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MS Landscape practice questions

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Question 1Landscape Design and Planning

In landscape site planning, a grading plan shows existing and proposed spot elevations at 1 m contours. Which document translates those elevations into cut-and-fill volumes used to balance earthwork on site?

  1. The lighting photometric plan
  2. The grading and drainage plan Correct answer.
  3. The irrigation as-built
  4. The planting schedule

Explanation

A grading and drainage plan is the drawing set that converts contour and spot-elevation data into cut-and-fill calculations and sets surface flow directions. Earthwork balance is achieved by comparing proposed grades against existing grades across the site. Planting and lighting documents do not carry volume computations.

Question 2Landscape Design and Planning

A pedestrian walkway in a public park must remain usable for wheelchair users. Which maximum running slope is the standard accessibility limit for an accessible route in most North American codes?

  1. 1:20 (5 percent) Correct answer.
  2. 1:12 (8.33 percent)
  3. 1:8 (12.5 percent)
  4. 1:4 (25 percent)

Explanation

An accessible route is generally defined as having a running slope no steeper than 1:20, or 5 percent. Steeper segments become ramps and trigger additional requirements such as landings and handrails. The 1:12 figure is the maximum ramp slope, not the threshold for a walkway.

Question 3Landscape Design and Planning

A designer is selecting plant material for a median that receives road salt spray in winter and reflected heat from asphalt in summer. Which plant attribute is the most direct basis for screening candidates?

  1. Fragrance intensity
  2. Fall foliage hue
  3. Salt and heat tolerance ratings Correct answer.
  4. Flower color season

Explanation

Salt tolerance and heat tolerance are the physiological traits that determine whether a plant survives de-icing spray and reflected radiation. Ornamental traits such as flower color or fragrance are secondary once survival is at risk. Screening on tolerance ratings first prevents costly replacement.

Question 4Landscape Design and Planning

Which stormwater practice is best described as a shallow, vegetated depression that temporarily stores runoff and infiltrates it into underlying soils?

  1. A retention pond with a permanent pool
  2. A bioretention swale Correct answer.
  3. A dry well
  4. A sand filter vault

Explanation

A bioretention swale is a vegetated conveyance and storage feature that slows runoff and promotes infiltration through engineered soil. It is distinguished from a pond by its shallow, linear, vegetated form. Dry wells and vaults are structural subsurface devices without a vegetated surface.

Question 5Landscape Design and Planning

A client wants a residential terrace to feel larger than its 4 m by 6 m footprint. Which design move most reliably increases perceived spatial extent?

  1. Extending paving lines and sightlines toward an unfenced distant view Correct answer.
  2. Adding a tall solid screen on every side
  3. Painting all surfaces a uniform dark color
  4. Reducing the number of visible planes

Explanation

Borrowed landscape uses sightlines and continuous ground patterns to make a small space read as part of a larger whole. Carrying paving joints and view corridors past the terrace edge dissolves the perceived boundary. Enclosure on all sides produces the opposite effect.

Question 6Landscape Design and Planning

During schematic design, a landscape architect prepares a site analysis overlay. Which information belongs on that overlay rather than on the concept plan?

  1. Furniture selections
  2. Existing drainage patterns and solar exposure Correct answer.
  3. Proposed paving materials
  4. Construction cost estimates

Explanation

Site analysis documents existing conditions such as drainage, sun angles, soils, and views, which inform later decisions. Proposed materials, furnishings, and costs belong to design development or later phases. Keeping analysis separate preserves the logic trail from constraint to concept.

Question 7Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is laying out a parking lot and wants to reduce the heat-island effect. Which configuration best supports that goal while meeting typical code requirements?

  1. Light-colored pavement with no shade trees
  2. Tree-shaded planting islands distributed through the parking bays Correct answer.
  3. A single large island at the lot entrance only
  4. Continuous asphalt with no planting islands

Explanation

Distributed planting islands with canopy trees shade pavement and interrupt continuous heat-absorbing surfaces. Spreading islands through the bays also shortens walking distances and supports stormwater functions. A single entrance island shades only a small fraction of the lot.

