Soil Test Review

1. Soil Test Review 2013-2014

2. There is a layer of water under the soil. • Soil - dirt has always been here. • River valleys were created by earthquakes or movements of the earth. • Mountains and valleys have always been on Earth. • Water comes on shore as waves and evaporates. • Streams flow because of the wind, fish, boats. • Water moves because fish move • River channels were there before the water and the water just follows them not creates them. • Underground streams are like above ground only no fish. • Earthquakes made cracks for rivers. • Dinosaurs made holes for oceans, Paul Bunyan, really big snake, supernatural, • Mountains by avalanches, tornado piled up dirt. • Glaciers retreat. Turn and go in the opposite direction. Instead of melt. • Rocks are stronger than the forces of nature (water, wind, ice). • Rocks can only be changed by a blow of a hammer or other powerful object. • Soil is the precursor of rocks. It changes from soil to clay to rock. Rock is a hard solid material. • Rocks are uniform inside. • Soil or dirt can be used up and never replaced. • Soil is very deep - miles. • Soil is made of plants and animals. • Lava comes from the center of the Earth. Student Misconceptions about Soil

3. Topsoil is composed of • Rock, soil, air and water with organic matter. • A combination of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. • Sand, silt and clay • Subsoil, parent material and bedrock.

4. Organic matter • Sand, silt, clay • Decomposes into nutrients which help plants grow. • Is the only component of soil • Does not help plants grow

5. Organic matter decomposes/breaks down into • Nitrous oxide, phosphates and potash • Bedrock and parent material • Weathering and erosion • Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium

6. Soil that is rich in organic matter has a high degree of • Minerals • Moisture • Nutrients • Sand

7. When earthworms add their wastes to the soil, then die and decay in the soil, they are contributing to the formation of • Silt • Organic Matter • Litter • Clay

8. Decomposers are the soil organisms that…. • Store moisture in the soil • Burrow deep below the topsoil. • Make spaces in the soil for air and water • Break down and digest the remains of dead organisms

9. In which soil horizon would you find loam that is rich in humus? • Horizon A • Horizon B • Horizon C • Horizon D

10. The best type of soil for plants to grow in is called • Sand • Silt • Clay • Loam

11. Loam is composed of • Mostly clay • Sand and gravel • Nearly equal amounts of sand, silt and clay • Pure humus

12. Soil begins to form when the solid layer of rock called _____________weathers. • Parent material • Loam • Humus • Bedrock

13. Most decomposers will be found in this soil layer. • Bedrock • Parent material • Subsoil • Topsoil

14. Soil decomposers include • Bacteria and fungi • Earthworms and cattle • Crayfish and antelope • Snails and bears

15. Has topsoil always been present on Earth? • Yes, the Earth has always looked just like it does now. • Yes, it was necessary to grow dinosaur food. • No, There was lots more soil that needed to solidify into rocks under great heat and pressure. • No, when Earth formed it was all rock and water, and it took some weathering for rocks to break down, then organic matter and decomposers evolved to create soil

16. The numbers on a bag of manufactured fertilizer represent the amount of • Nitrous oxide, phosphates and potash • Sand, silt and clay • Weathered rock, bedrock and organic material • Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium

17. When it rains, the soil holds water well and becomes moist and sticky. The soil probably contains a large amount of ________. • Sand • Wilt • Clay • Pebbles

18. If you were to throw a handful of sand, a handful of silt and a handful of clay into a river, which particle would settle out to the bottom first? • Sand • Silt • Clay • Organic matter

19. Which of the following processes most directly helps create soil from rocks? • Plate tectonics • Pressure • Melting • Weathering

20. Which of the following would increase the rate of weathering? • Increasing rainfall • Increasing temperature • Increasing organic activity • All of the above