Deck 18: The Geography of Soils

Question 1

The A horizon is usually ________ underlying layers because ________.

A)darker than it is made of dark-coloured,mafic minerals
B)darker than it contains humus
C)lighter than it is made of light-coloured,felsic minerals
D)lighter than it contains little humus,but a considerable amount of mineral particles

Answer 1

D

Question 2

B horizons tend to

A)accumulate humus.
B)accumulate clay,iron and aluminum.
C)lose materials by leaching.
D)be dominated by eluviation processes.
E)have the least fertility.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A soil horizon that is 20 to 30 percent or more organic matter is labeled

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is true of soils?

A)They usually require hours or days to form.
B)Their development is affected by climate and organisms.
C)Their properties are not affected by the type of rock from which they form.
D)Older soils usually have fewer horizons than younger soils.
E)Soils rich in mineral matter are usually dark in colour.

Question 5

The basic soil unit used in preparing soils maps i.e. ,in identifying a series of soils in an area,is the

A)polypedon.
B)profile.
C)A horizon.
D)pedon.
E)solum.

Question 6

The science that deals with the origin,classification,and distribution of soils is known as ________,whereas the science that deals with soil as a medium for plant growth is called ________.

A)pedology edaphology
B)edaphology pedology
C)pedology geomorphology
D)geomorphology edaphology
E)ornithology geology

Question 7

A pedon is imagined as

A)a soil profile.
B)a square column encompassing from 10 m² to 100 m² in surface area.
C)a basic unit in farm size.
D)a basic ingredient for soil fertility.
E)the smallest particle size in the soil.

Question 8

What material in the soil serves a similar role to that of clay because of its ion exchange capacity,ability to store water,and ability to bind particles together?

A)calcium carbonate
B)humus
C)caliche
D)plinthite
E)hematite.

Question 9

Farmers are concerned with soil from the standpoint of

A)geomorphology.
B)pedology.
C)edaphology.
D)plantology.
E)glaciology

Question 10

The general name for any distinct layer in a pedon is

A)plate.
B)eluviation zone.
C)illuviation zone.
D)horizon.
E)bed.

Question 11

A mixture of decomposed organic matter in soil that is usually dark in colour is called

A)regolith.
B)polypedon.
C)humus.
D)mineral matter.
E)illuvium.

Question 12

As with many areas of interest to geographers,soil science is a ________ concerned with ________.

A)sharply limited and defined subject memorization of facts about Earth
B)sharply limited and defined subject spatial distributions and processes
C)multidisciplinary subject memorization of facts about Earth
D)multidisciplinary subject spatial distributions and processes
E)strictly defined discipline sustaining life processes.

Question 13

The surface of the Moon is covered with loose rock debris and fine particles.Given this,and what you know about the Moon,the surface material

A)could be considered a soil because regolith is present.
B)could be considered a soil because physical weathering processes occur.
C)could not be considered a soil because no organic matter is present and no organic processes occur.
D)could not be considered a soil because it exists in a vacuum.
E)could be considered a soil as it is composed of mineral matter.

Question 14

The movement of material out of a layer is called ________,whereas the deposition of material in a layer is called ________.

A)humification lithification
B)eluviation illuviation
C)illuviation eluviation
D)weathering transportation
E)erosion weathering

Question 15

The basic sampling unit in soil surveys is called

A)a polypedon.
B)a pedon.
C)the A horizon.
D)a horizon.
E)a solum

Question 16

If humus were lost from the soil due to excessive farming or soil erosion,which of the following could occur?

A)loss of soil structure,fertility and water holding capacity
B)loss of fertility,structure,and mineral matter
C)loss of water-holding capacity,mineral matter and loft
D)loss of compaction,water-holding capacity and mineral matter
E)increase in mineral matter,water holding capacity,and compaction.

Question 17

The physical and chemical weathering of the upper lithosphere produces

A)soil.
B)materials from which soils can develop which have properties different than those of their source materials.
C)true soil with no further organic activity.
D)soil fertility.
E)organic matter.

Question 18

Which of the following is correct regarding soil?

A)soil is an inorganic by-product of geological processes.
B)soil is composed of mineral matter only.
C)soil is a dynamic natural body composed of both mineral and organic matter.
D)soil science is called geomorphology.
E)soil is a static body of stratified mineral and organic matter.

Question 19

Cryosolic soils

A)are permafrost affected soils that contain about half the half the pool of global carbon.
B)are the highly organic soils of the subtropical rain forest.
C)are the soils that develop in the humid continental interior of North America.
D)can be used as an alternative fuel source as they burn cleanly and do not increase greenhouse gas concentrations.
E)contain cryolite,a natural resource useful for pest control.

