Question 1

The O horizon is .

Accepted Answer

A)  primarily loam 
B)  usually more sand than silt or clay 
C)  composed primarily of bedrock 
D)  composed of equal amounts of bedrock and organic material 
E)  primarily composed of organic materials 
A)  primarily loam 
B)  usually more sand than silt or clay 
C)  composed primarily of bedrock 
D)  composed of equal amounts of bedrock and organic material 
E)  primarily composed of organic materials E

Question 2

The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is .

Accepted Answer

A)  called mineralization 
B)  affected by rainfall, freezing, and thawing 
C)  primarily caused by topsoil erosion 
D)  a major cause of topsoil erosion 
E)  unaffected by winds 
A)  called mineralization 
B)  affected by rainfall, freezing, and thawing 
C)  primarily caused by topsoil erosion 
D)  a major cause of topsoil erosion 
E)  unaffected by winds B

Question 3

Most rangeland in the U.S. is managed by .

Accepted Answer

A)  the Conservation Reserve Program 
B)  the Department of Rangeland Management 
C)  the Bureau of Land Management 
D)  private ranchers 
E)  the Environmental Protection Agency 
A)  the Conservation Reserve Program 
B)  the Department of Rangeland Management 
C)  the Bureau of Land Management 
D)  private ranchers 
E)  the Environmental Protection Agency C

Question 4

refers to the agricultural practices in which the members of a farming family produce only enough food for their family's own subsistence and do not make use of large -scale irrigation, chemical fertilizer, or machinery and technology.

Accepted Answer

A)  Traditional agriculture 
B)  Subsidence agriculture 
C)  Advanced organic farming 
D)  Reduced tillage agriculture 
E)  Postindustrial agriculture 
A)  Traditional agriculture 
B)  Subsidence agriculture 
C)  Advanced organic farming 
D)  Reduced tillage agriculture 
E)  Postindustrial agriculture

Question 5

Leaching and the rate of movement of water would be greatest in a soil classified as _.

Accepted Answer

A)  sand 
B)  silt 
C)  clay 
D)  organic 
E)  hypersaline 
A)  sand 
B)  silt 
C)  clay 
D)  organic 
E)  hypersaline

Question 6

is the federal agency responsible for preventing soil erosion and protecting waterways in agricultural areas of the United States.

Accepted Answer

A)  Natural Resources Conservation Service 
B)  Agricultural Standards Agency 
C)  Agricultural Conservation Service 
D)  Soil Degradation Minimization Service 
E)  Soil and Water Conservation Service 
A)  Natural Resources Conservation Service 
B)  Agricultural Standards Agency 
C)  Agricultural Conservation Service 
D)  Soil Degradation Minimization Service 
E)  Soil and Water Conservation Service

Question 7

The results of the overapplication of fertilization can include _ .

Accepted Answer

A)  crops spreading rapidly into nearby areas 
B)  large crop yields per acre 
C)  very large fruits and vegetables 
D)  very fertile soils in future years 
E)  eutrophication in nearby waters 
A)  crops spreading rapidly into nearby areas 
B)  large crop yields per acre 
C)  very large fruits and vegetables 
D)  very fertile soils in future years 
E)  eutrophication in nearby waters

Question 8

pH influences .

Accepted Answer

A)  soil compaction 
B)  erosion 
C)  soil clumpiness 
D)  the number of soil horizons 
E)  plant growth 
A)  soil compaction 
B)  erosion 
C)  soil clumpiness 
D)  the number of soil horizons 
E)  plant growth

Question 9

Decomposers are most likely found in the .

Accepted Answer

A)  C and R horizons 
B)  B and C horizons 
C)  C and E horizons 
D)  A and O horizons 
E)  E and B horizons 
A)  C and R horizons 
B)  B and C horizons 
C)  C and E horizons 
D)  A and O horizons 
E)  E and B horizons

Question 10

Inorganic fertilizers are .