Question 8Landscape Design and Planning

Which principle best explains why a landscape architect groups plants by water need into hydrozones in an irrigation design?

  1. It matches application rates to plant demand and reduces waste Correct answer.
  2. It eliminates the need for a backflow preventer
  3. It guarantees that no plant will ever need replacement
  4. It allows a single valve schedule to serve all planting

Explanation

Hydrozoning assigns plants with similar water requirements to the same valve zone so that irrigation matches demand. This avoids overwatering tolerant plants to satisfy thirsty ones. It does not affect backflow protection, which is a plumbing requirement.

Question 9Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a memorial plaza and wants the space to read as contemplative. Which combination of design variables most directly supports that character?

  1. Wide open paving with high traffic circulation through the center
  2. Bright accent lighting, multiple competing focal points, and open exposure
  3. Enclosure, subdued lighting, and a single focal element Correct answer.
  4. Bright primary colors and active play equipment

Explanation

Contemplative character is produced by enclosure that shelters the user, low-key lighting that supports quiet, and a single focal element that gathers attention. Competing foci and through-traffic fragment concentration. The combination of these three variables is what distinguishes memorial from active recreation space.

Question 10Landscape Design and Planning

In universal design, which feature most improves wayfinding for people with low vision in a public garden?

  1. Removal of all detectable warnings
  2. Small print directional signage at eye level
  3. High-contrast tactile edges on path changes Correct answer.
  4. Uniform gray paving throughout

Explanation

High-contrast tactile edges combine visual and haptic cues at decision points, helping users with low vision detect path changes. Uniform gray paving removes contrast and increases risk. Detectable warnings are a required safety feature, not an obstacle.

Question 11Landscape Design and Planning

A designer is calculating the number of trees needed to meet a municipal canopy-cover target for a new subdivision. Which metric is the most appropriate basis for the calculation?

  1. Number of trees per lot regardless of species
  2. Total nursery invoice cost
  3. Trunk caliper at installation
  4. Projected mature canopy area per tree times the number planted Correct answer.

Explanation

Canopy-cover targets are expressed as a percentage of site area, so the calculation must use projected mature canopy area multiplied by planting quantity. Caliper at installation reflects nursery stock size but not eventual coverage. Counting trees without regard to species ignores large differences in mature spread.

Question 12Landscape Design and Planning

Which characteristic distinguishes a rain garden from a standard ornamental planting bed?

  1. It is always located in a wetland
  2. It requires no maintenance after establishment
  3. It is designed to receive and temporarily pond runoff from impervious surfaces Correct answer.
  4. It uses only native species

Explanation

The defining feature of a rain garden is its hydraulic function: it receives runoff from roofs, walks, or pavement and ponds it briefly while it infiltrates. Native species are common but not required. Maintenance continues after establishment, and rain gardens are typically upland features, not wetlands.

Question 13Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is preparing a planting plan for a site with heavy clay soil and seasonal saturation. Which specification choice best reduces transplant failure?

  1. Amending the entire bed with sand to improve drainage
  2. Selecting species tolerant of wet, poorly drained soils and planting at the correct depth Correct answer.
  3. Setting root flares well below grade to reach moisture
  4. Applying a thick nitrogen fertilizer at installation

Explanation

Matching species to the actual soil moisture regime and planting at the correct depth addresses the root cause of most transplant failures. Adding sand to clay can create a compacted layer, and burying the root flare invites girdling roots and rot. Fertilizer at installation stresses rather than helps establishment.

Question 14Landscape Design and Planning

Which statement best captures the role of a landscape architect in a multidisciplinary design team during design development?

  1. Approving the general contractor's payment applications
  2. Certifying the building's energy model
  3. Finalizing structural steel connections
  4. Coordinating site elements with architecture, civil, and MEP disciplines Correct answer.

Explanation

During design development the landscape architect coordinates grading, planting, and hardscape with the architectural and civil work so that interfaces align. Structural connections, payment approvals, and energy certification belong to other parties. Coordination is the landscape architect's core responsibility at this phase.