Question 20

Soil is

A)a physical,geological product.
B)weathered rock.
C)a dynamic,natural body.
D)composed only of mineral particles.
E)organic material on the surface of decomposed bedrock.

Question 21

Oxidation of minerals in the B horizon produces

A)red and yellow colours.
B)white colours.
C)black colours.
D)blue-gray colours.
E)greenish colours

Question 22

The R horizon refers to

A)unweathered sediment or consolidated bedrock.
B)soils redeveloped through reclamation.
C)a zone of eluviation in the soil horizon.
D)the basic mapping unit of soils in an area.
E)the return layer in a tilled field.

Question 23

Weathered bedrock or weathered parent material (regolith),excluding the unweathered bedrock itself,is designated the ________ horizon.

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

Question 24

Soil structure can be defined by which of the following?

A)crumb or granular
B)blocky or straight
C)prismatic or flat
D)platy or compressed
E)round or columnar

Question 25

White to pale hues in soils are generally associated with

A)iron oxides.
B)silicates and aluminum oxides.
C)humus.
D)plant matter.
E)elluviation.

Question 26

With reference to the Munsell Color Chart,which of the following is incorrectly matched?

A)hue - red
B)chroma - purity
C)value - green

Question 27

Which of the following soil conditions would tend to favor the development of an eluvial layer?

A)high clay content
B)platy structure
C)high sand content
D)high organic content

Question 28

Rounded peds have ________ space between them than other peds,and are therefore ________.

A)less worse for plant growth
B)less better for plant growth
C)more worse for plant growth
D)more better for plant growth

Question 29

Which of the following is true of the C horizon?

A)it is equivalent to the organic layer.
B)it is high in clay concentrations.
C)it is generally made up of carbonates,gypsum,or soluble salts.
D)although it may be deep,it lies within the realm of significant biological influences.
E)roots fill this layer.

Question 30

Ped formation benefits soils because it enhances

A)soil texture and colour.
B)porosity and permeability.
C)permeability and colour.
D)soil texture and permeability.
E)productivity and colour.

Question 31

An individual unit of soil aggregates (a lump of soil)is termed a

A)solum.
B)separate.
C)pedon.
D)ped.
E)horizon.

Question 32

Which of the following is true of soil colour?

A)colour does not reflect composition or chemical makeup.
B)dark soils always indicate high organic content.
C)for consistency of description,a soil colour chart is employed by soil scientists.
D)soil colour is restricted to the top horizon of the soil pedon.
E)light colours always indicate infertility.

Question 33

True solum is made up of

A)a combination of the A,Ae,and B horizons.
B)layers of soil from the surface all the way to bedrock.
C)the A horizon only.
D)the surface of the soil body.
E)organic and mineral material.

Question 34

Which of the following soil layers would usually contain the greatest amount of clay in a well-developed soil?

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

Question 35

The soil horizon that principally contains illuviation accumulations is designated the ________ horizon.

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

Question 36

Soil separates refer to

A)differing soil colours in a pedon.
B)individual mineral particles,such as sand,silt,and clay.
C)the different soil horizons.
D)the larger pebbles,gravels,and cobbles.
E)the arrangement of particles in the soil.

Question 37

B horizons are often ________ in colour because of ________.

A)dark accumulation of humus
B)dark it is made of dark coloured,mafic minerals
C)reddish or yellowish the minerals they contain are often chemically oxidized
D)reddish or yellowish the minerals they contain are often chemically reduced
E)white to clear the accumulation of high silica sand.

Question 38

Texture refers to ________,whereas structure refers to ________.

A)soil particle size the aggregation of soil particles into "dirt clods"
B)the aggregation of soil particles into "dirt clods" soil particle size
C)soil fertility soil productivity
D)soil productivity soil fertility
E)cohesiveness ability to hold water.

Question 39

A roughly equal mixture of sand,silt,and clay is called

A)humus.
B)regolith.
C)solum.
D)loam.
E)illuviation.

Question 40

Soil consistency refers to

A)the uniformity of particle size.
B)the uniformity of ped types.
C)the soil's resistance to breaking and manipulation under different moisture conditions.
D)the soil's ability to consistently maintain a given level of soil moisture.
E)the soil's ability to expel water.

Question 41

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the soil is ________ that of the atmosphere because ________.

A)greater than roots and organisms respire
B)greater than carbon dioxide seeps out of the underlying regolith
C)less than plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
D)less than virtually all the carbon dioxide in the soil combines with water to form carbonic acid
E)the same as gases mix and expand to fill the volume provided.

