Environmental Soil Science Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Environmental Soil Science explores the fundamental properties, processes, and functions of soils within natural and managed ecosystems. The course examines soil formation, classification, and physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, highlighting the critical role of soils in supporting plant growth, regulating water flow, cycling nutrients, and filtering contaminants. Special emphasis is placed on human impacts such as land use changes, pollution, and climate change, as well as sustainable management practices for soil conservation and remediation. Through case studies and laboratory investigations, students develop an understanding of how soil science contributes to solving environmental problems and promoting ecosystem resilience.
Recommended Textbook
The Nature and Properties of Soils 14th Edition by Nyle C. Brady
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
20 Chapters
838 Verified Questions
838 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3989 Page 2
Chapter 1: The Soils Around US
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80115
Sample Questions
Q1) While many organisms depend on the soil for nutrients and water, only a few very specialized organisms live in the soil itself.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) In a given soil, the horizon with the highest organic matter content is generally the _____ horizon.
A)E
B)C
C)D
D)B
E)A
Answer: E
Q3) A, B, C, and E horizons can be found in any true soil.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 3
Chapter 2: Formation of Soils From Parent Materials
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80116
Sample Questions
Q1) Sapric and fibric are terms used to describe peat parent materials.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Organic matter accumulation is most pronounced in the ____.
A)O horizon
B)A horizon
C)E horizon
D)B horizon
E)C horizon
Answer: A
Q3) Granite is an example of a(n) ________.
A)primary mineral
B)sedimentary rock
C)secondary mineral
D)igneous rock
E)eolian parent material
Answer: D
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Soil Classification
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80117
Sample Questions
Q1) Soils classified as Inceptisols have the least well developed profiles of those in any order in the Soil Taxonomy system.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) In which soil orders would recent alluvium most likely be a common parent material?
A)Ultisols
B)Entisols
C)Andisols
D)Alfisols
E)Aridisols
Answer: B
Q3) The soil and a soil are two extremes in the concept of soils that is basic to most classification schemes.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Soil Architecture and Physical Properties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80118
Sample Questions
Q1) Soils of good tilth and high productivity are usually characterized by stable aggregation and a high percentage of macropores.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Flocculation is the process by which certain chemicals in the soil stabilize large soil aggregates.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The drainage class of a soil (the degree to which the soil becomes water-saturated during the year) can be judged by the presence and location of gley in the soil profile.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which type of structure is typically found in sodium-rich sub-surface horizons?
A)platy
B)sub-angular blocky
C)prismatic
D)columnar
E)granular
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
6
Chapter 5: Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80119
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best characterizes the field capacity of a soil?
A)maximum capacity of a soil to hold water
B)water content of a soil with water potential of about -10 kPa
C)the total capillary water in a soil
D)a wetted soil prior to the removal of the gravitational water
E)soil with water potential of -1500 kPa
Q2) Filling the bottom half of a flower pot with gravel will greatly improve the aeration of the soil-mix in the top half.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The tenacity with which water is held in soils is directly related to the soil moisture content, the higher the moisture level the greater the attraction of the water to the soil.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Water will move from one site in a soil with a water potential of -5 kPa to an adjacent site with a water potential of -40 kPa.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 7
Chapter 6: Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80120
Sample Questions
Q1) Where high-value crops or individual ornamental shrubs are to be grown and water is expensive, the most efficient type of irrigation to use would be ______.
A)center pivot
B)basin flooding
C)furrow
D)drip or trickle
Q2) The water potential at the leaf surfaces expressed in kPa is most likely to be _____.
A)-10
B)33
C)-33
D)-500
E)-31,000
Q3) Corn plants are generally more efficient in the use of water than is alfalfa.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The average residence time for water in clouds over the ocean is about one year.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Soil Aeration and Temperature
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80121
Sample Questions
Q1) Reduced forms of iron and manganese along with soil organic matter largely control the color of well-drained soils.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Some 40 to 50% of the solar radiation in humid regions is used to heat the soil.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The most important management factors influencing soil aeration in well-drained soils are those that determine the volume of the soil's macropores.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following practices would encourage higher soil temperatures in the spring in a humid-temperate area?
