20 a Day (4) Flashcards
What type of cutter helps to reduce the risk of kickback: full-chisel or semi-chisel?
Semi-chisel/rapid-micro
How do you perform a cold start on a chainsaw (4 Points)?
- Put the chainbreak on
- Press the small button/primer bulb
- Hold the throttle and pull down the switch near the handle (must be in the down position)
- Pull the cord to start the saw
What are the four post-cold-start checks?
- Turn off the chainbreak and rev the chainsaw - check for chaincreep
- Rev the saw at your sheath to see if oil comes out
- Activate the chainbreak and rev the saw to see if the break works
- Flick the off-switch up
What must you do before letting your chain touch wood?
Get the chain moving - don’t put the chain against the wood and then get it moving.
When moving along a log when cross-cutting, what must you remember to do?
Activate the chainbreak inbetween little movements (you must never move with the chainbreak off).
When stacking cross-cutted wood, you should never stack it higher than…
1m (different rule than cord piles?)
How would you cut this log that’s been placed on two little logs? When would you do the opposite?
- Cut the top first (red line/compression cut)
- Then cut the botton (green line/tension cut)
- You’d do the opposite if there’s no second little log (the log is overhanging).
What does PUWER stand for? What’s your duty under it?
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Your duty under it is to do your pre-start COCO checks and to make sure that ll your equipment is well-maintained and safe to use.
What will happen if the depth gauges on cutters are too high?
The chain will push wood away, rather than cut into it.
What will happen if the depth gauges on cutters are too short?
The cutters will try to remove too much wood, and the risk of kickback will be increased.
What will happen if all the cutters on a chain aren’t the same size and shape?
Cuts will be uneven!
Why do the air holes in a chainsaw’s pulling mechanism need to be clean?
So air can enter the chainsaw’s colling mechanism.
You’re cleaning an air filter by using an airline. What do you need to remember?
Put the airline inside the air filter so that dust and debris gets blown outwards.
Can a cutter be too sharp?
Yes - it will be too aggressive and it will become blunt very quickly.
Where must waste fuel be deposited?
In a designated oil drum.
What should you do if there’s too much compression when trying to cut a piece of wood?
Make a series of piano cuts.
How can you tell if a plant is alive?
- Scratch the bark a little bit.
- If the underlying bark is brown and not green, scratch again further down.
- Keep repeating this. If the whole plant is brown, then the plant is dead.
When planting trees that are/were in containers, what level should the container soil be placed at?
Make sure it’s at the same level as the ground.
When using woodchips as mulch, how many inches do you need?
Six inches!
When creating dead hedges, what sort of material should go at the bottom?
Thick branches - branches should get more thin as the dead hedge gets taller.
Why should dead hedges be curved (and not straight)?
For whatever reason, deer are more likely to jump over straight dead hedges. They’ll walk alongside curved dead hedges and not enter the coupe.
Can you throw brash on a coppice stool to prevent it from being browsed?
No - the brash will hinder regrowth.
When coppicing a stool, in what order should you remove poles?
Remove the thinnest poles first - if you try to remove the larger ones then you’ll damager the thin ones!
Hazel poles are thicker than 1.5 inches. What does this mean?
It means that the coppice is overstood - poles should be 1.5 inches when the hazel is 7 years old (7 years is the coppice cycle length for hazel trees).
When can a log pile not be removed?
When it’s been around for one season - after this point, the pile is officially a habitat.
Why should you remove any leaf litter from around a coppice stool before you remove any poles?
To help protect dormice - they won’t run away from you because they’re impossible to wake up!
Why should all steps (made by step-cuts) be removed from a coppice stool?
To prevent water from building-up on the stool.
When you do a compression cut and a tension cut, this is known as a…
…Step cut.
When you’ve finsihed coppicing, make sure that all mini-stumps are…
…As short as possible.
When coppicing, what can long, forked branches be used as?
Progs! These support a branch as you’re cutting it.
How big should the hole of a bird box be?
It should be the same size as the desired bird’s head (if their head can fit through, then so can the rest of the bird).
What sorts of bird boxes can be placed anywhere?
Boxes with small entrance holes (as opposed to those with wide entrances - these need to be hidden).
How often does a bird box need to be cleaned? What do you clean it with and why?