Question 42

Soil colloids (clay particles)have ________ charges on their surfaces which attract ________ from the soil solution.

A)positive cations
B)positive anions
C)negative cations
D)negative anions

Question 43

Which of the following terms related to soil consistence is correctly paired?

A)friable - easily pulverized
B)plasticity - inorganic polymer such as plastic
C)indurated - weakly cemented
D)moist soil - brittle and rigid
E)wet soil - one half field capacity

Question 44

Which of the following are examples of soil forming factors?

A)surface relief,worms and bacteria
B)worms,bacteria and lithification
C)bacteria,lithification and rainfall
D)rainfall,lithification and surface relief
E)lithification,surface relief and bacteria

Question 45

Soil porosity is improved by

A)the pore size,shape and orientation allowing water and air to move through.
B)compacting the soil to orient the pores.
C)indurating the soil to connect the pores.
D)cementing the soil to locate the pores between peds.

Question 46

Soils with a high hydrogen ion (H⁺)concentration are considered to have a(n)________ and are therefore ________.

A)neutral pH fertile
B)acidic pH fertile
C)acidic pH infertile
D)alkaline pH fertile
E)alkaline pH infertile

Question 47

A cation has a ________ charge,and an anion has a ________ charge.

A)positive negative
B)negative positive
C)positive neutral
D)neutral positive
E)negative negative

Question 48

The principal natural soil-forming factors

A)are static in nature.
B)include climate,parent material,topography,biotic processes,and time.
C)are all inorganic.
D)include peds,separates,solums,and horizons.
E)include insolation,net radiation,atmospheric temperature,and water.

Question 49

The soil at the base of a hillslope is likely to be ________ compared to the soil on the slope.

A)thinner
B)drier
C)nutrient-rich
D)more compacted
E)darker

Question 50

Which of the following is true of the soil atmosphere?

A)it contains less carbon dioxide than the atmosphere.
B)it contains more oxygen that the atmosphere.
C)it contains far more nitrogen than the atmosphere.
D)it contains more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere.
E)it contains exactly the same quantities of gases as the atmosphere.

Question 51

The ability of certain soil particles to transfer mineral ions between their surfaces and the soil solution is referred to as

A)soil acidity.
B)soil alkalinity.
C)colloidal action.
D)cation-exchange capacity.
E)soil consistence

Question 52

Broadleaf trees tend to make the soil more ________,whereas conifers tend to make it more ________.

A)acidic alkaline
B)alkaline acidic
C)acidic neutral
D)neutral acidic
E)alkaline neutral

Question 53

A high CEC means that

A)soil colloids can store and exchange more cations.
B)activity between colloids and the soil solution is low.
C)the soil is probably infertile.
D)fewer cations can be exchanged with soil colloids.
E)soil colloids cannot store cations.

Question 54

Porosity is improved by

A)worm activities,root growth and laterization.
B)root growth,laterization,and ped formation.
C)laterization,ped formation,and worm activities.
D)worm activities,root growth,and ped formation.
E)calcification,root growth,and ped formation.

Question 55

The ability of colloids to attract ions means that

A)ions needed by plants do not leach as easily as they otherwise would.
B)soil fertility is reduced.
C)plant growth is inhibited.
D)soil drainage is reduced
E)ions move downward to the deepest layers of soil and become unavailable to plant roots.

Question 56

Which of the following refers to a low pH condition?

A)9)5 pH
B)alkaline
C)basic
D)acidic
E)neutral

Question 57

Acidic soils

A)are generally defined as soils with a pH greater than 6.
B)cause more rapid weathering and leaching of nutrients.
C)are generally very fertile.
D)decreases the chemical weathering of mineral nutrients.
E)slows the depletion rate of mineral nutrients.

Question 58

A clay-rich bottomland is likely to experience

A)salinization.
B)laterization.
C)water-logging.
D)gypsum formation.
E)lithification

Question 59

Broadleaf trees tend to ________ the pH of the soil,whereas conifers tend to ________ the pH.

A)increase decrease
B)decrease increase
C)neutralize increase
D)increase neutralize
E)decrease neutralize

Question 60

Important soil components that are involved in the retention of ions formed by clay and organic particles are called

A)peds.
B)separates.
C)colloids.
D)pH holders.
E)horizons.

Question 61

Which of the following soils would have limited horizon development and would be destructive of buildings and roads?