Question 15Landscape Design and Planning

A city wants to reduce the urban heat island effect along a commercial corridor. Which intervention produces the most direct reduction in surface temperature at pedestrian level?

  1. Replacing asphalt with light-colored permeable paving and adding street trees Correct answer.
  2. Adding more parking meters
  3. Increasing the width of the roadway
  4. Installing taller streetlights

Explanation

Surface temperature at pedestrian level is driven by pavement albedo and shade. Light-colored, permeable paving reflects more solar radiation, and street trees shade the surface and add evaporative cooling. Widening the road or adding fixtures does not address heat absorption.

Question 16Landscape Design and Planning

Which drawing convention correctly represents a retaining wall on a landscape plan?

  1. A solid line with a hatch or symbol indicating the wall face and top-of-wall elevation Correct answer.
  2. A wavy line indicating a natural edge
  3. A dashed line with a slope arrow
  4. A dotted line labeled 'existing'

Explanation

Retaining walls are drawn as solid lines with a hatch or symbol that distinguishes the wall face, and the top-of-wall elevation is annotated so the builder knows the height. Dashed lines typically indicate elements above the cut plane, and wavy lines indicate natural or undefined edges. Clear wall notation prevents construction errors.

Question 17Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is asked to design a playground for children aged 2 to 5. Which design decision best reflects age-appropriate developmental needs?

  1. Install equipment sized for older children to extend the playground's lifespan
  2. Provide equipment scaled to small bodies with clear sightlines from seating areas Correct answer.
  3. Place play areas far from adult seating to encourage independence
  4. Use only hard paving to reduce maintenance

Explanation

Preschoolers need equipment scaled to their size and caregivers need continuous sightlines to supervise. Oversized equipment and distant seating increase injury risk and reduce supervision. Hard paving under play equipment is inappropriate because impact-attenuating surfacing is required.

Question 18Landscape Design and Planning

In a landscape planting plan, which notation communicates the plant's mature spread for spacing purposes?

  1. The installation date
  2. The canopy circle drawn at mature size on the plan Correct answer.
  3. The nursery container size
  4. The botanical name

Explanation

The canopy circle drawn at mature size shows the projected spread and allows the designer to check spacing and overlaps at maturity. Botanical names identify the species but not its dimensions. Container size reflects nursery stock, not eventual spread.

Question 19Landscape Design and Planning

Which statement best describes the function of a landscape buffer between a residential area and a busy arterial road?

  1. It guarantees complete noise elimination
  2. It increases traffic speed by widening the road
  3. It reduces noise, dust, and visual intrusion through layered vegetation and distance Correct answer.
  4. It replaces the need for a sound wall in all cases

Explanation

A landscape buffer uses layered vegetation and distance to attenuate noise, trap dust, and screen views. It reduces but does not eliminate noise, and its effectiveness depends on width, height, and density. It is not a substitute for a sound wall where attenuation targets are strict.

Question 20Landscape Design and Planning

A site has a shallow water table and the designer proposes a below-grade parking structure. Which constraint is most critical to investigate first?

  1. The color of the parking deck
  2. Groundwater elevation and dewatering requirements Correct answer.
  3. The species of street trees along the frontage
  4. The number of bicycle racks

Explanation

A shallow water table directly affects constructability, buoyancy, and dewatering costs for below-grade structures. Groundwater elevation must be established before the design can proceed. Aesthetic and amenity items are secondary to this geotechnical constraint.

Question 21Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a green roof on an existing building with limited structural capacity. Which planting approach best balances weight, maintenance, and stormwater performance?

  1. A water feature with a permanent pond
  2. An intensive roof garden with mature trees and deep soil
  3. A turf lawn with automatic irrigation
  4. An extensive green roof with shallow substrate, drought-tolerant sedums, and light media Correct answer.

Explanation

Extensive green roofs use shallow, lightweight media and drought-tolerant plants, keeping saturated weight within structural limits while still retaining stormwater. Intensive systems with trees and deep soil impose loads that may exceed capacity. Ponds and irrigated turf add both weight and water demand.