Accepted Answer

A)  are either mined or manufactured 
B)  less likely to be used on cropland today than they were 100 years ago 
C)  less likely to leach from soil than organic fertilizers 
D)  used in place of organic fertilizers by farmers who are concerned about surface water and groundwater pollution 
E)  applied to cropland in the form of manure and compost 
A)  are either mined or manufactured 
B)  less likely to be used on cropland today than they were 100 years ago 
C)  less likely to leach from soil than organic fertilizers 
D)  used in place of organic fertilizers by farmers who are concerned about surface water and groundwater pollution 
E)  applied to cropland in the form of manure and compost

Question 11

Irrigation can result in the salinization of soils because .

Accepted Answer

A)  irrigation is typically used in areas where windblown salts from sea spray can accumulate when the protective vegetation is removed 
B)  shortages of fresh water require the use of saltwater for irrigation 
C)  the irrigation water washes away soil leaving behind concentrated salts 
D)  salts in the water are deposited on the soil surface as water evaporates 
E)  many of the plants grown in these regions excrete salts into the soil 
A)  irrigation is typically used in areas where windblown salts from sea spray can accumulate when the protective vegetation is removed 
B)  shortages of fresh water require the use of saltwater for irrigation 
C)  the irrigation water washes away soil leaving behind concentrated salts 
D)  salts in the water are deposited on the soil surface as water evaporates 
E)  many of the plants grown in these regions excrete salts into the soil

Question 12

Which of the following is pollinated by bees?

Accepted Answer

A)  pine trees 
B)  corn 
C)  alfalfa 
D)  wheat 
E)  switchgrass 
A)  pine trees 
B)  corn 
C)  alfalfa 
D)  wheat 
E)  switchgrass

Question 13

Shelterbelts are to as terraces are to .

Accepted Answer

A)  stratification; salinization 
B)  water erosion; wind erosion 
C)  leaching; desertification 
D)  salinization; stratification 
E)  wind erosion; water erosion 
A)  stratification; salinization 
B)  water erosion; wind erosion 
C)  leaching; desertification 
D)  salinization; stratification 
E)  wind erosion; water erosion

Question 14

Drip irrigation is _ .

Accepted Answer

A)  more than twice as efficient at conserving water as traditional conventional irrigation 
B)  more likely to result in soil salinization than other irrigation techniques 
C)  used in aquaculture 
D)  typically used in combination with flood -and -furrow irrigation 
E)  only half as efficient at conserving water as center -pivot irrigation 
A)  more than twice as efficient at conserving water as traditional conventional irrigation 
B)  more likely to result in soil salinization than other irrigation techniques 
C)  used in aquaculture 
D)  typically used in combination with flood -and -furrow irrigation 
E)  only half as efficient at conserving water as center -pivot irrigation

Question 15

We lose 5 to 7 million hectares of productive cropland per year to .

Accepted Answer

A)  abandonment, feralization, and other factors 
B)  soil degradation 
C)  forest replanting and regeneration 
D)  soil conservation efforts 
E)  recreational land use 
A)  abandonment, feralization, and other factors 
B)  soil degradation 
C)  forest replanting and regeneration 
D)  soil conservation efforts 
E)  recreational land use

Question 16

Leaching .

Accepted Answer

A)  can help plant growth only if done properly 
B)  removes water -soluble nutrients from topsoil 
C)  is a common agricultural practice to improve soil 
D)  adds nutrients to soil naturally 
E)  is caused by movement of water upward through soil from the water table 
A)  can help plant growth only if done properly 
B)  removes water -soluble nutrients from topsoil 
C)  is a common agricultural practice to improve soil 
D)  adds nutrients to soil naturally 
E)  is caused by movement of water upward through soil from the water table

Question 17

Factors involved in soil formation include _ .

Accepted Answer

A)  nitrogen -fixing bacteria and grazing by herbivores 
B)  erosion, level terrain, and the absence of rooted vegetation 
C)  tropical climate, acid precipitation, and frequent wildfires 
D)  seasonal changes in the tides 
E)  weathering of parent material and the addition of organic material 
A)  nitrogen -fixing bacteria and grazing by herbivores 
B)  erosion, level terrain, and the absence of rooted vegetation 
C)  tropical climate, acid precipitation, and frequent wildfires 
D)  seasonal changes in the tides 
E)  weathering of parent material and the addition of organic material

Question 18

No -till farming would be most beneficial for farmers .

