6.E.2.3. Soil, rock types and environment

A plant that needs well-drained soil would grow best in soil made mostly of

• Silt
• Clay
• Sand
• Humus

A student identifies a soil sample as “very gritty.” What characteristic of the soil did the student describe?

• Texture
• Hardness
• Organic Content
• Water retention

How do the nutrients necessary for plant growth get into the soil?

• The soil absorbs sunlight.
• Water filters through the soil.
• Organic matter is decayed in the soil.
• The soil is exposed to air.

The iron in iron-rich red soils may not be in a form that can be taken up by tree roots. As a result, leaves and needles may look yellow. Some trees release acids that convert iron in soil to a usable form. This change in soil chemistry is a type of which process?

• deposition
• weathering
• precipitation
• photosynthesis

The texture of soil depends primarily on the

• mass of the soil.
• water in the soil.
• composition of the soil.
• vegetation growing in the soil.
  

Which of these particles, when found in soil, contributes most to the water retention in soil?

• gravel
• sand
• silt
• clay

What is the source of the organic matter needed for most fertile soils?

• moving water
• eroded sand
• decaying plants
• weathered bedrock

Which property best indicates that soil contains nutrients?

• texture
• color
• amount of sand
• amount of clay

If soil is permeable

• water cannot flow through it.
• water easily flows through it.
• it contains many minerals.
• it contains few minerals.

Which is considered a property of soil?

• streak
• fracture
• texture
• luster