A)apply modest levels of organic residues
B)follow no-till practices
C)use a plastic mulch
D)irrigate the soil
E)use the moldboard plow
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: Soil Colloids: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical
Activity
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80122
Sample Questions
Q1) While kaolinite particles are larger than those of other major silicate clays, the surface area of kaolinite per kilogram is much smaller than that of the 2:1 type minerals.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Some soil colloids exhibit positive charges under highly acid conditions.To what are these charges likely due?
A)protonation of some hydroxy groups by excess H<sup>+</sup> ions
B)the adsorption of Al<sup>3+</sup> ions on the colloid
C)the release of some OH<sup>-</sup> ions leaving an unsatisfied positive charge on the colloid
D)substitution of lower valent atoms for higher valent atoms in the octahedral sheet E)increase in the level of H<sup>+</sup> ions on the exchange complex
Q3) The order of strength of adsorption of ions by most colloids when they are present in equivalent quantities is Al>Ca>K>Mg>Na.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 10
Chapter 9: Soil Acidity
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80123
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following does not describe aluminum hydroxy ions (such as Al(OH)<sub>2</sub><sup>+</sup>) in the soil?
A)They are more prominent in acid than in neutral soils.
B)They affect the pH of the soil solution through hydrolysis.
C)They block negative sites on some clays thereby reducing the cation exchange capacity.
D)They influence the swelling of some clays by entering into the interlayer spaces.
E)They are commonly applied to help reduce the soil pH for acid-loving plants.
Q2) An acid soil is known to contain toxic quantities of a certain plant nutrient.Which of these essential elements is it most likely to be?
A)nitrogen
B)manganese
C)phosphorus
D)molybdenum
E)boron
Q3) Iron and manganese are commonly deficient in very acid soils.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Soils of Dry Regions: Alkalinity, Salinity, and Sodicity
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80124
Sample Questions
Q1) The degradation of irrigated soils across the once very productive "Fertile Crescent" of the Middle East was due primarily to _____.
A)high calcium and magnesium levels in the irrigation waters
B)high levels of calcium-containing salt in the irrigation water
C)inadequate equipment and power to properly cultivate the soil
D)poor internal drainage of the soils
E)destructive wars in the region
Q2) Saline-sodic soils have electrical conductivities greater than 4 dS/m and a sodium adsorption ratio of less than 13.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following plants would be most apt to tolerate high soil salinity?
A)cotton
B)alfalfa
C)apples
D)corn
E)tomato
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 12
Chapter 11: Organisms and Ecology of the Soil
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80125
Sample Questions
Q1) Certain soil fungi and actinomycetes are known to produce specialized organic compounds that inhibit or kill other, competing microorganisms in the soil, but so far scientists have not been able to put any of these compounds to practical use.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Termites tend to enrich soils in the tropics much the same way as earthworms do in temperate region soils.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The deeper that they are placed in the soil, the more rapidly organic compounds such as pesticides are decomposed by the soil microflora.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Where conditions are favorable, earthworms are known to add several hundred kg/ha of several important nutrients to the soil system.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: Soil Organic Matter
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80126
Sample Questions
Q1) Practices that increase the soil organic matter level generally have favorable effects on the chemical and biological properties of soils, but have little or no effect on soil physical properties.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Well aerated soils enriched with organic amendments can help reduce the methane load in the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a greenhouse gas contributed to the atmosphere by soils?
A)nitrous oxides
B)carbon dioxide
C)methane
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Q4) Fulvic acids are a major type of non-humic substances.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 14
Chapter 13: Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80127
Sample Questions
Q1) Pesticides and other chemicals added to soils would be more likely to slow down nitrification than mineralization.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Nitrogen is a component of which essential plant compounds?
A)proteins
B)chlorophyll
C)enzymes
D)DNA
E)all of the above
Q3) Applied to agricultural crops, the term lodging refers to ________.
A)pre-mature fruit drop as a result of N deficiency
B)infestation with a high number of insect larvae lodged in the fruits or seeds
C)short, stubby plants starving for N or S
D)plants falling over, often as a result of too much N
E)plants losing their leaves because of a N imbalance
Q4) Ammonium fixation occurs to the greatest extent in the O and A horizons.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 15
Chapter 14: Soil Phosphorus and Potassium
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80128
Sample Questions
Q1) The nutrient most often limiting the growth of aquatic plants and algae in unpolluted fresh water lakes is ______.
