Soil Formation & Human Impact

What is the foundation for biodiversity and food security?

• Decaying organic matter

• Rock particles

• Living organisms

• Healthy soil

What are the three factors that most affect biomes and also have a high impact on weathering and erosion?

• Temperature, precipitation, and vegetation

• Temperature, precipitation, and humidity

• Temperature, precipitation, and wind speed

• Temperature, precipitation, and soil texture

What is the process of losing minerals through the top layer of soil by percolating precipitation called?

• Deposition

• Leaching

• Erosion

• Weathering

Which soil type is best used for farming due to its high fertility and ideal texture?

• Clay

• Loam

• Silt

• Sand

What is the process of churning the soil between harvesting last crop and planting new crop called?

• Tilling

• Fertilizing

• Plowing

• Irrigation

What is the main impact of industrialized livestock on soil erosion?

• Decreases porosity, and therefore, permeability

• Decreases water retention, and therefore, permeability

• Increases porosity, and therefore, permeability

• Increases water retention, and therefore, permeability

What is the process of planting parallel to the topographic contours of the land to reduce wind and water erosion called?

• Contour farming

• Strip-cropping

• Terrace farming

• Agroforestry

What is the main impact of deforestation, construction, and mining on soil erosion?

• Decreases habitat loss, increasing biodiversity

• Increases soil erosion, destabilizing soil

• Decreases sediment pollution, increasing turbidity in local waters

• Increases vegetation, stabilizing soil

What is the main purpose of no-till farming in reducing topsoil erosion?

• Retains soil moisture

• Decreases beneficial soil microbes

• Increases carbon emissions

• Decreases soil moisture retention

What is the main impact of salination on soil and agriculture?

• Decreases plant dehydration and irrigation

• Increases water infiltration and percolation

• Decreases nutrient accumulation in soil

• Increases plant dehydration and irrigation