Soil and Water Conservation Practice Exam
Course Introduction
This course explores the principles, methods, and practices essential for conserving soil and water resources in agricultural and natural environments. Students will examine the causes and consequences of soil erosion, sedimentation, and water depletion, as well as strategies for preventing land degradation and enhancing ecosystem productivity. Topics include the physical and chemical properties of soils, management of runoff and drainage, design and implementation of soil conservation structures, and the integration of conservation techniques in sustainable land use planning. Emphasis is placed on real-world applications, policy frameworks, and the development of effective conservation measures to address present and future environmental challenges.
Recommended Textbook
The Nature and Properties of Soils 14th Edition by Nyle C. Brady
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20 Chapters
838 Verified Questions
838 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Soils Around US
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42 Verified Questions
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Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80115
Sample Questions
Q1) Soil occupies the ______part of the regolith.
A)upper
B)lower
C)younger
D)both B and C
Answer: A
Q2) Although subsoil is more difficult to obtain, it is generally equally as good as topsoil for landscaping purposes.
A)True
B)False Answer: False
Q3) For any soil in which it is present, the C horizon is the parent material for the B horizon.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) The mineral particles in soil consist of sand, silt, and clay.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Formation of Soils From Parent Materials
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Sample Questions
Q1) The presence of iron in a mineral generally increases its resistance to chemical breakdown.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Residual parent materials are best described as __________.
A)materials formed under organic residues.
B)materials formed by weathering of rocks and minerals in place.
C)materials transported from one location to another by water, ice or wind.
D)materials more dominant in Iowa than in the Southern United States.
E)upland materials formed with relatively little chemical weathering.
Answer: B
Q3) Mechanical weathering processes result in:
A)the decomposition of primary minerals
B)the hydrolysis of minerals through frost action
C)the disintegration of rocks due to differential expansion of minerals
D)the oxidation of iron and manganese compounds
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Soil Classification
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47 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Oxisols are more highly weathered than are the soils of any other order.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) 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
Q3) Soils in this order are commonly sandy in texture, quite acidic and develop primarily under coniferous trees in cool to cold climates
A)Mollisols
B)Andisols
C)Spodosols
D)Alfisols
E)Ultisols
Answer: C
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Soil Architecture and Physical Properties
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43 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compared to a similar soil under native vegetation, a soil with a long history of conventionally tilled cropping would have less micropore space.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The percent of total pore space in a soil can be calculated if only the particle density and the organic matter content are known.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Because of their greater surface area per unit of soil mass, silt loams soils generally have a greater capacity than loamy sand soils to ___.
A)adsorb water
B)adsorb gases
C)release nutrients by mineral weathering
D)support bacterial growth
E)all of the above
Q4) A friable soil is usually more likely to be indurated.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior
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39 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Capillary movement is made possible by the processes of cohesion and adhesion.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The osmotic potential would likely be lowest in soils of which of the following orders
A)Aridisols
B)Histosols
C)Oxisols
D)Ultisols
E)Spodosols
Q3) The matric potential of soil water is _____.
A)influenced greatly by the content of salts in the soil
B)not influenced appreciably by the force of gravity
C)is generally higher than that of pure water outside the soil
D)is little affected by soil solids
E)is lower in a sandy soil with 20 percent soil water than in a clay soil with same percentage of moisture
Q4) The adsorption of water on soil surfaces encourages capillarity.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle
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44 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a field experiment you noted that 300 tons of water was transpired to produce 1 ton of corn (dry weight).If alfalfa had been grown in the same field instead of corn, which of the following would most likely have been the amount of water transpired?
A)500 tons
B)300 tons
C)275 tons
D)250 tons
E)depends on the climate in the area of the experiment
Q2) Evaporation from the soil surface (E) is determined to a large degree by soil surface wetness.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The likelihood of polluting groundwater with pesticides and plant nutrients is enhanced by _____.
