Deck 9: Soil and Agriculture

Question 1

Decomposers are most likely found in the .

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

A)sandy
B)silty
C)hypersaline
D)organic
E)clay

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Soil texture refers to the relative amounts of in soil.

A)organic matter and minerals
B)detritus and humus
C)sand, silt, and clay
D)mineral content and water saturation
E)water, organic matter, and minerals

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister 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)this group already has a good agricultural system
D)until now, this group had not considered deliberately planting seeds
E)until now, this group had not considered hunting

Question 5

This is the story of a group whose food .

A)is traded between tribes for variety
B)is supplied by hunters and gatherers
C)is supplied by subsistence gardening
D)is raised in a form of primitive agriculture
E)is supplied by hunters

Question 6

Irrigation can result in the salinization of soils because .

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

Question 7

The Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to .

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

Question 8

The lesson learned by Arliss and Todd Nielsen on their Iowa farm is that .

A)removing all weeds is essential for highest crop yields
B)plowing in the winter increases soil fertility and crop yield
C)crop yields are much lower using polyculture
D)erosion and soil nutrient losses are reduced with no- till agriculture
E)global climate change is producing desertification in Iowa

Question 9

The horizon where leaching has deposited materials is called the .

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

Question 10

Leaching .

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

Question 11

The O horizon is .

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister over to discuss this find.
Two thousand years after our story began, it is likely that _.

A)the group has returned to a simpler hunter- gatherer society; farming was too much work for such small return
B)primitive versions of weed killers are now in common use
C)the group is still farming, but there are very few people now
D)a few very wealthy farmers control the village economy
E)the group has begun domesticating animals for food, to work the fields, and as companions

Question 14

Humus is .

A)an artificial fertilizer applied to monocultures
B)one of the primary causes of desertification if it is present in excess
C)caused by agricultural runoff into waterways or into the water table
D)a soil component composed of organic compounds that holds soil moisture and enhances soil fertility
E)a layer sometimes found in a soil horizon that is created by eluviation; it causes serious problems in agricultural fields

Question 15

Monoculture farming .

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

Question 16

This pyramid depicts soil .

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

Question 17

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister over to discuss this find.
The next step in this story would likely be that this woman and her sister .

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

Question 18

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister over to discuss this find.
These people likely lived .

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

Factors involved in soil formation include .

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

Question 21

No- till farming would be most beneficial for farmers .

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

Question 22

Corn (maize)was first domesticated in present- day _ .

A)Brazil
B)Mexico
C)Spain
D)China
E)Portugal

Question 23

A soil deficient in humus would .

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

Question 24

Shelterbelts are to as terraces are to .

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

Question 25

The breakdown of large rocks into smaller pieces is .

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

Question 26

Water diversion and pumping has allowed humans to grow crops in areas where natural supplies have been limited. A major challenge that exists in these regions has been .

A)soil erosion
B)high pesticide use
C)low crop diversity
D)salinization of soils
E)high trophic- level efficiency

Question 27

The results of the overapplication of fertilization can include .

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

Question 28

pH influences _.

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

Question 29

Planting between regular crops will help replace depleted nitrogen.

A)aquatic plants
B)pineapples
C)corn
D)legumes
E)wheat

Question 30

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

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

Question 31

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

A)Subsidence agriculture
B)Intensive traditional agriculture
C)Subsistence agriculture
D)Advanced organic farming
E)Reduced tillage agriculture

Question 32

Compaction of soil in a garden harms plants by .

A)decreasing aeration, increasing infiltration, and decreasing runoff
B)increasing aeration, increasing infiltration, and decreasing runoff
C)decreasing aeration, decreasing infiltration, and increasing runoff
D)increasing aeration, decreasing infiltration, and increasing runoff

Question 33

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister over to discuss this find.
Which of the following choices is something brought about by the beginning of agriculture?

A)The ability of the few to feed the many meant that everyone was expected to concentrate on increased food production.
B)The ability to rely on crops every year allowed even farmers to have much more free time, resulting in the development of crafts, architecture, and other "urban" professions.
C)Low density of people over large areas meant that diseases did not spread in settlements.
D)A nomadic lifestyle, which meant moving frequently from one place to another.
E)Needing to protect and defend the group's land and crops meant that people became more peaceful, resulting in the disbanding of military groups.

Question 34

Industrial agriculture .

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

Question 35

The U.S. agency charged with slowing soil degradation is the .

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

Question 36

More than half the in the United States and Canada has/have been lost to urban and agricultural development, but the recent subsidizes landowners to restore or protect remaining areas.

A)wetlands; Wetlands Reserve Program
B)marshes; Malaria Eradication Act
C)swamps; Swamp Lands Acts
D)biodiversity; Agricultural Biodiversity Trust
E)cropland; Cropland Reserve Program

Question 37

Read the following scenario and answer the questions 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 leaves for the day's meals. The younger woman was watching the progress of a small rabbit as it hopped across the path and toward the clan's trash midden (refuse heap), where broken tools (made of bone, stone, or shell)were tossed, and where discarded food was thrown. She noticed the rabbit stop and begin nibbling at the many new, green shoots sprouting across one side of the midden. She walked over to look, and she saw that some of last year's discarded dried fruits were growing. Surprised and interested, she called her sister 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 sedentary but was now nomadic, looking for good places to settle for a season and grow crops.
B)The group had been traders in stone tools and were now traders in simple agricultural implements and seeds.
C)The group had been nomadic, moving frequently to gather wild foods and hunt, but are now more sedentary, growing crops.
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 very warlike and were now more peaceful, tending their lands.

Question 38

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

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

Question 39

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

Question 40

Erosion can result in a vicious cycle of worsening erosion because .

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

Question 41

Describe the Dust Bowl and the lesson learned.

Question 42

Match the following.

A)E horizon
B)soil
C)dirt
D)A horizon
E)horizon
F)intercropping
G)shelterbelts
H)rangeland
I)parent material
J)profile
The fundamental geological material for soils in a particular area

Question 43

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

Question 44

Match the following.

A)E horizon
B)soil
C)dirt
D)A horizon
E)horizon
F)intercropping
G)shelterbelts
H)rangeland
I)parent material
J)profile
Lands used for grazing livestock

Question 45

Discuss the practices used by farmers to protect their soils.

Question 46

Match the following.

A)E horizon
B)soil
C)dirt
D)A horizon
E)horizon
F)intercropping
G)shelterbelts
H)rangeland
I)parent material
J)profile
Alternating bands of different types of vegetation planted across a slope

Question 47

Match the following.

A)E horizon
B)soil
C)dirt
D)A horizon
E)horizon
F)intercropping
G)shelterbelts
H)rangeland
I)parent material
J)profile
A cross section of soil, from surface to bedrock

Question 48

Briefly describe the successes of the Malpai Borderlands restoration project.

Question 49

Match the following.

A)E horizon
B)soil
C)dirt
D)A horizon
E)horizon
F)intercropping
G)shelterbelts
H)rangeland
I)parent material
J)profile
The layer below the O horizon in an idealized profile

Question 50

Describe the goals and effects of industrial agriculture.