Assignment 1

1. Read and study thoughtfully the Preface and Chapter 1 of Forest Faunal Systems twice, at different times.

2. Read items 1 to 6 listed in the Topics and Contents unit of Gamma Theory

Many people find that taking notes while reading can be a useful learning procedure. You may copy or "download" any materials from this web site. I suspect that there is so much that you will only want to make select printings and use the monitor as your textbook. Some of the content will change during the semester as it is edited, expanded, and improved (partially due to your helpful comments).

Much detail within the chapter is for recall, for re-processing material from previous courses. The assignments are to move beyond the details and to see if we can use them in some way for the future.

3. You need to be able to sketch from memory the picture of the general system, correctly labeling the parts and providing the correct arrows (see Figure 1.2).

4. Some words may be new, forgotten, or handled in a new way. Use the following properly in conversation within the next week: input, feedback, feedforward, isomorphism, resource, synergism

5. "Conducting or operating a feedback procedure is not monitoring". What does this mean? Think about it, then write for me via email a paragraph on the difference or why the statement as made is true. Can you think of a situation where monitoring occurs but where you wished that feedback did occur? (There will be more about feedback later so this assignment only encourages a type of thought about words and phrases within the text as assigned.)

6. Use the equation in the text for estimating the weight of a deer. If the chest circumference was 34 inches, how much would the deer weigh? (Chest measurements (C) are in milimeters; weight is in kilograms. Give your answer in pounds. [re-acquaint your metrics]. Add that answer in a line in your e-mail response. (Let me know if you need help on this type of equation and graph since there is more related information on equations coming. Be sure that you can relate the equation to Fig. 1.8 of Chapter 1.)

7. If the probability of being correct about A is 0.90 and the probability for B is 0.90, then the probability of both A and B is 0.81. How many things with each having a probability of 0.95 can be involved in a system before the odds are about the same as tossing a coin? (i.e., 0.50)? How many with each having a probability of 0.70? How many with a probability of 0.99? Can you develop a general equation that will solve this problem whenever it arises?

The assignments may seem trivial. They are not intended to be. As you develop answers, I want you to think about where the ideas originated, why someone worked on them, how they can be used is related situations, and what are the implications for you personally and for the professionals within the resource fields...and for the public, the citizens depending on their good work.

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.