A)the presence of macropores in the soil
B)light tillage of the upper centimeter or so of soil
C)the use of tillage to control weeds
D)the production of oats rather than wheat
E)conventional tillage as a choice compared with conservation tillage
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Soil Aeration and Temperature
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Sample Questions
Q1) Soil temperatures under an organic mulch will likely be lower than that of bare soils in the summer but higher than that of bare soils in the winter.
A)True
B)False
Q2) If the CO<sub>2</sub> content of soil air is 3.5%, it is 100 times higher than that of the atmosphere.
A)True B)False
Q3) Conservation tillage is not practical in some areas of the Northern part of the United States because the practice lowers the surface soil temperature in the spring of the year. A)True B)False
Q4) Heat pumps can take advantage of the fact that subsoils are generally warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the atmospheric air.
A)True B)False
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Soil Colloids: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical
Activity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Anion exchange by formation of outer sphere complexes is of least importance in the plant absorption of _____.
A)NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>
B)Cl<sup>-</sup>
C)SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>
D)MoO<sub>4</sub><sup>-2</sup>
E)H<sub>2</sub>PO<sub>4</sub><sup>-</sup>.
Q2) Of the silicate clays, smectite has the least tendency to expand upon wetting and shrink upon drying.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following silicate clays would be least apt to be formed from the mere alteration of primary minerals?
A)smectite
B)vermiculite
C)chlorite
D)fine-grained micas
E)iron or aluminum oxides
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Chapter 9: Soil Acidity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following trees would you expect to fare most poorly in a soil at pH 5.0?
A)loblolly pine
B)aspen
C)sumac
D)walnut
E)white spruce
Q2) The exchange complexes of strongly acid (pH 4.5) mineral soils are saturated mainly with _____.
A)exchangeable H<sup>+</sup> ions
B)exchangeable Al<sup>3+</sup> ions
C)exchangeable Al(OH<sub>2</sub>)<sup>+</sup> ions
D)tightly bound H<sup>+</sup> ions
E)tightly bound Al<sup>3+</sup> ions
Q3) Fungi are much more sensitive to strong acid conditions than are bacteria or actinomycetes.
A)True
B)False
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11
Chapter 10: Soils of Dry Regions: Alkalinity, Salinity, and Sodicity
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Sample Questions
Q1) Removal of excess salts from the soil profile is a requisite for the reclamation of a saline soil.
A)True
B)False
Q2) 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
Q3) The high pH of sodic soils is due to the high saturation of the colloidal complex with calcium.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Elemental sulfur is the most widely used chemical for the reclamation of sodic soils.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 11: Organisms and Ecology of the Soil
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Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80125
Sample Questions
Q1) In which situation are the actinomycetes likely to be most dominant?
A)extremely acid conditions too severe for most other microorganisms
B)low organic matter soils
C)cold, wet soils
D)soil with lots of fresh, easily decomposed residues
E)neutral, moist, warm soil with lots of partially decomposed residues
Q2) 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
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) Soil microorganisms often compete with higher plants for mineral nutrients, such as nitrogen.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Soil Organic Matter
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Sample Questions
Q1) Well aerated soils enriched with organic amendments can help reduce the methane load in the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Humus indirectly affects plant growth through its effects on soil physical and chemical properties, but humic substances have not been shown to affect plant growth processes directly.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Soil organic matter consists of ______.
A)living organisms and cells
B)dead tissues and wastes
C)identifiable biomolecules
D)polymerized, non-identifiable molecules
E)all of the above
Q4) When native prairie soils are brought under cultivation, the fraction of soil organic matter which disappears most quickly is the passive fraction.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ammonium fixation would be expected to be greatest in soils containing a lot of______.
A)Rhizobium bacteria
B)Frankia
C)vermiculite
D)iron oxides
E)both C and D
Q2) Because of _______, soils developed in marine marshes can become extremely acid if drained for agriculture or used as topsoil.
A)oxidation of sulfates
B)reduction of sulfates
C)oxidation of sulfides
D)reduction of elemental sulfur
E)all of the above
Q3) The terms "ammonium fixation" and "biological nitrogen fixation" refer to the same soil process.
