Soil Lab Quiz-ish Thing

If a sample of wet soil has a mass of 100g and a sample of dry soil has a mass of 75g, what is the water-holding capacity of the soil?

• 25%
• 33%
• 75%
• 42%

What are two factors that can increase the water holding capacity of soil?

• More sand and less silt
• More humus and more clay
• Fewer minerals and fewer organisms
• More clay and less water

Which of the following soil samples has the most decomposed organic matter?

• A
• B
• C
• D

Which soil is composed of 35% clay, 55% silt, and 10% sand?

• Sandy clay
• Silty clay
• Silty clay loam
• Clay loam

A soil that has a high percentage of __________ is able to form a long ribbon during soil testing.

• Sand
• Silt
• Clay
• Loam

A soil that has a relatively even mixture of all three mineral particle sizes is known as a ___________.

• Loam
• Humus
• Hydrosol
• Peat

An increase in which soil mineral particle will increase the water permeability of soil?

• Clay
• Silt
• Sand
• Loam

What is one soil characteristic that parent material can help to determine?

• Amount of humus
• Rate of decomposition
• Soil pH
• Depth of soil horizons

Why might soil water holding capacity increase in summer?

• Rate of decomposition increases and adds more organic matter
• It doesn't.  Capacity never changes.  This is a lie.
• More sand is converted to clay in the summer
• Higher temperatures lead to decreased porosity

Which of the following images represents the reason temperate grasslands have such deep, nutrient-rich topsoil?

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