Tropical Four-est Inventory – Using Measurement to Understand the Condition of Forests in Micronesia
In this research, the scientists wanted to describe and summarize the forests managed for conservation in the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands and compare this information with a description and summary of the forests not managed for conservation.
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The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of scientific description? Materials: Flexible measuring tapes (60 inches) Flexible measuring tape...FACTivity – Tropical Four-est Inventory
The question you will answer in this FACTivity is: What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of scientific description? Materials: Flexible measuring tapes (60 inches) Flexible measuring tape...
Glossary
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Julian Dendy
My favorite experience related to science is the combined feeling of exhaustion, peace, and wonder after putting in a hard field day out in nature. However, the feeling most particular...View Profile -
Ashley Lehman
My favorite science experience is collecting forest monitoring data. My favorite place to collect data is on the permanent Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots in the mangrove forests in...View Profile -
Wendolin Roseo Marquez
My favorite science experience is conducting the Forest Inventory and Analysis in Micronesia. I enjoy the whole process. This process includes research planning, community consultation, data collection, assuring quality, data...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Culture
- Global Connections
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Education Files
Project Learning Tree
If you are a Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “400-acre Wood” or “We Can Work It Out” as additional resources.
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the world’s forests. Every 5 years the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, publishes a report about the world’s forests,...The World’s Forests 2 – Vol. 15 No. 2
In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the world’s forests. Every 5 years the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, publishes a report about the world’s forests,... -
In this study, the scientists wanted to test a method of calculating the amount of carbon stored by plants across a large area of land. They chose the island of...Beam Me Down, Scotty: The Use of Airborne and Satellite Technology to Measure Carbon in Hawaiian Forests
In this study, the scientists wanted to test a method of calculating the amount of carbon stored by plants across a large area of land. They chose the island of... -
Koa is one of the most valued of tropical woods. A particular type of koa tree, called Acacia koa, is found in the Hawaiian Islands. The wood from this tree...Koa Constrictors: Studying Things That Slow the Growth of Koa Crop Trees
Koa is one of the most valued of tropical woods. A particular type of koa tree, called Acacia koa, is found in the Hawaiian Islands. The wood from this tree... -
According to the scientists in this study, wildness is one of the central qualities of wilderness. To say that an area is wild in this sense, the scientists believed that...Wild and Free! The Quality of Wildness in Wilderness in the United States
According to the scientists in this study, wildness is one of the central qualities of wilderness. To say that an area is wild in this sense, the scientists believed that... -
The scientists wanted to know if the information gathered by satellites was as good as the information they would get if they gathered it in person. The scientists in this...The GLAS Is Half Full: Satellites and Changing Tropical Forests
The scientists wanted to know if the information gathered by satellites was as good as the information they would get if they gathered it in person. The scientists in this...
Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: Forest Inventory and Analysis
Visit ResourceThe Pacific Northwest Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) program, part of the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, conducts inventories on six island groups in the Pacific region: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau.
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Encyclopedia Britannica: Micronesian culture
Visit ResourceBritannica entry on Micronesian culture.
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Micronesia Challenge
Visit ResourceForest data in Micronesia were collected between 2003 and 2018 and are now being used to determine the status and trends in forest area, forest health, understory vegetation, biomass, and carbon storage. This tool allows you to see our monitoring progress and learn more about the monitoring data collected across the region.
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USDA Forest Service: Forest Inventory and Analysis State Fact Sheets
Visit ResourceSee data collected about United States forests by state/territory and reporting year. Data is collected by the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program.