Hot Arid and Semi Arid Environments 10.3 and 10.4

What is the main cause of physiological drought?

• High precipitation rates

• Low evapotranspiration rates

• High evapotranspiration rates

• Low soil moisture availability

What does salinisation refer to?

• The spread of desert-like conditions

• The concentration of saline salts in the upper horizon of soil

• The decline in quantity and quality of soil

• The movement of moisture upwards within the soil profile

Which term describes the decline in quantity and quality of soil?

• Desertification

• Salinisation

• Soil Degradation

• Upward capillary movement

What is the purpose of planting trees (afforestation) in soil management?

• To increase soil temperature

• To bind soil and provide protective cover to reduce soil erosion and retain soil moisture

• To decrease soil pH levels

• To increase soil salinity

What is a zai pit in soil management?

• A line of stones laid on contours of sloping farmland

• A half moon shape which seedlings are planted within

• Holes filled with organic material to plant crops in

• Shaping of the ground to reduce soil erosion

What is the main characteristic of appropriate technology in farming?

• High-tech farming methods

• Low-tech farming methods

• Suitable to meet the needs and available resources of the region, country, and its people

• Expensive and complex machinery

What is the purpose of terracing and contour-ploughing?

• To increase soil temperature

• To reduce soil erosion through runoff down the slope

• To increase soil salinity

• To decrease soil pH levels

What does permaculture involve?

• High-tech farming methods

• Integrating agriculture with nature, such as crops interspersed with trees

• Low-tech farming methods

• Expensive and complex machinery

What is the main purpose of building semi-circular 'demi-loons'?

• To increase soil temperature

• To reduce runoff and help keep more water in the soil

• To increase soil salinity

• To decrease soil pH levels

What is the definition of desertification?

• The concentration of saline salts in the upper horizon of soil

• The spread of desert-like conditions causing land degradation in humid and semi-arid areas

• The decline in quantity and quality of soil

• The movement of moisture upwards within the soil profile