Soil Science Exam Solutions
Course Introduction
Soil Science is an interdisciplinary course that explores the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and their critical role in ecosystems and agriculture. The course covers soil formation, classification, and morphology, as well as processes such as nutrient cycling, water movement, and soil fertility management. Students learn to analyze soil samples, understand soil conservation principles, and assess the impact of human activities on soil health. Through lectures, laboratory exercises, and fieldwork, students gain practical skills and theoretical knowledge essential for careers in agriculture, environmental science, and land management.
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
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3989 Page 2
Chapter 1: The Soils Around US
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80115
Sample Questions
Q1) A soil profile consists of _________.
A)the sum of chemical and physical data known about a soil
B)the way a soil "feels"
C)the spatial boundaries of a particular soil
D)the set of layers seen in a vertical cross Section of a soil
E)the general outline of a soil or group of soils when viewed from the side
Answer: D
Q2) "Subsoil" is generally equivalent to which soil horizon?
A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E
Answer: B
Q3) Subsoil is typically equivalent to the O horizon.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 2: Formation of Soils From Parent Materials
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80116
Sample Questions
Q1) Alluvial parent materials are those that have been laid down in former lake bottoms.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Igneous rocks can best be characterized as:
A)rocks formed when molten magma solidifies
B)rocks containing both feldspars and micas
C)rocks formed from the recrystallization of sedimentary material
D)rocks containing a mixture of primary and secondary minerals
E)rocks found primarily near volcanoes.
Answer: A
Q3) The presence of iron in a mineral generally increases its resistance to chemical breakdown.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: Soil Classification
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80117
Sample Questions
Q1) Argillic horizons are characterized by ___.
A)accumulation of silicate clays
B)high level of Na+ ions
C)high levels of iron and aluminum oxides
D)impervious hardpan layers
E)organic matter accumulation
Answer: A
Q2) You would be more apt to find an Gelisol in Alaska than in Iowa.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Because soil development is just beginning in Entisols, these soils are generally less variable in properties than are those in the Andisol or Ultisol orders.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) Vertisols are characterized by high contents of swelling-type silicate clays.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 5
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Chapter 4: Soil Architecture and Physical Properties
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43 Verified Questions
43 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80118
Sample Questions
Q1) 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
Q2) A friable soil is usually more likely to be indurated.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Tillage when the soil is too wet is likely to increase the soil bulk density.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Soil colors are scientifically described by ____ color designations such as 10YR3/4.
A)USDA
B)wavelength
C)Parson's
D)Munsell
E)structural
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Chapter 5: Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80119
Sample Questions
Q1) At which of the following soil moisture potentials (expressed as kPa) is the soil water held most tightly?
A)+5
B)0
C)-31
D)-1500
E)-3100
Q2) The polarity of water helps account for the attraction of water molecules for each other.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following means of estimating soil water levels gives a direct measurement of the water content?
A)gypsum blocks
B)neutron scattering
C)gravimetric determinations
D)tensiometer
E)pressure membrane
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Chapter 6: Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle
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44 Verified Questions
44 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80120
Sample Questions
Q1) If you dug a deep hole in your back yard and water started to seep into the hole it would fill the hole up to ________.
A)the infiltration rate
B)the percolation rate
C)field capacity
D)the water Table
E)the liquid limit
Q2) Which of the following will not increase the efficiency of water use by plants in an irrigation system?
A)The use of concrete-lined delivery ditches
B)The use of flood irrigation for forage crops
C)The use of drip irrigation for fruit trees
D)The use of crop residues to reduce evaporation
E)The use of herbicides to control weeds
Q3) Sprinkle irrigation is generally more efficient in the use of water than drip irrigation, especially for high valued crops.
A)True
B)False
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8
Chapter 7: Soil Aeration and Temperature
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80121
Sample Questions
Q1) The bulk of gaseous interchange in soils takes place by _____.
