected for the 1997 Foundation NRI 6. Which of the following is used to uniquely label cropland and non-cropland polygons in a PSU? (check one) q A. "1" q B. "A" q C. "a" q D. Any of the above 7. Which of the following is used to uniquely label conservation practices in a polygon? (check one) q A. "1" q B. "A" q C. "a" q D. Practice number code 8. In the 1998 Special NRI Study, total aggregate 1997 acreage of pastureland, rangeland, and conservation reserve program (CRP) land is measured and recorded for each N-N and N-C polygon if: (check one) q A. One or more buffer strip initiative (BSI) practices exist on an N-N or N-C polygon q B. One or more buffer strip initiative (BSI) practices exist on land that in 1997 was pastureland, rangeland, or CRP q C. Any conservation practice occurs on land that is classified in either 1997 or 1998 as pastureland, rangeland, or CRP
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9. If the same conservation practice has been identified in 1997 and 1998 in the same polygon, what is the next procedure? (check one) q A. Delineate and measure areas of change and record only increased acres for 1998 q B. Measure areas of increase or decrease in area of the practice q C. Delineate areas of increase or decrease in area of the practice in the polygon q E. None of the above q F. All of the above 10. Consider the following scenario. A PSU is bordered on the north and east by county roads. One half is cropland and the other half is permanent pasture. The cropland and non-cropland polygons are the same in 1997 and 1998. In 1998 a filter strip was installed along an intermittent stream in the permanent pasture (non-cropland). The new filter strip extends from within the PSU to a point 200ft outside the PSU boundary (there is not a road along that boundary). Which portion of the filter strip practice is measured for purposes of the 1998 Special Study? (check one) q A. The entire length and area of the 1998 filter strip q B. The entire length and area of the filter strip in the PSU in the cropland polygon q C. The entire length and area of the filter strip in the PSU in the non-cropland polygon 11. To inventory water areas, order the following steps in their proper sequence beginning with the number 1. __ A. Delineate and measure all permanent water areas __ B. Identify areas of small and large urban and built-up in the PSU __ C. Determine locations of PSU and point samples __ D. Classify water areas 12. When the total aggregate area of pastureland, rangeland and conservation reserve program (CRP) acreage is required to describe a buffer strip initiative practice, CRP is? (check one) q A. Derived by delineating total area of pastureland and rangeland and subtracting from the total area of the polygon q B. Obtained from field office records/locations q C. Known from historic NRI observations with in the PSU
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13. A PSU of 160 acres has a north and east boundary along centerlines of paved roads that have 30ft rights of way (grassed). A fence separates the road rights of way from a field, and that field extends beyond the south and west boundaries of the PSU. A 40ft wide grass strip exists in the field between the fence and corn; the grass strip was seeded in 1997 and is visible on 1997 photography. Corn extends beyond the PSUs south and west boundaries. Answer the following questions about the PSU. a. Classify each of the following areas of the PSU in 1997 as cropland (C) or noncropland (N). __ A. Area of corn in the PSU __ B. 40ft wide grass strip between fence and corn __ C. 30ft wide grassed road right of way between paved road and fence __ D. Portion of the paved road in the PSU b. In 1998, the 40ft wide grass strip inside the fence has been planted to corn. The area of corn in 1998 extends from the fence along the north and east to the south and west boundaries of the PSU. Classify the 40ft grassed area for the years 1997 and 1998. (check one) q A. "C-N" q B. "N-C" q C. "C-C" q D. "N-N" q E. Not enough information is provided to classify 14. A cover type called "I - in bank" is applicable to transects of which of the following water areas? (check all that apply) q A. Large water bodies q B. Small water bodies q C. Large streams q D. Small streams q E. Intermittent streams 15. With regard to data gathering for a transect, at what location is specific land cover/use recorded? (check one) q A. Shoreline q B. Mid-point q C. End point
