What is Soil Practice Questions

Review these concepts at: What is Soil Study Guide

Practice Questions

1. The physical components of the soil can be listed in order from largest to smallest. Which is the correct order?

a. sand, clay, silt

b. clay, silt, sand

c. sand, silt, clay

d. silt, sand, clay

2. Loam is a desirable mixture of silt, clay, and sand in the following proportions.

a. 40% silt, 20% clay, 40% sand

b. 60% silt, 10% clay, 30% sand

c. 20% silt, 50% clay, 30% sand

d. 80% silt, 10% clay, 10% sand

3. Soil can be called a marriage because it is a combination of what two things?

a. physical and biological processes

b. water and air properties

c. animal and plant organisms

d. climate and mineral processes

4. Which of the following is true about the O horizon of a soil profile?

a. It is also called topsoil.

b. It contains deposits of leached minerals.

c. It is the bedrock.

d. It has the litter from trees.

5. Which of the following is true about the A horizon of a soil profile?

a. It is the bedrock.

b. It is also called topsoil.

c. It has the litter from trees.

d. It contains deposits of leached minerals.

6. The component of soil that is worst at retaining water is which of the following?

a. silt

b. sand

c. humus

d. clay

7. Which of the following represents an advance in agriculture that directly minimizes erosion?

a. no-till

b. precision fertilizer

c. flood irrigation

d. plowing

8. The organic content of tropical soil is which of the following?

a. low because the large amount of rain washes the material downward

b. high because of the large amount of plant debris

c. high because the sun stimulates photosynthesis

d. low because the hot climate stimulates bacteria activity

9. Which of the following kinds of organism is most crucial to the recycling function of soil?

a. earthworms

b. nematodes

c. protozoans

d. bacteria

10. The uptake of phosphorus by plants, on average, uses some phosphorus that was recycled in the soil from the previous generation of plants that gave detritus to the soil. How much of the uptake is recycled phosphorus?

a. 100%

b. 35%

c. 82%

d. 98%

 Answers