A)mass flow
B)partial pressure of N<sub>2</sub>
C)diffusion
D)dissolution in water
E)respiration
Q2) 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
Q3) A soil on the south facing slope in Canada is likely to be drier and warmer than a comparable soil on a north facing slope.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The partial pressure of CO<sub>2</sub> in the soil pores is higher than the partial pressure of this gas in the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Soil Colloids: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical Activity
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80122
Sample Questions
Q1) If you were seeking a soil colloid with a high capacity to adsorb cationic pollutants, but also with a consistent capacity to do so even as the pH varied form 4.0 to 7.5, which of the following would you choose?
A)montmorillonite
B)kaolinite
C)fine-grained mica
D)humus
E)chlorite
Q2) The electronegative charge on 2:1 type silicate clays is due primarily to _____.
A)ionization of surface OH groups
B)substitution of one metallic atom for another in the crystal structure of the clay
C)extremely small size of the individual colloid particles
D)the effect of pH on the presence of H<sup>+</sup> ions in the exchange complex
E)the preponderance of tetrahedral sheets compared to octahedral sheets
Q3) Iron and aluminum hydrous oxides are characteristic of soils that are highly weathered chemically.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 9: Soil Acidity
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80123
Sample Questions
Q1) The ill effects of acidity in subsoils can be ameliorated by adding gypsum (CaSO<sub>4</sub><sup>-</sup>2H<sub>2</sub>O) to the soil surface.Which of the following most likely helps account for this effect?
A)The gypsum replaces hydrogen from colloids which moves down the profile and decreases the pH of the subsoil layers.
B)Calcium from the gypsum replaces hydrogen from colloids in the subsoil thereby increasing the soil pH.
C)Gypsum dissolves and leaches downward, increasing the Ca/Al ratio in the soil solution in subsoil layers.
D)Sulfate ions from the gypsum react with H ions in the subsoil to form H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>.
E)Gypsum stimulates root growth in the surface soil horizons.
Q2) If you wanted to quickly increase the pH of a soil to 7.5 to combat a disease in cabbages you are about to plant you should use hydrated lime rather than ground limestone.
A)True B)False
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Chapter 10: Soils of Dry Regions: Alkalinity, Salinity, and Sodicity
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80124
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following characteristics of irrigation water is most apt to stimulate the formation of a sodic soil?
A)high selenium content
B)high Ca<sup>2+</sup> and Mg<sup>2+</sup> content
C)high content of chlorides
D)low pH
E)high SAR values
Q2) The growth of plants on sodic soils is constrained by all but one of the following:
A)caustic influence of high pH caused by sodium carbonate and bicarbonate
B)toxicity of bicarbonate and other anions
C)low micronutrient availability due to high pH
D)oxygen deficiency due to breakdown of soil structure or
E)toxicity of very high levels of calcium carbonate
Q3) Removal of excess salts from the soil profile is a requisite for the reclamation of a saline soil.
A)True
B)False
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Organisms and Ecology of the Soil
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80125
Sample Questions
Q1) The addition of large quantities of plant residues to the soil generally ____ the incidence and severity of soil-borne plant diseases.
A)increases
B)reduces
C)has no effect on
Q2) Compared to the rest of the soil, the rhizosphere is kept relatively sterile by the action of plant roots.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Many members of which group of soil microorganisms are anaerobic heterotrophs?
A)actinomycetes
B)bacteria
C)fungi
D)both A and C
E)all of the above
Q4) Algae are single-celled plants that function principally as primary producers in the soil ecosystem.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Soil Organic Matter
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80126
Sample Questions
Q1) 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
Q2) Sandy soils generally are higher in organic matter than fine textured soils.
A)True
B)False
Q3) 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
Q4) The species of microorganisms that are able to sustain themselves by slowly attacking stable soil organic matter are the most active decomposers of freshly added organic materials because of the head start they enjoy over other organisms which were present only in inactive forms prior to the addition.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80127
Sample Questions
Q1) The sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere ______.
A)can be an important source of sulfur nutrition for plants
B)is a major contributor to "acid rain"
C)comes from fires such as fossil fuel burning, volcanoes and forest fires
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Q2) Nitrogen is a component of which essential plant compounds?