- Every year
- Clean them by pouring boiling water into them to kill any mites
Why should the base of a bird box be counter sunk (the floor is slightly higher than the bottoms of the walls).
To prevent water from clinging to the bottom of the box and causing rot.
Why must the roof of a bird box always be slanted?
To prevent rainwater from building-up on top.
If you leave a piece of wood with a knot in it out in the rain, what will happen?
The knot will fall out, and the piece of wood will be weakened.
When planting a containerised/container grown sapling, should the root collar be above or below ground?
It should be perfectly in line with the soil’s surface
How do you build a stag beetle hotel?
By inserting branches of different lengths in to the ground. Place them at various depths.
Why would you coppice goat willow on a seven year cycle?
To create binders - these can be placed along river banks to prevent erosion. The binders may grow roots, increasing stability of the bank.
A forestry harvester will create a pathway of foliage in front of them as they cut down trees. Why?
To prevent ground trampling.
What are coppiced ash materials used for?
They’re turned into floorboards
Why would you coppice goat willow on a 1-3 year cycle(s)?
For weaving materials! You’ll wait one year to harvest whippy things, and three years for frames.
Why does ash wood (not literal ash - ash as in the species) make for great firewood?
Because ash can be burned while it’s still green - other hardwoods need to be seasoned first.
Why do you need to be careful when transporting horses between sites (2 Points)?
- Horses don’t digest their food very well
- Therefore, they may poop-out invasive seeds
How many trees can you expect to remove when trying to create an access pathway for felling machinery?
Roughly 40% of the trees within a woodland.
Give four pieces of agricultural equipment that are likely to be targeted by thieves. What isn’t likely to be taken?
- Quadbikes
- Woodchippers
- Land Rovers
- Chainsaws
- Tractors aren’t likely to be stolen.
Do quadbikes destroy forest soils?
No - quadbikes have very low tyre pressure compared to car tyres
What’s this thing called? What’s it used for?
- A skidding cone
- It’s used to prevent logs from getting stuck on obstacles like roots, stumps, or residual trees while being dragged
What do tank tracks help to reduce?
They help to reduce ground damage (in comparison to big wheels).
What’s the opposite on an overstood coppice?
An in-rotation coppice!
How big should a cord pile be?
- 4 feet wide
- 4 feet tall
- and 8 feet long
How long are posts? What about rails?
- Posts: 2m
- Rails: 2.7m
What’s more expensive: woodchips, or Type 1 MoT?
Woodchips - they’re more expensive than you think!
Where are woodchips unsuitable?
On pathways that are going to be used by vehicles - the tyres will churn them up.
How large are the particles in Type 1 MoT?
0-4.5cm
How would you create an access track for vehicles into a forest (3 Points)?
- Lay down a pathway of terram sheets
- Then lay down a pathway of rubble
- Then compress/breakdown the rubble with a whacker plate
What’s the best tool for creating a drainage system?
A mole plough (the torpedo bit goes in the ground) - attach it to the back of a vehicle.
Why are rubble paths important when vehciles need to enter woodland?
- You may not be able to create ditches in a woodland as your may harm the trees by damaging their roots
- Therefore, a rubble path will keep vehicles above the water level
What do trees do better than any other type of vegetation? This makes them good at…
They evaporate water better than any of type of vegetation - this makes them good at reducing flood risk.
What two tree species are great at reducing flood risks?
Willows and poplars - these use a lot of water, so the surrounding soils should always have space for more water.
Why is the UK so good for broadleaved trees?
Because nowhere is 110km away from the coast.
How many native tree species are there in the UK?
33
In the UK, what counts as a native tree species?
Any species that colonised the UK between the end of the LGM (22,000 years ago) and the formation of the English Channel (8,000 years ago).
How low has forest coverage gotten in the UK? When did this happen?
It dropped to just 5% in 1919 (when the Forestry Commission was formed).
There is a direct relationship between the size of a tree’s _______ and its _________.
Its crown and its trunk.
What did Frans Vera believe?
He believed that large grazing animals (cattle and horses) arrived in the UK before trees did once the LGM had concluded. Their grazing resulted in light-demanding species, namely oak, being present.
Give one reason why naturally regenerated trees are stronger than artificially planted ones (Hint: fungi).
Naturally regenerated trees have more mycorrhizae.
Why are artificially planted trees susceptible to drought?