A)True
B)False
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15
Chapter 14: Soil Phosphorus and Potassium
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Sample Questions
Q1) The term, eutrophication, comes from the Greek word meaning "to suffocate" and connotes anaerobic decomposition in soils.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The amount of P lost from agricultural soils by the process(s) of _____ is generally considerably greater than the corresponding losses of potassium.
A)leaching
B)harvest removal
C)gaseous evolution
D)both b and c are correct
E)none of the above are correct
Q3) Compared to land that is not disturbed by tillage, conventionally plowed cropland usually loses much more ______.
A)dissolved P
B)particulate P
C)total P
D)both B and C are correct
E)none of the above is correct
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16
Chapter 15: Micronutrients and Other Trace Elements
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Sample Questions
Q1) Molybdenum occurs in the soil solution as a complex anion similar to that formed by phosphorus.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Dicot plants are thought to remove chelated micronutrients from their organic ligands before taking metallic cations into their roots.
A)True
B)False
Q3) 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
Q4) Manganese toxicity is most likely to be a problem under which soil conditions?
A)clay loam Ultisol, pH 4.3, subject to frequent flooding
B)well drained calcareous soil, pH 8.1
C)well drained humid region loamy sand, pH 5.0
D)muck soil (Saprist) with pH 5.5
E)poorly drained calcareous soil with pH 7.6
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Practical Nutrient Management
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most research has shown that at both high and low fertilization levels, about 15 to 20% of the nitrogen applied as fertilizer will be lost by leaching from medium textured soils growing corn.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Fertilization to supply the nutrient element iron is often accomplished by which type of application?
A)injection of a gas into the soil
B)broadcast of a chloride salt
C)broadcast of the nearly pure element as a solid
D)incorporation of powdered limestone rock
E)application of a chelate to the soil
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
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Chapter 17: Soil Erosion and Its Control
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Sample Questions
Q1) The R factor of the Universal soil-loss equation is concerned with _____.
A)soil erodibility
B)residue cover on the soil
C)terraces
D)climate
E)slope steepness
Q2) To be classified as a conservation tillage practice, a system must leave at least what portion of the soil surface covered with plant residues?
A)10%
B)20%
C)30%
D)40%
E)50%
Q3) Conservation tillage has generally positive effects on soil physical properties.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Conservation tillage systems are now in use on some 75% of the cropland in the USA.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: Soils and Chemical Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Soil properties play a much more important role in choosing a site for a containment-type landfill than for a natural-attenuation-type landfill.
A)True
B)False
Q2) If a soil is repeatedly polluted by a toxic organic compound over a period of years, the soil microbes will lose their ability to degrade the toxin.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The principal human health effect of exposure to radon is ____.
A)lung cancer
B)diarrhea
C)bone embrittlement
D)blue baby syndrome
E)none of the above
Q4) Which group of organic insecticides is most damaging to earthworms in soils?
A)carbamates
B)organo phosphates
C)chlorinated hydrocarbons
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Geographic Soils Information
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Sample Questions
Q1) If properly interpreted, the soil association map (generally a colored-keyed map) in a soil survey report is a good source of information for _____.
A)locating a home site
B)planning areas of future urban expansion in a county
C)locating a site where a mineral mine could best be established
D)mapping present land use in a county
E)planning a 5-year crop rotation for a farm
Q2) The mapping unit code, CeB3 indicates the soil in this unit consists of Land Capability Class III.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following could likely be a "layer" of information in a GIS?
A)data on rainfall changes over time
B)soil drainage classes
C)land capability classes
D)B and C
E)all of the above
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21
Chapter 20: Prospects for Global Soil Quality
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is NOT a likely component of the ecology-based paradigm for future intensified U.S.food production?
A)Rotation systems that enhance biological diversity
B)Organic-inorganic combinations that build active soil organic matter
C)Increased rates of nitrogen fertilizer to reduce deficiencies of this element
D)Pest management systems that minimize the use of chemical pesticides
E)All of the above are unlikely
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) The proportion of the population of developing countries that are malnourished is higher today than it was 25 years ago.
A)True
B)False
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