A)proteins
B)chlorophyll
C)enzymes
D)DNA
E)all of the above
Q3) Leguminous forest trees, such as Locust, enrich the soil in nitrogen, to the benefit of non-nitrogen fixing plants growing nearby.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Nitric acid deposited on forest soils with "acid rain" can increase the leaching of nutrient cations.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Soil Phosphorus and Potassium
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80128
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) Non-point source losses of which element are considered to be a serious water pollution problem because the resulting high concentration of the element in stream water is toxic to most fish.
A)potassium
B)phosphorus
C)both a and b
D)neither a nor b
Q3) Most soils with a high phosphorus fixing capacity are inherently fertile.
A)True
B)False
Q4) During the last several decades, modern agriculture in the industrialized countries has tended to deplete cropland soils of their supply of available P.
A)True
B)False
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Micronutrients and Other Trace Elements
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42 Verified Questions
42 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80129
Sample Questions
Q1) Plants that are efficient at taking iron up from a calcareous soil are known to employ which of the following methods?
A)lower pH of their rhizosphere
B)produce reducing agents that reduce Fe<sup>3+</sup> to Fe<sup>2+</sup> in the rhizosphere.
C)produce organic compounds that can form stable chelates with iron.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Q2) 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
Q3) Plants generally convert oxidized iron to its reduced form by means of organic reducing agents before the iron is taken up or utilized by the plant.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Practical Nutrient Management
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80130
Sample Questions
Q1) Many years of research have confirmed that the quadratic (parabolic curve) model is the best method of making fertilizer recommendations based on response curves, especially if environmental quality is a high priority.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To enable the most consistent and appropriate interpretations, all soil samples submitted to a particular soil test lab should be taken from the same soil depth, regardless of differences in the type of tillage used or plants grown.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Routine soil testing on a regular basis allows landowners to monitor most changes in soil quality.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The forestry industry uses fertilizers most often to treat old growth stands that will produce valuable lumber
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 17: Soil Erosion and Its Control
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80131
Sample Questions
Q1) The total global soil lost through erosion is generally greater from gully erosion than from sheet erosion.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A soil has been managed using a no-till system for 10 years following many years of conventional tillage operations.Which of the following changes in surface soil properties would you expect due to the no-till management system?
A)the earthworm population would decline
B)soil pH would increase
C)aggregate stability would decline
D)organic matter content would increase
E)bulk density would increase
Q3) The T values are the maximum losses of soil by erosion that can be tolerated without a reduction in the soil's long term productivity.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Conservation tillage has generally positive effects on soil physical properties.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: Soils and Chemical Pollution
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80132
Sample Questions
Q1) The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of sewage sludge that can be applied on agricultural land by setting limits on ____.
A)the concentrations of metals in the sludge to be applied
B)the rate of metal application to any parcel of land in any one year
C)the total accumulative amount of metals that can be applied to a parcel of land, regardless of when the metals are applied
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Q2) The final cover on any type of landfill should consist of soil material with rapid permeability and a high rate of infiltration.
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
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Chapter 19: Geographic Soils Information
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39 Verified Questions
39 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80133
Sample Questions
Q1) In a profile description, soil horizons are normally labeled as #1, #2, #3, starting at the bottom of the profile.
A)True
B)False
Q2) For most planning projects using a geographic information system, getting the needed data into the system is the easy part, but developing the computer Tables and maps is extremely time-consuming and difficult.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The mapping unit code, CeB3 indicates the soil in this unit consists of Land Capability Class III.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A soil profile description gives the value for soil properties such as color and texture averaged over the entire profile.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 20: Prospects for Global Soil Quality
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/80134
Sample Questions
Q1) In which area is the highest proportion of potentially arable land actually being cropped?
A)United States
B)Africa
C)South America
D)Asia
E)Australia
Q2) During the 1990s, the rate of increase of food production has declined.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following are not among the major constraints on increasing food production per capita in Africa?
A)Food producing areas are far from population centers.
B)Erratic rainfall distribution and frequent droughts.
C)Very rapid increases in human population numbers.
D)Fertilizer use is very low.
E)Insufficient area of productive soils.
Q4) There are more hungry people on Earth today than at any time in history
A)True
B)False
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