Soil Worksheet-2

Soil Worksheet-2

1. The process of removal topsoil by running water and wind is known as

(a) Leaching                                  (b) Degradation

(c) Soil erosion                              (d) Soil pollution

2. Which of the following cause soil pollution?

(a) Insecticides

(b) Manure

(c) Fertilisers

(d) Both Insecticides and Fertilisers

3. The dead remains of plants and animals form

(a) Organic substances

(b) Humus

(c) Inorganic substances

(d) Both Organic substances and Humus

4. The weathered rock in soil profile is

(a) Bedrock                                    (b) Parent rock

(c) D-horizon                                 (d) All of these

5. From which of the following type of rocks do caves are most likely to form?

(a)  basalt                                       (b) sandstone

(c) limestone                                 (d) granite

6. Red or yellow soils generally are created by the presence of:

(a) calcium                                    (b)  iron oxides

(c) organic colloids                      (d) magnesium

7. Dissolving a rock in acid is the equivalent of:

(a) erosion

(b) mechanical weathering

(c)  chemical weathering

8. Why is it important to apply nitrogen fertilizer at an appropriate time of year?

(a) During winter, nitrate is more easily leached from the soil when there is no vegetation cover

(b) Fertilizer requires a threshold level of soil water to work

(c) Fertilizer is more expensive during certain months of the year

(d) The fertilizer only works above 10 ºC

9. Which of the following is not an example of the soil forming process, "additions"?

(a) plant litter accumulation in the O horizon

(b) clay accumulation in the B horizon

(c)  dust deposited on the soil surface

(d) salt left behind by the evaporation of salt-laden groundwater

10. As an igneous rock weathers in a humid climate, the soil formed has lower concentrations of Ca and Mg than the rock. Which of the following accounts for the reduced concentrations of these elements in the soil?

(a) When primary minerals break down, the Ca and Mg released either remain dissolved in the weathering solution or form relatively soluble secondary minerals such as dolomite or gypsum.

(b) Chemical weathering turns the Ca and Mg into oxides that are highly  resistant to further breakdown.

(c) Plants take up most of the Ca and Mg that are released by weathering,  causing the soil to become depleted in these elements.

(d) Heat and hydrolysis cause much of the Ca and Mg to volatilize into the  atmosphere.

Answer Key:

1. (c)
2. (a)
3. (b)
4. (d)
5. (c)
6. (b)
7. (c)
8. (a)
9. (b)
10. (a)