Question 22Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is reviewing a grading plan where a proposed swale directs runoff toward a property line shared with a neighbor. Which approach best addresses the legal and technical issue?

  1. Reduce the swale depth to zero
  2. Ignore the issue because swales are natural features
  3. Discharge concentrated flow directly onto the neighbor's parcel
  4. Retain and infiltrate runoff on site or obtain an easement and design an approved outlet Correct answer.

Explanation

Concentrating flow onto an adjacent parcel can create a nuisance or trespass liability and may violate drainage codes. The defensible approach is to retain or infiltrate on site, or to secure a recorded easement with a designed outlet. Ignoring the issue or flattening the swale does not resolve the drainage.

Question 23Landscape Design and Planning

In a public plaza, a landscape architect proposes a fountain that will operate seasonally. Which design consideration most affects long-term maintenance cost?

  1. The number of benches around the fountain
  2. The color of the fountain tile
  3. Pump and filtration system selection and winterization provisions Correct answer.
  4. The height of adjacent light poles

Explanation

Pump and filtration equipment drives energy and maintenance costs, and freeze protection determines whether the system survives winter. Tile color and site furniture do not affect operating cost. Specifying winterization provisions prevents costly freeze damage.

Question 24Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is evaluating two planting schemes for a drought-prone site: one using natives adapted to local rainfall and one using exotic species requiring irrigation. Which analysis best supports the decision?

  1. Comparing initial installation cost only
  2. Comparing flower color at installation
  3. Comparing life-cycle water use, replacement rates, and maintenance labor over ten years Correct answer.
  4. Comparing nursery distance only

Explanation

Life-cycle analysis captures water, replacement, and labor costs that determine the true cost of each scheme. Initial cost alone favors short-term savings but can hide long-term irrigation and replacement burdens. Flower color and nursery distance are minor factors relative to lifecycle performance.

Question 25Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a trail through a steep, erosion-prone slope. Which approach best protects both the resource and user safety?

  1. Cut a straight trail directly up the fall line
  2. Align the trail across the slope with drainage control and revegetation of disturbed areas Correct answer.
  3. Pave the entire slope with impervious surface
  4. Remove all vegetation to improve visibility

Explanation

Trails aligned across the slope reduce erosion by slowing water and limiting concentrated flow, and revegetation stabilizes disturbed ground. Fall-line trails accelerate runoff and gullying. Removing vegetation or paving the slope increases erosion and runoff.

Question 26Landscape Design and Planning

In landscape site planning, which term describes the line that marks where the ground surface meets a proposed building wall or pavement edge, used to set finish-floor elevations?

  1. Contour interval
  2. Grade break Correct answer.
  3. Building line
  4. Spot elevation

Explanation

A grade break is the point where the slope of the ground changes, including where flat pavement or a structure meets sloped terrain, and it governs how finish-floor elevations are set at the wall line. Spot elevations mark single points, contours connect equal elevations, and a building line is a regulatory setback line rather than a physical junction.

Question 27Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a 1.5 m wide pedestrian path across a slope with a 4 percent cross slope. Which drainage approach is most appropriate for the path surface?

  1. Pitch the path at 8 percent toward the uphill side
  2. Crown the path with a 2 percent cross slope to both edges
  3. Keep the path perfectly level and rely on evaporation
  4. Sheet-flow the path to one edge with a defined shoulder or swale Correct answer.

Explanation

Paths must shed water, and a consistent cross slope to one edge with a receiving shoulder, swale, or gutter prevents ponding and erosion. A 2 percent crown on a 1.5 m path is feasible but requires two drainage edges and complicates adjacent grading, while a level surface ponds and an 8 percent cross slope is beyond comfortable accessibility limits.

Question 28Landscape Design and Planning

Which plant selection criterion most directly supports a low-maintenance planting design in a public park?

