Soil Test

Question 0

How is soil produced

Answer 0

Weathering- rocks are broken down

Erosion- wind and water move pieces

Question 1

Components of soil

Answer 1

Small rocks- made from parent rock
Organic material- humus
Living organisms- bacteria, fungi, ect

Question 2

What is a soil horizon

Answer 2

One layer of a soil profile

O, A, B, and C

Question 3

Horizons 
O
A
B
C

Answer 3

O- organic layer (leaves, animals, litter, etc)
A- topsoil (minerals and partially decomposed life)
B- subsoil (inorganic matter, broken rock)
C- parent material (inorganic material rocks)

Question 4

What lies beneath horizon c

Answer 4

Parent material/ parent rock

Question 5

What is humus

Answer 5

Decaying organic material (animals, leaves, etc)

Question 6

Infiltration VS percolation

Answer 6

Infiltration- water that travels down from the surface

Percolation- the water passed through soil

Question 7

What is leaching?

Answer 7

Water travels through soil, caring dissolved minerals lower and lower

Question 8

Four different particle sizes (small to large)

Answer 8

Clay (smallest)
Silt
Sand
Gravel (largest)

Question 9

Tow major fractures that determine soil texture

Answer 9

Particle size

Amount of organic matter/ humus

Question 10

Soil horizon vs soil profile

Answer 10

Horizon- a layer

Profile- all layers (horizons)

Question 11

What is loam?

Answer 11

IDEAL SOIL

10-30% clay with an even amount of SAND and SILT

Question 12

Soil porosity and soil permeability

Answer 12

Porosity- the amount of space between soil particles

Permeability- the rate at witch water flows between particles

Question 13

How long does it take for 1” of topsoil to form

Answer 13

200-1000 years

Question 14

Most of the worlds crops are grown in which TWO BIOMES

Answer 14

Grassland (deep, rich soil)

Savanna (cleared forest land)

Question 15

Which soil particle is most prone to watterloging

Answer 15

Clay- the smallest particle –> along time for water to drain

Question 16

2 main agents of erosion

Answer 16

Water (carves away land)
—–with help of gravity——–
Wind (moves water and soil)

Question 17

2 major detrimental effects of soil erosion

Answer 17

1. Loss of soil fertility and it’s ability to hold water

2. Runoff of sediments into water (pollutes, kills, blocks)

Question 18

Soil texture triangle from lab

Answer 18

Look

Question 19

Properties of soil with different textures

Answer 19

?

Question 20

Define desertification

Answer 20

Degradation of land due to excess crop planting, very razing, tree cutting

Question 21

7 actions that lead to desertification

Answer 21

Over faming
Cut trees
Overgrazing
Harmful chemicals
Littering
Over used land

Question 22

How to reduce soil desertification

Answer 22

Responsible farming

Question 23

Define salinization-
3 ways to fix it
3 ways to prevent it

Answer 23

Salinization - salt in the soil is pulled to the surface as soil evaporates

Renewing

1. Stop produce 2-5 years
2. flush with low salt water
3. use irrigation pipes

Prevent
Same + farm good

Question 24

Conventional vs conservation tillage

Answer 24

Conv- plow the land, break it up, smooth it out Conserv- little of now soil disruption (plow) to prevent erosion

Question 25

Major drawback to conservation tillage

Answer 25

Longer time | More labor required

Question 26

Farmin' techniques (to reduce erosion) | Terrace, contour, alley, strip

Answer 26

Terracing- shelves hold water (slow flow) Contour- helps retain water Strip- alternating rows (maintains healthy soil) Alley cropping- hedges/ blocks between rows of crops

Question 27

Green manure

Answer 27

Fresh vegetation, mixed into topsoil to increase organic matter

Question 28

3 benefits of wind blocks

Answer 28

Protect crops Controls wind erosion Increases pesticide effectiveness

Question 29

How is gully reclamation accomplished

Answer 29

Planting (stabilizes soil) | Water channels dug

Question 30

3 ways of Maintaining or restoring soil fertility

Answer 30

Solid construction Restore plant life Use inorganic fertilizer

Question 31

Disadvantages to using inorganic fertilizers

Answer 31

``` No humus added to soil Reduce water holding ability Lower oxygen content Only 2 or 3 of 20 nutrients required Large energy amounts required Releases nitrous oxide ```

Question 32

Most common method of increasing soil alkalinity -what is added

Answer 32

Add organic matter -?

Question 33

Increasing acid

Answer 33

Add an acid (sulfur)

Question 34

6 factors increase erosion

Answer 34

Over faming Over grazing Deforestation Drainage

Question 35

Sheet Rill Gully erosion

Answer 35

Sheet– water moves thin surface layer Rill- water carves small channels Gully- water creates wide deep channels

Question 36

1985 farm act

Answer 36

No cutting reserved land for hay, grazing, or farming

Question 37

Northern coniferous forest BIOME

Answer 37

High soil moister

Question 38

Deciduous forest BIOME

Answer 38

Rich loamy soil | Rich organic matter

Question 39

Tropical forest Biome

Answer 39

Neutrino poor acidic soil | Heavy leeching

Question 40

Grassland

Answer 40

Deep soil Neutrient rich Decomposition FARMLAMD

Question 41

Desert

Answer 41

Alkaline and salt No rain

Question 42

FRQ Leaves do what? 3 abiotic changes because of worms

Answer 42

Leaves- aerate the soil and causes the soil to retain water 3 abiotic changes- worms eat leaves, species die off, worms die, unhealthy soil

Question 43

FRQ- 1 chem and 1 phys soil test

Answer 43

Chem- k testing Phys- burn