Accepted Answer

A)  with steeply sloped fields 
B)  using contour strip cropping 
C)  who plant a cash crop every third year 
D)  who typically experience minimal soil erosion 
E)  whose cropland is in the Conservation Reserve Program 
A)  with steeply sloped fields 
B)  using contour strip cropping 
C)  who plant a cash crop every third year 
D)  who typically experience minimal soil erosion 
E)  whose cropland is in the Conservation Reserve Program

Question 19

The next step in this story would likely be that this woman and her sister .

Accepted Answer

A)  began to trade seeds with people from other villages 
B)  began to deliberately plant seeds near their village to make food gathering easier in the future 
C)  started a full -scale garden, digging the soil and enriching it with food wastes 
D)  began to save, sort, and name different types of seeds 
E)  began to seek out old middens to find and eat the things growing there 
A)  began to trade seeds with people from other villages 
B)  began to deliberately plant seeds near their village to make food gathering easier in the future 
C)  started a full -scale garden, digging the soil and enriching it with food wastes 
D)  began to save, sort, and name different types of seeds 
E)  began to seek out old middens to find and eat the things growing there

Question 20

Twenty years have passed since the young woman first noticed seeds sprouting in the midden. Which of the following could now be TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  The group had been very warlike and were now more peaceful, tending their lands. 
B)  The group had been nomadic, moving frequently to gather wild foods and hunt, but are now more sedentary, growing crops. 
C)  The group had been traders in stone tools and were now traders in simple agricultural implements and seeds. 
D)  The group had been quite large and ate a great deal of meat, but there were now fewer of them since their diet consisted mostly of vegetables. 
E)  The group had been sedentary but was now nomadic, looking for good places to settle for a season and grow crops. 
A)  The group had been very warlike and were now more peaceful, tending their lands. 
B)  The group had been nomadic, moving frequently to gather wild foods and hunt, but are now more sedentary, growing crops. 
C)  The group had been traders in stone tools and were now traders in simple agricultural implements and seeds. 
D)  The group had been quite large and ate a great deal of meat, but there were now fewer of them since their diet consisted mostly of vegetables. 
E)  The group had been sedentary but was now nomadic, looking for good places to settle for a season and grow crops.

Exam 9: Forests, Forest Management, and Protected Areas

The O horizon is .

The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is .

Most rangeland in the U.S. is managed by .

refers to the agricultural practices in which the members of a farming family produce only enough food for their family's own subsistence and do not make use of large -scale irrigation, chemical fertilizer, or machinery and technology.

Leaching and the rate of movement of water would be greatest in a soil classified as _.

is the federal agency responsible for preventing soil erosion and protecting waterways in agricultural areas of the United States.

The results of the overapplication of fertilization can include _ .

pH influences .

Decomposers are most likely found in the .

Inorganic fertilizers are .

Irrigation can result in the salinization of soils because .

Which of the following is pollinated by bees?

Shelterbelts are to as terraces are to .

Drip irrigation is _ .

We lose 5 to 7 million hectares of productive cropland per year to .

Leaching .

Factors involved in soil formation include _ .

No -till farming would be most beneficial for farmers .

The next step in this story would likely be that this woman and her sister .

Twenty years have passed since the young woman first noticed seeds sprouting in the midden. Which of the following could now be TRUE?

Science and Sustainability: an Introduction to Environmental Science

Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems

Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology

Species Interactions and Community Ecology

Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development

Human Population

Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Geology, Minerals, and Mining

Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts

Atmospheric Science, Air Quality, and Pollution Control

Global Climate Change

Nonrenewable Energy Sources, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation

Renewable Energy Alternatives

Managing Our Waste

The Urban Environment: Creating Sustainable Cities

Sustainable Solutions

Answers to Data Analysis Questions

How to Interpret Graphs

Metric System

Periodic Table of the Elements

Geologic Time Scale Glossary Credits Index

Filters