A)N
B)S
C)P
D)K
E)none of the above
Q2) Because of the complimentary ion effect, potassium is more readily leached from an acid soil than from a neutral soil.
A)True
B)False
Q3) For an unfertilized temperate region forested soil with a large amount of interlayer fixed potassium, but a low amount of readily available potassium, the level of readily available potassium is expected to be higher in early spring than in late fall.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 15: Micronutrients and Other Trace Elements
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80129
Sample Questions
Q1) Application of FeSO<sub>4</sub> or ZnSO<sub>4</sub> to many soils is much less effective than the addition of the same amount of micronutrient in the form of a chelate.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Dolomitic limestone is a good material to fertilize acid soils with both for both Ca and Mg.
A)True B)False
Q3) Boron is commonly deficient in acid soils because chemical reactions under acid conditions make it less available for plant uptake . A)True B)False
Q4) Where the available supply of iron and zinc are low, deficiency of these elements can often be overcome by larger than normal applications of phosphorus fertilizer. A)True B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 17
Chapter 16: Practical Nutrient Management
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80130
Sample Questions
Q1) As runoff water flows across a grassed buffer strip, the concentrations of N and P in the water decrease slowly at first, but if the buffer strip is sufficiently wide, major reductions in these concentrations will occur just before the water leaves the buffer.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Based on the data given in the Table, if the revegetation site were limed and fertilized with nitrogen, would you also recommend the addition of P fertilizer to improve tree growth?
A)no
B)yes
C)no basis to judge
Q3) For a year or so after clear-cut (even-aged) harvesting large areas of mature forest, the streams draining the watershed can be expected to carry ______ than before the harvest.
A)much less water
B)a much greater total nitrate load
C)much less calcium and other cations
D)away enough pollutants to reduce the toxic load to levels lower
E)all of the above
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 18
Chapter 17: Soil Erosion and Its Control
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80131
Sample Questions
Q1) Slope length is generally of greater significance in determining erosion rate than is steepness of slope.
A)True
B)False
Q2) "Living" terraces involving rows of deep rooted grasses planted on the contour would be considered as contributing to which factor in the Universal soil-loss equation?
A)R
B)K
C)L
D)S
E)P
Q3) On which of the land use capability classes is suggested use restricted to non-production purposes, only wildlife and recreational purposes being appropriate?
A)I
B)II
C)VI
D)IV
E)VIII
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: Soils and Chemical Pollution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80132
Sample Questions
Q1) Phytoremediation is a system by which growing plants are used to decontaminate polluted soils.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In the design of a _______ type landfill, biodegradation and colloid adsorption are important mechanisms of reducing pollution potential.
A)natural attenuation
B)containment
C)both natural attenuation and containment
D)neither natural attenuation and containment
Q3) Soil washing is a commonly used method of bioremediation.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Radionuclides from nuclear power plant accidents and weapons testing pollution get into the food chain primarily by _____.
A)leaching to groundwater supplies
B)uptake from soils into food plants
C)by atmospheric deposition on plant leaves
D)cation exchange
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20
Chapter 19: Geographic Soils Information
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80133
Sample Questions
Q1) A lithosequence is _______.
A)a group of soils found together in a landscape that differ principally because of differences in the geologic material in which they formed
B)a sequence of steps required to make a lithographic map using information from field observations and air photos
C)a set of soils ranging from well drained to poorly drained
D)the proper order of sampling in a transect for determining soil boundaries in the field
Q2) In which type of mapping unit are the various constituent parts most closely similar to each other?
A)consociation
B)soil association
C)soil complex
D)undifferentiated group
Q3) In evaluating a site for a septic drainfield, an "undifferentiated group" mapping unit would be more helpful than a "soil complex" mapping unit.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 20: Prospects for Global Soil Quality
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80134
Sample Questions
Q1) Experts predict that the world's population will exceed 10 billion people by 2025.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is a major reason that most of the uncultivated but potentially arable lands of South America and Africa should not be used for agricultural production?
A)They are too infertile.
B)They would contribute little to meeting food requirements.
C)Their cultivation would increase global biological diversity.
D)Their cultivation would aggravate global warming.
E)They would require expensive irrigation water for high productivity.
Q3) During the past 30 years, per capita food production increased in developing countries of all regions but Asia.
A)True
B)False
Q4) There are more hungry people on Earth today than at any time in history
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
22