  1. Grouping species by flower color for visual impact
  2. Specifying annuals for seasonal color rotation
  3. Choosing species whose mature size fits the available soil volume and spacing Correct answer.
  4. Selecting the largest available nursery stock to fill beds quickly

Explanation

Matching mature plant size to available soil volume and spacing reduces pruning, root conflicts, and replacement over the design life, which is the core of low-maintenance planting. Oversized stock, color-driven grouping, and annual rotations all increase inputs and maintenance frequency without addressing long-term fit.

Question 29Landscape Design and Planning

In landscape architecture, what does the term 'genius loci' refer to when analyzing a site?

  1. The prevailing wind direction on the site
  2. The soil-bearing capacity for structures
  3. The distinctive character or spirit of a place Correct answer.
  4. The legal zoning envelope of the parcel

Explanation

Genius loci is the concept of a place's distinctive atmosphere and identity, drawn from its topography, history, vegetation, and cultural associations. It guides design decisions that reinforce local character rather than generic solutions. Zoning, bearing capacity, and wind direction are discrete technical site data, not the concept of place character.

Question 30Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is siting a new community garden. Which factor should take priority in locating the garden plots?

  1. Proximity to a busy arterial road for visibility
  2. Access to at least six hours of direct sun and a potable water source Correct answer.
  3. Placement in the lowest point of the site to capture runoff
  4. Locating plots adjacent to mature shade trees for comfort

Explanation

Most food crops need roughly six or more hours of direct sunlight, and a reliable water source is essential for irrigation and plot maintenance. Siting in a low point risks flooding and contamination, heavy shade suppresses yields, and arterial-road proximity exposes gardeners to traffic emissions and safety hazards.

Question 31Landscape Design and Planning

Which stormwater practice is designed primarily to infiltrate runoff at the source rather than convey it downstream?

  1. A detention basin with a controlled outlet
  2. A concrete-lined channel
  3. A bioretention cell Correct answer.
  4. A vegetated swale with check dams

Explanation

Bioretention cells capture and infiltrate or evapotranspire runoff close to where it is generated, providing source control. Conveyance channels and swales move water, while detention basins store and release it slowly downstream.

Question 32Landscape Design and Planning

In a landscape grading plan, contour lines that form a closed loop with hachures pointing inward indicate which condition?

  1. A uniform slope
  2. A depression or low point Correct answer.
  3. A vertical wall
  4. A knoll or high point

Explanation

Hachures, or short tick marks, on the inside of a closed contour loop mark a depression or low point. Without hachures the same loop would typically represent a knoll, so the hachure convention is what distinguishes the two.

Question 33Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a courtyard adjacent to a glass curtain-wall building that reflects intense afternoon sun. Which strategy best reduces glare and heat in the courtyard?

  1. Install a reflective white concrete surface
  2. Specify dark asphalt paving to absorb reflected light
  3. Plant a deciduous canopy tree to shade the courtyard in summer Correct answer.
  4. Orient seating toward the reflective facade

Explanation

A deciduous canopy tree intercepts summer sun and reduces both glare and radiant heat in the courtyard while allowing winter sun. Dark paving raises surface temperature, reflective concrete worsens glare, and orienting seating toward the facade increases exposure.

Question 34Landscape Design and Planning

Which document in a landscape construction package typically establishes the contractor's obligation to protect existing trees during construction?

  1. The planting plan
  2. The general conditions or specifications with a tree protection section Correct answer.
  3. The irrigation schedule
  4. The lighting layout

Explanation

Tree protection requirements, including fencing, root-zone limits, and penalties for damage, belong in the general conditions or technical specifications, which carry contractual force. Planting plans, irrigation schedules, and lighting layouts are drawings that show design intent but do not establish contractor obligations on their own.

Question 35Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a plaza on a structural deck over a parking garage. Which constraint most strongly shapes the planting design?

  1. The number of light fixtures in the garage
  2. Soil depth and load capacity available on the deck Correct answer.
  3. The parking space count below
  4. The color of the deck waterproofing membrane

Explanation

Deck planting is limited by the soil depth and weight the structure can carry, which governs plant size and species selection. Waterproofing color, garage lighting, and parking counts do not determine planting feasibility.