Because they tend to have malformed tap roots as a result of them not growing in the same place their whole lives.
At what point should you begin thinning a forest?
When trees are between 7-8m tall.
Name a species that’s only found in ancient woodlands in the south of the UK.
Yellow-necked mice.
How can you measure a distance without a tape measure (4 Points)?
- Walk 50m and count the number of paces.
- Repeat this 3 times.
- Add the paces together and divide by 3. This is your magic number.
- When you want to measure a distance in metres, simply count the number of paces and multiply by your magic number!
Why is water more important than nutrients (for plants)?
Without water, plants can’t get nutrients to where they need to go.
Give an example which shows why losing chalk grasslands to rewilding would be a bad thing.
If chalk grasslands become covered in scrub, 8-9 orchids will be lost.
What is the dominant vegetation type determined by (2 Points).
- Climate
- Soil type
What is arguably the most important part of habitat management?
Educating the public about the threats that various habitats face, and why the habitats are important in the first place.
Will you expect to find pioneer species within a climax community?
No, it’s possible that they may not be present.
Other than Chinese Maple, what other species is very good at adapting to climate change?
Sycamores!
When is a risk assessment required by law?
When you employ five people or more.
What must always come before a risk assessment?
An emergency action plan
When will a risk assessment conclude that it’s too dangerous for a job to go ahead?
When risks are assessed after controls and safety measures have been put in place (and it’s still deemed to be too dangerous).
If a tree guard isn’t properly ventilated, what can occur?
Mildew
What are the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency (2 Points)?
- Purple tinge to leaves
- Leathery feel
What are the symptoms of potassium deficiency (2 Points)?
- Yellowing on leaf edges, followed by brown patches
- Fruits will have a poor flavour
What are the symptoms of sulphur deficiency (3 Points)?
- Yellow or pale green colouring throughout the plant
- Young leaves suffer from chlorosis (where leaves turn yellow due to a lack of chlorophyll)
- Leaf tips turns necrotic
What is the main symptom of magnesium deficiency?
Dark patches between the leaf veins
What are the symptoms of calcium deficiency (2 Points)?
- Poor root growth
- Dead leaf tips
What are the symptoms of nitrogen deficiency (2 Points)?
- Plant appears pale/yellow - decreased production of chlorophyll.
- Plant growth slows, will become stunted.
What are the four steps of T-notch planting (starting with an already formed T-cut)?
- Take the spade to the original cut and lever it upwards, parting the turf.
- Place the tree carefully in between the sections of turf.
- Lever the spade back out and the turf will fall into place. Ensure all roots are taken into the hole.
- Adjust the tree to ensure it is at ground level, and thoroughly firm down soil around the tree.
Give a climber that’s an excellent food source. Why is it so good (Hint: it provides a vital biological thingy)?
Ivy (again!) Food is often scarce in the colder months, making the berries an important fat source.
What do monkey strainers look like when they’re disassembled?
Two separate parts!
When you hook the chain around a fence post when straining, where should the hook be (2 Points)?
- The hook should be on your side of the fence (if it comes loose, it won’t hit you).
- It should be 15cm above or below the point where you want to strain to.
How do you get the monkey on the chain?
Squeeze the monkey, then put the upper arm on the chain.
What does this part of a monkey strainer do?
The wire you’re trying to strain is gripped by it.
When should you stand when tensioning wires?
Behind the chain (do not stand next to it - this is the danger zone!)
Other than a chainsaw, what else can you oil-up to make it work better?
Monkey strainers - oil-up all the jointy bits. Especially this bit.
What’s the first step when it comes to tensioning a piece of loose wire?
Tie a wire around the fence post.
After you’ve tied a piece of wire around a fence, what’s the next step when straining a loose wire?
- Attach the “monkey clamp” to the wire (remember to leave 15cm of wire).
- To attach it, just feed the wire into the clamp and give the whole thing a tug.
What are the third, fourth, and fifth steps when tensioning a loose wire?
- Attach the monkey arm to the chain
- Then use the “chain clamp” on the bit of wire you’re trying to strain.
- Operate the lever so that the monkey begins to climb along the chain.
What’s the fifth step to straining a wire?
- Take the loose end of the chain wire and tie a loop out of it.
- Then feed the 15cm of loose monkey wire through the loop.
- And create another loop!
