Deck 9: The Underpinnings of Agriculture

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

the Bureau of Land Management

Question 2

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
This pyramid depicts soil ________________ .

A)profiles
B)horizons
C)nutrient content
D)parent materials
E)textures

Answer 2

textures

Question 3

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
Soil that is 50% clay,20% silt,and 30% sand would be categorized as .

A)silty clay
B)loam
C)clay loam
D)clay
E)silty sandy clay

Answer 3

clay

Question 4

Until about 10,000 years ago,our species depended on __________________

A)crops
B)hunting and herding
C)cattle and goats
D)hunting and gathering
E)crops and cattle

Question 5

Overgrazing can result in all of the following EXCEPT __________________.

A)desertification
B)increased water infiltration
C)the proliferation of weeds
D)soil erosion
E)soil compaction

Question 6

Monoculture farming __________________

A)is always accompanied by no -till agriculture
B)accounts for less than 1% of U.S.croplands
C)requires no chemical fertilizers or pesticides
D)is typical of Native American farming techniques
E)is a development of industrial agriculture

Question 7

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
Soil that is 30% silt could be classified as any of the following EXCEPT .

A)clay loam
B)silt loam
C)sandy loam
D)loam
E)clay

Question 8

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
What is the approximate minimum percent sand a soil can have and still be considered "sandy loam"?

A)20%
B)85%
C)55%
D)28%
E)43%

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

Factors involved in soil formation include __________________

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 11

__________________ 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.

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

Question 12

The horizon where leached minerals and organic matter accumulate is called the __________________

A)C horizon
B)E horizon
C)B horizon
D)O horizon
E)parent material

Question 13

The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is __________________

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

Question 14

Industrial agriculture __________________

A)permanently improved soils,providing more food from less space
B)is necessary today for all cultures
C)rapidly deteriorated soils,requiring continuous movement to new croplands
D)had no impact on agriculture
E)increased our ability to obtain more food from the same area

Question 15

Leaching __________________

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 16

The O horizon is __________________

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

Question 17

A soil deficient in humus would have __________________

A)very low levels of biological activity
B)no cations
C)a large amount of vegetative detritus at the surface
D)a very low mineral content
E)many decomposers and be able to hold considerable moisture

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

Tommy and Teagan are learning the process of good home gardening and decide to help their parents as best as they can.Every day they walk along rows of bean plants,carefully inspecting each plant for harmful insects,and removing any that they find.However,the bean plants do not grow well,and few beans form.Their parents notice the poor beans,inspect the plants and soil,and tell the children that walking around the plants every day has hurt the plants by __________________

A)converting the topsoil into clay
B)contaminating the soil with toxins leaching from their shoes
C)reducing the nutrient minerals in the soil
D)compacting the soil,decreasing aeration and infiltration
E)increasing soil aeration and killing soil microorganisms

Question 20

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following question.
Which of the following soils would be classified as clay loam?

A)70% clay,10% silt,and 20% sand
B)60% clay,70% sand,and 30% silt
C)70% silt and 30% sand
D)30% clay,40% sand,and 30% silt
E)60% clay and 40% silt

Question 21

Discuss how grazing practices can affect soil quality.

Question 22

The results of the overapplication of fertilization can include __________________

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 23

The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to __________________

A)grow cattle feed instead of commercial crops
B)stop growing tobacco
C)grow soybeans and other kinds of harvestable groundcover
D)stop cultivating highly erodible cropland
E)grow native crops such as corn and beans

Question 24

Describe how the advent of agriculture changed human societies.

Question 25

Decomposers are most likely found in the __________________.

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 26

Shelterbelts are to __________________ as terraces are to __________________.

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

Question 27

Inorganic fertilizers are __________________.

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 28

__________________ is the buildup of salts in soils,often as a result of overirrigation.

A)Weathering
B)Erosion
C)Leaching
D)Salinization
E)Evaporation

Question 29

No -till farming would be most beneficial for farmers __________________.

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 30

Researchers at the Malpai Borderlands in southern New Mexico and Arizona have found evidence that __________________.

A)the region cannot sustain any level of commercial ranching
B)ranchers have been planting mesquite to replace lost grasslands
C)ancient nomadic tribes permanently altered the landscape by settling down and ranching in one area
D)fire suppression has played a major role in the degradation of the rangeland in the area
E)desertification has resulted in soil compaction and erosion

Question 31

Drip irrigation is __________________

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 32

Compaction of soil in a garden harms plants by __________________

A)increasing aeration,decreasing infiltration,and increasing runoff
B)decreasing aeration,increasing infiltration,and decreasing runoff
C)increasing the amount of clay,decreasing the amount of silt,and decreasing infiltration
D)increasing aeration,increasing infiltration,and decreasing runoff
E)decreasing aeration,decreasing infiltration,and increasing runoff

Question 33

Which of the following is pollinated by bees?

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

Question 34

__________________ is the loss of more than 10% of soil productivity in arid areas due to such factors as erosion,soil compaction,overgrazing,and forest removal.

A)Stratification
B)Climatization
C)Salinization
D)Alkalinization
E)Desertification

Question 35

Erosion can result in a positive feedback loop because __________________

A)rainwater increasingly soaks into the ground
B)the pH of the soil increases as erosion continues
C)greater weathering of parent material will occur
D)the accumulation of humus makes erosion more likely
E)plants are less likely to grow in eroded soil

Question 36

Irrigation can result in the salinization of soils because __________________.

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 37

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

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 38

pH influences __________________

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

Question 39

Describe the Dust Bowl and the lessons learned.

Question 40

Identify and discuss at least three practices used by farmers to protect their soils.

Question 41

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Early People and Agricultural Beginnings:
Long ago, two sisters were talking as they returned from their morning trip to collect mushrooms, seeds, berries, and green le the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell) were tossed, and where discarded food was thr She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She wa over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called he over to discuss this find.
These women likely lived _______________.

A)about 100 to 300 years ago
B)about 1000 to 2000 years ago
C)about 10,000 years ago
D)at least 200,000 to 250,000 years ago
E)at least 500,000 years ago

Question 42

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Early People and Agricultural Beginnings:
Long ago, two sisters were talking as they returned from their morning trip to collect mushrooms, seeds, berries, and green le the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell) were tossed, and where discarded food was thr She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She wa over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called he over to discuss this find.
It is probably TRUE that ____________.

A)this group was quite large
B)this group was living in a village they had established many years earlier
C)until now,this group had not considered deliberately planting seeds
D)this group already has a good agricultural system
E)until now,this group had not considered hunting

Question 43

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Early People and Agricultural Beginnings:
Long ago, two sisters were talking as they returned from their morning trip to collect mushrooms, seeds, berries, and green le the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell) were tossed, and where discarded food was thr She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She wa over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called he over to discuss this find.
Twenty years have passed since the young woman first noticed seeds sprouting in the midden.Which of the following could now be TRUE?

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.

Question 44

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Early People and Agricultural Beginnings:
Long ago, two sisters were talking as they returned from their morning trip to collect mushrooms, seeds, berries, and green le the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell) were tossed, and where discarded food was thr She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She wa over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called he over to discuss this find.
The next step in this story would likely be that this woman and her sister _______________.

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 45

Discuss how specific land -use management strategies,such as no -till agriculture,can result in conservation and restoration of soils and financial savings.