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16. Which of the following observations or types of observations pertain to point samples? (check all that apply) q A. Irrigation type q B. MLRA q C. HEL q D. N-N acres q E. Data gatherers 17. A CASI is an acronym for? (check one) q A. computer assisted survey information collection system q B. computer assisted survey instrument q C. conservation assistance survey information 18. For the 98 Special Study, DRGs (digital raster graphics) are used to (check all that apply) q A. Classify Census and non-Census water areas (water bodies and streams) q B. Identify intermittent streams q C. Transfer proper locations of PSU and point sample locations to 1998 overlays q D. Determine county boundaries q E. Determine ownership and land cover/use at points 19. What are minimum requirements to use the 1998 NRI Special Study Tutorial? (check all that are required) q A. One hour of uninterrupted time q B. Internet connection (modem or network connection) q C. Web browser (e.g., Netscape) q D. Microsoft Windows operating system q E. Valid login and password
(The following questions pertain to the exercise with the Missouri PSU)
20. What minimum number of PSU support maps is required to complete PSU data gathering exercise? (check one) q A. none q B. 1 q C. 2 q D. 3 q E. more than 3
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21. How many large water bodies and large streams are recorded in the PSU? (check one) q A. none q B. 1 q C. 2 q D. 3 q E. more than 3 22. How many C-C and N-N polygons are delineated in the PSU? (check one) q A. fewer than 6 polygons q B. 6 polygons q C. 7 polygons q D. at least 8 polygons 23. Identify which conservation practices are found in cropland polygons in the PSU for one or both years of photography. (check all that apply) q A. 330 contour farming q B. 362 diversion q C. 378 pond q D. 386 field border q E. 391A riparian forest buffer q F. 412 grassed waterway q G. 600 terrace 24. Identify which conservation practices were new in 1998. (check all that apply) q A. 330 contour farming q B. 362 diversion q C. 378 pond q D. 386 field border q E. 391A riparian forest buffer q F. 412 grassed waterway q G. 600 terrace
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25. Identify which conservation practices were present in 1997 but not in 1998. (check all that apply) q A. 330 contour farming q B. 362 diversion q C. 378 pond q D. 386 field border q E. 391A riparian forest buffer q F. 412 grassed waterway q G. 600 terrace
The following questions pertain to you and are not scored.
26. Indicate if you collected data or directly supervised data gatherers for any of the previous NRI inventories. (check all that apply). q A. 1982 NRI q B. 1987 NRI q C. 1991 Special Wetlands Study q D. 1992 NRI q E. 1995 Erosion Update q F. 1996 Special Study q G. 1997 NRI Foundation q H. 1997 Special Study 27. Date of your 1998 Special Study training (mm/dd/yy) _________ 28. Location of your training (check one) q A. June 1998 Training, Colorado q B. September 1998 Training, Arkansas q C. ICCS Training For C provide Location (city,state) _________________________(print) ICCS Trainers ____________________ _________________(print) 29. How many data gatherers will you train for the 1998 Special NRI Study? (check one) q A. none q B. 0-5 q C. 6-10 q D. more than 10 30. Where will you be located for most of the 1998 data gathering? (office name, city, state)_________________________ (print)
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31. If you gathered data for the 1997 Special Study, did you use the 1997 Web tutorial? (check all that apply) q A YES q B. NO - I didn't know it existed q C. NO - I didn't have an Internet connection q D. NO - I couldn't get it to work 32. In your NRCS career, have you received any formal training in the following topics from either NRCS or another government of private source? (check all that apply) q A. Geographic information systems q B. Global positioning (GPS) technologies q C. Remote sensing/photo interpretation q D. Statistics (include academic training) q E. Soil survey and mapping 33. Please check all activities that you have had experience with while an NRCS employee. (check all that apply) q A. Developed conservation plans q B. Mapped soils q C. Developed agronomy standards/specifications q D. Developed farm bill compliance standards or procures q E. Developed computer programs or applications 34. Based on your 1998 Special Study training, describe how training content and training methods can be improved to help you do your job. Write comments on the questionnaire.
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