Q.1
Which of the following is a method of soil conservation?
  • Planting hedges
  • Terraces
  • Contour plowing
  • Slash and burn agriculture
Q.2
Heavy machinery often leads to soil compaction. How does soil compaction lead to soil erosion?
  • The solid soil is removed in blocks rather than in small amounts
  • The solid soil prevents water from percolating into the soil and increases surface runoff
  • The compacted soils will be lower and encourage water to pool and soil to be washed away
  • The machines remove large amounts of soil on their tire treads
Q.3
What type of erosion occurs when moderate rainfall on bare soil removes the topsoil down-slope?
  • Sheet Erosion
  • Gully Erosion
  • Wind Erosion
  • Salinisation
Q.4
Where do most nutrients in soils come from?
  • Broken down rocks
  • Decaying organic matter
  • Rain fall
  • Volcanic eruptions
Q.5
What is the danger of soil being left bare in hot, dry zones?
  • Desertification as the soil blows away, leaving only the heavier sand grains
  • Weeds will grow rampant, preventing crops from growing
  • Build up of dry soils as the bare patch spreads
  • The nutrients will be leached away by the Sun
Q.6
What happens to the soil when salinisation occurs?
  • During storms, sea water washes in and contaminates plants
  • Salts and other minerals are washed out of the soil during heavy rains
  • Water evaporates in high temperatures drawing salts from the soil to the surface
  • Flood water removes all the other soil particles except salt
Q.7
Nomadic tribespeople are becoming more sedentary, leading to over cultivation. How is over cultivation defined?
  • Not planting enough crops to allow the soil to be protected from the rain
  • Planting more crops than can be watered, leading to death of some of the crops
  • The excessive use of farmland to the point where productivity falls due to soil exhaustion or land degradation
  • Adding too much fertilizer, leading to eutrophication of the streams and waterways.
Q.8
On many islands and in some nature reserves, goats are being removed and banned. How does removing goats and similar grazing animals reduce soil erosion?
  • Goats tend to move around a lot, stirring up soil and leaving it open to erosion
  • Goats will often overgraze areas and remove all vegetation, leaving bare earth
  • The excess organic matter from the goats' droppings leads to pockets of rapid plant growth
  • Goats discourage other animals that may help the plants to grow
Q.9
What form of erosion occurs when intense rainfall cuts small streams into slopes in areas with little or no vegetation cover?
  • Sheet Erosion
  • Gully Erosion
  • Wind Erosion
  • Salinisation
Q.10
When a field is plowed, why is it best to plow at right angles to the slope?
  • Plowing parallel can lead to machines toppling over
  • Plowing at right angles to the slope improves plants' chances at getting equal sunlight
  • Plowing parallel to the slope draws the soil downhill
  • Plowing parallel to the slope can increase gully erosion
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