Homework Chapter 8: Soils
Name
_________________________ Date _____
1. The process
of ___________ not only causes the loss of soil fertility, but is a major
contributor to nutrient enrichment of rivers and streams.
2. The original
source of soil nutrients comes from _______________.
3. Water
infiltration and aeration of the soil are very good with _______ particle size
and worsen as the size ___________.
4. Soil
water-holding capacity decreases as particle size increases.
a. True
b. False
5. Soil
organisms support plant growth by releasing nutrients found in the
_______________.
6. Salinization is considered a contributing factor in
____________.
7. Converting a
hillside from forest to grassland can as much as _______ the amount of runoff
and erosion of topsoil.
8. Hydrophonics is the culture of plants without soil.
a. True
b.
False
9. One of the
few benefits of erosion is the addition of sediments to surface waters. This is
good for ________ and ________because the sediments provide a substrate for
bottom-dwelling organisms to grow on.
10. Plant and
animal wastes applied to a field are a type of _____ fertilizer while chemical formulations
that supply nutrients are termed _____ fertilizers.
11. Soils made
up of a mixture of approximately 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay would be
called _____.
12. A residue
of organic matter that remains in the upper layers of soil for a time is called
_____.
13. Eroded soil
that fills and clogs stream channels is known as _____.
14. Alternating
a legume crop with a non-legume crop is a practice known as _____ _____.
15. What
practices should be put into place to assure that sustainable agriculture is
followed?
16. How are
increased runoff/erosion and ground water resource depletion related to each
other?
17. Explain the
basic objectives of "sustainable agriculture."
18. Compare and
contrast the properties of sandy soils and clay soils. Why is loam considered
to be the best kind of soil for agriculture?
19. Describe 4
ways by which plowing is harmful to soil.
20. Why is the
conversion of agricultural land to urban or otherwise "developed"
land so difficult to slow down in the
21-26
Using
Fig 8-3 Match the soil horizons (A,B,C,E,O) with the soil characteristics
below:
__ contains the parent mineral material
__ contains the dead organic matter
__ topsoil
__ humus
__ lost by erosion
27.
The
three basic ingredients in productive topsoil are:
28.
Three
mineral nutrients required by plants are:
29.
The
amount of water that is actually available to plants depends on:
(3 items)
30.
pH is a measure of _____________________.
31.
The
first trophic level of the food web in soil
ecosystems is:
32.
What
factors can soil organisms contribute to overall soil quality?
33-36 indicate as contour (A)
strip cropping (B) shelter belts (C) or terracing (d) refer to fig 8-19
33.
planting
rows of trees
34.
plowing
and cultivating at right angles to slopes
35.
planting
alternative strips of grass between corn
36.
grading
slopes into a series of steps
37-40
Match
the Agriculture program with its description
37.
Conservation
Reserve Program
38.
Food
Security Act
39.
LISA
40.
Federal
Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act
A.
Farmers
paid to put erodible land into conservation
B.
Farmers
required to develop and implement soil conservation
C.
Encourage
alternative farming methods
D.
Farmers
have increased control with market demands