A)Brunisolic
B)Vertisolic
C)Chernozemic
D)Solonetzic
E)Luvisolic

Question 62

Luvisolic soils would not be dominant

A)in floodplains.
B)in prairies.
C)in tundra.
D)on hillslopes.
E)in wetlands

Question 63

Heavy,expandable clay soils are classified as

A)Podzolic soils.
B)Organic soils.
C)Vertisolic soils.
D)Chernozemic soils.
E)Gleysolic soils.

Question 64

Chernozemic soils are associated with

A)the greatest timber harvests in the world.
B)the greatest grain harvests in the world.
C)floodplains.
D)intense leaching.
E)water-logged soils.

Question 65

Recent,undeveloped soils are known as

A)Vertisolic.
B)Solonetzic.
C)Regosolic.
D)Gleysolic.
E)Crysolic

Question 66

Which pedogenic regime occurs in cool,wet climates in areas of poor drainage,and results in the accumulation of humus-as well as a water-saturated layer of gray clay?

A)laterization
B)salinization
C)podzolation
D)gleysation
E)calcification

Question 67

In Russia and Ukraine the grassland soils of the "fertile triangle" are described as

A)Chernozems (Mollisols).
B)too cool,too dry,too rugged,and poor soil fertility.
C)highly weathered forest soils.
D)recent,or undeveloped soils.
E)Podzolic (Spodosols)

Question 68

Which pedogenic regime tends to occur in cool,coniferous forests,and results in acidification of the soil?

A)laterization
B)salinization
C)podzolation
D)calcification
E)gleysation

Question 69

Which pedogenic regime is associated with Podzolic soils?

A)calcification
B)podzolization
C)salinization
D)laterization
E)illuviation

Question 70

Which type of soil is the least developed?

A)Gleysolic.
B)Regosolic.
C)Brunosolic.
D)Organic.
E)Crysolic.

Question 71

Which of the following is true regarding soil erosion?

A)soil losses in North America have improved by 38% since 1950.
B)less than half of the cropland in the United States and Canada is experiencing excessive rates of soil erosion.
C)soil erosion cannot be controlled by planting on the contour.
D)thirty-five percent of farms worldwide are losing soil faster than it is being formed.
E)soil erosion is too big a problem to be dealt with by individuals.

Question 72

Because podsolic soils are associated with sandy soils and coniferous trees,they are

A)acidic.
B)alkaline.
C)neutral in pH.

Question 73

Recent compilations of data from around the world show

A)that soil erosion under conventional agriculture exceeds both the rates of soil production and geological erosion rates by several orders of magnitude.
B)that soil erosion,once a problem for all,is now under control in many countries.
C)that soil erosion is greatest in arid countries where there are annual water deficits.
D)that the southern hemisphere has learned to manage soil erosion,while in the northern hemisphere it is still a major problem.
E)that agricultural management regulations in Europe have slowed soil erosion significantly while it continues to accelerate in North America.

Question 74

Salinization is likely to occur

A)in the tropics.
B)in areas of high potential evapotranspiration and low actual evapotranspiration.
C)in humid climate regions.
D)in areas characterized by sandy soils and coniferous forests.
E)in cool wet forests.

Question 75

Which of the following is true?

A)both the direct and indirect costs of soil erosion is estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars worldwide.
B)soil that has eroded could take decades to be replaced.
C)loss of soil,combined with exponential population growth,could lead to serious food shortages.
D)in most of the densely inhabited regions of the world,soil erosion is not a problem.
E)moving from west to east across Canada,the losses of organic material in the soil decrease.

Question 76

In a transect across the Chernozems of the southern Prairies,from west to east ,which of the following gives the correct sequence?

A)Black,Dark Brown,Brown
B)Dark Brown,Black,Brown
C)Black,Brown,Dark Brown
D)Brown,Dark Brown,Black
E)Dark Brown,Brown,Black

Question 77

Soils characteristic of the northern coniferous forests are the

A)Podzolic.
B)Chernozemic.
C)Solonetzic.
D)Vertisolic.
E)Gleysolic

Question 78

The great grassland soils of the world are called

A)Podzolic (Spodosols).
B)Brunisolic (Gelisols).
C)Vertisolic (Vertisols).
D)Chernozemic.(Mollisols)
E)Luvisolic (Alfisols)

Question 79

Which pedogenic regime is associated with tropical soils?

A)calcification
B)podzolization
C)salinization
D)laterization
E)gleysation

Question 80

Which of the following is true?

A)soil erosion is under control throughout most of the densely inhabited regions of the world.
B)soil that has eroded will be replaced by natural processes in decades.
C)loss of soil,combined with exponential population growth,could lead to serious food shortages.
D)both the direct and indirect costs of soil erosion is estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars worldwide.
E)there are no government agencies monitoring soil erosion in North America.