Question 36Landscape Design and Planning

Which planting design approach best supports pollinator habitat in a municipal park?

  1. A diverse mix of native flowering species with staggered bloom times Correct answer.
  2. A bed of tropical annuals replaced each spring
  3. A monoculture turf lawn maintained with broad-spectrum herbicides
  4. A gravel mulch bed with specimen conifers

Explanation

Pollinators need floral resources across the whole season, so a diverse native mix with staggered bloom periods provides continuous forage and habitat. Monoculture turf, tropical annuals, and gravel beds offer little or no sustained pollinator value.

Question 37Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is preparing an accessibility plan for a sloped garden path. Which combination of features satisfies typical accessible-route requirements?

  1. A stepped path with a handrail on one side
  2. A 1:8 ramp with no landings
  3. A 1:20 slope with handrails, landings, and a firm stable surface Correct answer.
  4. A 1:12 ramp with a gravel surface

Explanation

Accessible routes generally require a running slope no steeper than 1:20 for a walk, or a ramp with handrails, landings, and firm stable surfaces if steeper within limits. A 1:8 ramp is too steep, steps exclude many users, and gravel is not a firm stable surface.

Question 38Landscape Design and Planning

Which landscape plan graphic convention is used to indicate the extent of a tree's canopy at maturity?

  1. A dashed line with an arrow
  2. A series of short parallel dashes
  3. A hatched rectangle
  4. A solid circle or irregular canopy outline scaled to mature spread Correct answer.

Explanation

Tree symbols on planting plans are drawn to scale to represent the mature canopy spread, often as a circle or irregular outline. Arrows indicate flow or slope direction, hatching indicates materials, and short parallel dashes indicate a slope or edge treatment.

Question 39Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a public plaza in a cold climate. Which paving choice best balances slip resistance with freeze-thaw durability?

  1. Large-format glass pavers
  2. Smooth polished granite
  3. Sealed marble slabs
  4. A textured, air-entrained concrete unit paver Correct answer.

Explanation

Textured unit pavers with air-entrained concrete resist freeze-thaw damage and provide slip resistance when wet or icy. Polished granite, glass, and sealed marble become slippery and are vulnerable to freeze-thaw and salt damage.

Question 40Landscape Design and Planning

In landscape architecture, what is the primary purpose of a site inventory as distinct from a site analysis?

  1. To record existing conditions and data on the site Correct answer.
  2. To interpret data and draw conclusions about opportunities and constraints
  3. To estimate project cost
  4. To specify construction materials

Explanation

The inventory is the factual record of existing conditions such as topography, soils, vegetation, and utilities, while the analysis interprets that data into opportunities and constraints. Material specification and cost estimating are later phases of the work.

Question 41Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a buffer between a residential neighborhood and a rail line. Which planting strategy best reduces noise and visual intrusion?

  1. A single row of low shrubs
  2. A dense multi-layered planting of trees and shrubs with an earth berm Correct answer.
  3. A mowed lawn strip
  4. A row of annual flower beds

Explanation

A multi-layered buffer with trees and shrubs on an earth berm provides the greatest mass, height, and density to attenuate noise and screen views. Low shrubs, lawn, and annual beds lack the height and density needed for effective buffering.

Question 42Landscape Design and Planning

Which concept describes the maximum population and development a site can support without degrading its natural systems?

  1. Impervious cover ratio
  2. Setback
  3. Floor area ratio
  4. Carrying capacity Correct answer.

Explanation

Carrying capacity is the level of use or development an ecosystem can sustain without irreversible degradation. Floor area ratio and impervious cover ratio are regulatory measures of built intensity, and setback is a required distance from a property line.

Question 43Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a park on a former industrial site with suspected soil contamination. Which first step is most appropriate?

