By the end of the semester, students will have the following 
skills.  
A. Proficiency with navigation and map reading skills such that 
they can traverse across multiple landscapes. 
  
  1.	Read and use a range of map types. 
  2.	Understand topography and its measurement.
  3.	Use and interpret aerial photographs at a basic level.
  4.	Conduct basic land surveys.
  5.	Understand scale and spatial relationships.
  6.	Use a hand compass to navigate cross-country, 
triangulate locations on land and water, locate land ownership 
lines, and record headings.    
  7.	Use navigation-grade GPS receivers to navigate cross-
country and use mapping-grade GPS receivers to record position 
data.  
  8.	Know the components of legal property descriptions and 
be able to look up and use deeds.  
  9.	Create a proper and useful map of land and water 
resources and features by hand and by the use of mapping 
software.  

B. Identify and use appropriate techniques for collecting, 
analyzing, testing, and interpreting natural resource data. 
 
  1.  Use appropriate field methods and equipment for sampling 
terrestrial and aquatic habitats.  
    a.	Be familiar with the proper application of and the 
techniques associated with plot, point, line (distance), and 
strip sampling to measure a variety of terrestrial and aquatic 
features (stem density, height, average size, biomass per acre, 
value per acre, fish or animal density, aquatic habitat 
measurements, etc.) [Faculty from all majors are expected to 
provide examples.]
    b.	Be aware of potential sources of measurement error and 
bias and know proper measurement techniques to minimize error.
    c.	Understand the proper methods for summarizing field 
data 
from these measurement techniques, expanding estimates to a per-
acre or per-hectare basis, and reporting it appropriately to 
users.
    d.	Know the proper use and care of equipment used to take 
common measurements in the field of a variety of natural 
resources.  
    e.	Be able to design a simple multi-resource inventory for 
a forested property for a target level of estimation for a 
given 
stand measure.

  2.  Use computers and software with proficiency
    a.	Know how to use Word to create a memorandum and reports 
with proper formatting and referencing of figures, tables, and 
literature.    
    b.	Use Excel to summarize data using statistical and 
graphing features including appropriate formatting, effective 
use of relative and absolute addressing, and clear 
documentation 
of spreadsheet contents.
    c.	Learn how to obtain GPS base station data, use it to 
differentially correct GPS field data, and produce a map for 
export to ArcView.

  3.	Be able to analyze natural resource data and apply 
appropriate statistical techniques.  [Faculty from all majors 
are expected to provide examples.]
    a.	Sampling/populations (nesting, stratification, 
randomization) 
    b.	Descriptive statistics (mean, sdev, cv, stderror, 
bounds, etc.)
    c.	Estimation of population parameters and error bounds 
    d.	Hypothesis testing  -- testing for differences and 
change.
    e.	Understanding variability, reliability – confidence in 
the numbers, confidence limits, measurement error, sample size 
requirements.
    f.	Use simple linear regression to fit a line to paired 
observations.
    g.	Understand how field data is used an inputs to 
management models such as habitat suitability indices or growth 
& yield models.

C.  Communications  

Students will have a written lab reports during most weeks of 
the semester (8-10).  These will be in the form of a one-page 
memorandum written to a client or job supervisor and will 
report 
findings from field measurements in clear language with 
appropriate numerical reporting.

Introduction to the need for measurements of natural resources 
for decision-making
Basic land and aquatic habitat measurement and description
		Compass and GPS
		Surveying and navigation
		Use of maps 
		Legal descriptions	
Statistical Concepts [illustrated with examples from across the 
disciplines in the WSFR.]
	Populations, samples, inference, sample units, sampling 
frame
		Type of data and their descriptions
		Point estimators and inference 
		Interval estimators and inference
		Simple random sampling and Systematic sampling
		Sampling techniques using fixed-area plots or 
quadrats
		Measures of stand and animal density and site 
(habitat) quality				
	Sampling 
by size categories 
		Point sampling using prisms (sampling 
proportional to size)
		Sample size requirements
		Stratification
		Linear regression
	Planning to conduct a multi-resource inventory on a 
property
 
Tentative Lab Outline: These will attempt to use examples, 
applications, and datasets from all WSFR disciplines as 
provided 
by the faculty.
•	Measurement of distance and slopes, introduction to 
compass and pacing
•	Introduction to topographic maps and coordinate systems
•	Measure the direction and distance of each side of a 
closed traverse, practice pacing
•	Calculate area of a measured traverse using each of 
three techniques and draw a map
•	Cross-country navigation with compass and GPS receiver
•	Pacing practical quiz, collect position data with a 
mapping-grade GPS receiver
•	Visit UGA Map Collection and Athens-Clarke County land 
records
•	Download and differentially correct GPS data, export to 
ArcView format, mission plan
•	Introduction to Excel – data types, functions, cell 
addressing, formats, graphs
•	Vegetation measurements and equipment – size, height, 
age, density per unit area, mass
•	The following techniques are used in the field followed 
by summary of the data with Excel.  We start using a technique 
on a single resource and move into using multiple techniques on 
multiple resources during a single inventory.
o	Fixed-area plots and quadrats for density & frequency 
of 
occurrence
o	Sampling by vegetation size class 
o	Plotless sampling with prisms and point-centered 
quarters
o	Understory/regeneration sampling, % ground cover, % 
canopy cover
o	Line transect and strip sampling for terrestrial woody 
debris / fuel loads
o	Aquatic sampling in pond environments.
o	Aquatic sampling in stream environments with strip 
sampling for woody debris
•	Linear regression – Fitting lines to paired 
measurements 
from the field
•	Prepare a multi-resource inventory for a portion of 
Whitehall Forest
•	Exams will be conducted during lab sessions.
	
Communications:  Students will have a written lab reports 
during 
most weeks of the semester (8-10).  These will be in the form 
of 
a one-page memorandum written to a client or job supervisor and 
will report findings from field measurements in clear language 
with appropriate numerical reporting.