Soil Science WEB Exam 4-- Fall 2007-- Dept. of Soil, Water and Climate
Directions 1. There is ONE BEST answer per question. 2.Place your answers on answer sheet, you only need to turn in the answer sheet .
Name __________________________________
1.________ 2._______ 3._________ 4._______ 5.______ 6._______ 7._________ 8._______
9.______ 10._______ 11. _________ 12.________ 13.______ 14.________ 15._________
total________
Soil Forming Factors
15 Questions
1. The following diagram shows a soil that represents the valley floor. The investigation of this soil will discover the properties of a soil ___.
a) body b) pedon c) monolith. d) layers
2. The soil horizons in the soilscape above developed from the parent material after ___?___
a) the weathering of rocks and minerals
b) biologic activity has taken place in the parent material.
c) clay, sand, and silt have formed in the parent material.
d) additions, losses , translocations, and transformations have acted on the parent material.
3. If we were to compare the major soil groups of Minnesota to the major soil groups of soils in Georgia (SE USA), the intensity of the soil forming factors are different. If it takes 150 years for one centimeter of soil to form in Minnesota from alluvial sediments, how long would it take for one centimeter of soil to form near Atlanta Georgia from similar texture of alluvial sediments? HINT: The climate for Atlanta is temperate. Extremely cold temperatures are infrequent in Atlanta. Snowfall is also very rare. The wettest months are January and March with summer thunderstorms during a brief rainy season in July. Summers are usually warm and humid. Total precipitation is near 50 inches per year.
a) 50 years
b) 150 years
c) 300 years
d) 5000 years
4. A leaching index in Minnesota is a way to show the intensity of climate on soil horizon formation. If a soil has depth of carbonates at 20 inches and a leaching index of 10 we would expect that a soil with a leaching index of __?__ would have depths of carbonates at __?__.
a) 15......50.
b) 15....30
c) 5......15
d) 30.....30
5. The forested areas of Minnesota occur in the east where precipitation is greater than in the west. Thus, most forest soils have a surface morphology of _____ and a subsoil morphology of ____________ when compared to prairie soils.
a) thin organic surface horizons ......... thin non textural profile B horizons
b) thick, moderately dark surface under a thin light colored horizon ....... thick, minimal illuviation of clay and iron horizons
c) thin, high organic mineral surface layer above a thick light colored horizon....... thick, textural profile B horizons
d) thick, black organic layer ........thick, light colored zones of eluviation.
6. On this native
vegetation map of Minnesota the orange color represents:
a) dominant big woods forest cover
b) dominant prairie-border vegetative cover
c) dominant peatland plants vegetative cover.
d) dominant mixed pine forest cover.
7. The soil profiles A, B, C represent three specific types of vegetation as a soil forming factor. Which soil formed under the influence of prairie native vegetation.
a) Soil A
b) Soil B
c) Soil C
d) All of them
8. The texture of the parent materials for each soil is A=Loamy Sand; B=Sand; C=Gravelly Sandy Clay Loam. Match the Parent materials with the Soils. T=Glacial Till; O=Outwash; L=Loess; W=Lacustrine.
a) A=T, B=O, C=W
b) A=O, B=O, C=T
c) A=W, B=T, C=L
d) A=L,B=W,C=T.
9. Two of the soils A, B, C developed in a landscape position of summit or backslope: This would most likely be soils ___?___
a) Soil A & B
b) Soil A & C
c) Soil B & C
10. The parent material for this soil (10) was deposited about 15,000 years before present in SE Minnesota. What is it?
a) loess
b) alluvium
c) colluvium
d) Des Moines Lobe Glacial Till
11. The road in front of Borlaug Hall on the St. Paul Campus, was dug up in the summer of 2004. The soil pit looked like this. What is the parent material for the soil that is in front of Borlaug Hall?
a) Loess
b) Outwash
c) Glacial Till
d) Bedrock
12. This soil from New Mexico is much older than any soil in Minnesota. The soil morphology clues that indicate it is old would be_______.
a) light colored A indicating loss of organic matter.
b) illuvial clay horizon
c) illuvial horizon that is cemented by carbonates.
d) no E horizon due to total eluviation
13. This is a surficial geology map of southern Minnesota. The parent material for the soils found at the -->(light blue) would be ___?_____ .
a) Lacustrine
b) Outwash
c) Loess
d) Des Moines Lobe Glacial Till
14. The soil in the picture has a parent material that is calcareous. The soil is most likely found in area __?___(A,B,C,D) on the Surficial Geology Map of question # 13
a) A ; b) B; c)C ; d) D
15. The parent material for the soil in the picture(15) is most likely __?__.
a ) Residual -Bedrock
b) Outwash
c) Lacustrine & Des Moines Lobe Glacial Till
d) Loess