  1. Install irrigation and begin grading
  2. Plant a mix of ornamental shrubs and monitor growth
  3. Commission a Phase I environmental site assessment Correct answer.
  4. Apply fertilizer to improve soil fertility

Explanation

A Phase I environmental site assessment reviews records and site conditions to identify recognized environmental conditions before any disturbance. Planting, grading, or fertilizing a contaminated site can expose workers and users and spread contamination.

Question 44Landscape Design and Planning

Which lighting strategy best reduces light trespass and skyglow in a residential park?

  1. High-output unshielded floodlights aimed upward
  2. Decorative globe fixtures on tall poles
  3. Continuous pole lighting at maximum wattage
  4. Full cut-off fixtures with shielded optics and downward aiming Correct answer.

Explanation

Full cut-off, shielded fixtures aimed downward direct light where it is needed and limit spill and skyglow. Unshielded floods, maximum-wattage poles, and globe fixtures emit light in all directions and increase trespass.

Question 45Landscape Design and Planning

In landscape design, what does the principle of 'scale' refer to when evaluating a space?

  1. The relationship between the size of a space or element and the human body or surrounding context Correct answer.
  2. The color temperature of outdoor lighting
  3. The slope of the site
  4. The cost per square meter of paving

Explanation

Scale concerns the relative size of spaces and elements as perceived against human dimensions and surrounding buildings, which determines whether a place feels intimate or overwhelming. Lighting color, site slope, and unit cost are separate technical or economic considerations.

Question 46Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is designing a stormwater detention basin that will be dry between storms. Which design detail best supports maintenance access and safety?

  1. Dense shrub planting across the basin floor
  2. Steep 1:2 side slopes with no access ramp
  3. A gently sloped, mowed side slope with a stabilized maintenance ramp Correct answer.
  4. A vertical concrete wall around the basin

Explanation

Gentle, mowed slopes and a stabilized ramp allow equipment access for sediment removal and inspection and reduce fall hazards. Steep slopes, dense floor planting, and vertical walls impede maintenance and increase safety risk.

Question 47Landscape Design and Planning

Which factor most directly determines the required irrigation zone layout for a sloped landscape bed?

  1. The color of the mulch used in the bed
  2. The species list in the planting schedule alone
  3. Differences in sun exposure, soil, and water demand across the bed Correct answer.
  4. The number of benches nearby

Explanation

Hydrozones follow similar water demand, which is driven by sun exposure, soil type, and plant needs; on slopes, matched precipitation and runoff control also matter. Mulch color, benches, and the species list alone do not define how zones should be laid out.

Question 48Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is asked to design a children's discovery garden. Which feature best supports unstructured, sensory play while managing safety?

  1. A single large slide on a tall platform
  2. A water feature without supervision
  3. A fenced area with loose natural materials, varied topography, and clear sightlines Correct answer.
  4. A planted area with no paths or sightlines

Explanation

Loose natural materials, varied topography, and clear sightlines support open-ended sensory play while allowing caregivers to supervise. A single slide limits play types, dense planting with no sightlines creates supervision problems, and unsupervised water poses a drowning risk.

Question 49Landscape Design and Planning

In a landscape master plan, what is the function of a phasing diagram?

  1. To show the sequence and timing of implementation across the site Correct answer.
  2. To calculate irrigation pressure
  3. To indicate plant hardiness zones
  4. To identify soil types

Explanation

A phasing diagram organizes construction and implementation into logical stages over time, often tied to funding or site availability. Plant hardiness, irrigation pressure, and soil types are technical data shown on other drawings.

Question 50Landscape Design and Planning

A landscape architect is evaluating a green street retrofit and must show the reduction in runoff volume from converting 500 m² of asphalt to a bioretention system. Which approach best estimates the change?

  1. Compare the runoff coefficient and design storm depth for the existing and proposed surfaces Correct answer.
  2. Count the number of new plants installed
  3. Measure the width of the adjacent sidewalk
  4. Use the parking space count in the block

Explanation

Runoff volume is estimated from rainfall depth, area, and a runoff coefficient, so comparing existing and proposed coefficients and areas quantifies the reduction. Plant counts, sidewalk width, and parking counts do not yield a runoff volume estimate.