Vocabulary #1
What is Mechanical Weathering?
a. the rough red substance that damages the surface of iron and steel
b. the process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off
c. the breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, and tree roots, with no chemical alteration
d. the breakdown of rocks by chemical reactions that change the rocks' makeup, or composition
c. the breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, and tree roots, with no chemical alteration
What is humus?
a. a scientist who studies the history and life of Earth, especially, as recorded in rocks
b. a very small living thing that can only be seen with a microscope
c. a substance in food that plants and animals need to live and grow
d. the decayed plants and leaves in soil
d. the decayed plants and leaves in soil
Which of the following is NOT a type of mechanical weathering?
a. ice wedging
b. abrasion
c. pressure release
d. dissolving
d. dissolving
Which is true of a soil profile?
a. Different locations can have different soil profiles
b. Soil profiles are the same in any location
c. The A horizon is thick in any location
d. There are always three horizons ina ny location
a. Different locations can have different soil profiles
Which is NOT one of the four properties of soil?
a. texture
b. chemistry
c. pore space
d. climate
d. climate
What is weathering?
a. to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end
b. the process by which natural forces break down rocks
c. the ground at the bottom of a river
d. the process of wearing something down by friction
b. the process by which natural forces break down rocks
What is till?
a. to permit animals to graze vegetational cover excessively, to the detriment of the vegetation
b. to prepare land for growing crops, especially by plowing
c. to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time
d. the process by which land becomes a desert
b. to prepare land for growing crops, especially by plowing
Which is involved in both mechanical and chemical weathering?
a. water
b. air
c. iron
d. plants
a. water
Which is NOT a type of soil that forms in different climate regions?
a. tropical
b. desert
c. dry
d. temperate
c. dry
a. crop rotation
b. desertification
c. contour plowing
d. windbreaks
b. desertification
What is exfoliation?
a. the breakdown of rocks and minerals by physical agents such as frost, wind, adn tree roots, with no chemical alteration
b. the breakdown of rocks by chemical reactions that change the rocks' makeup, or composition
c. the process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off
d. the rouch red substance that damages the surface of iron and steel
c. the process in which layers or sheets of rock gradually break off
What is contour plowing?
a. a method of plowing in which the furrows are plowed across, rather than up and down a slope, in order to prevent soil erosion
b. something such as a fence or group of trees that protects an area from the wind
c. a flat area on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops
d. the process by which land becomes a desert
a. a method of plowing in which the furrows are plowed across, rather than up and down a slope, in order to prevent soil erosion
How is chemical weathering different from mechanical weathering?
a. Chemical weathering changes the composition of the rock
b. Chemical weathering does not change the composition of the rock
c. Chemical weathering can be dangerous
d. Chemical weathering recreates rock
a. Chemical weathering changes the composition of the rock
Why does a valley tend to have more plants than the mountain?
a. There are more animals in the valley
b. There is more rainfall in the valley
c. The mountains cannot grow plants
d. During rainfall, nutrients are washed down from the mountains into the valleys
d. During rainfall, nutrients are washed down from the mountains into the valleys
What do all the properties of soil affect?
a. the spacing between the soil
b. how water and air move through the soil
c. how it feels in your hand
d. the color
b. how water and air move through the soil
What is abrasion?
a. the process of wearing something down by friction
b. the process by which natural forces break down rocks
c. to roll over and over, to and fro, or end over end
d. the ground at the bottom of a river
a. the process of wearing something down by friction
What does sustain mean?
a. the process by which land becomes a desert
b. to prepare land for growing crops, especially by plowing
c. to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time
d. to permit animals to graze vegetational cover excessively, to the detriment of the vegetation
c. to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time
What is the main cause of chemical weathering?
a. water
b. air
c. carbon dioxide
d. iron
a. water
How do plants help the soil?
a. Decomposed plants become humus, or nutrients in soil
b. Plants give back energy to soil while growing
c. Plants help dig holes and put air into the soil with roots
d. Plants give out nitrogen
a. Decomposed plants become humus, or nutrients in soil
What is similar about terracing and contour plowing?
a. they both reduce the amount of plowing
b. they both use different crops to restore nutrients
c. they both involve trees
d. they are both used on sloping land
d. they are both used on sloping land
What is soil profile?
a. a cross section of soil layers that displays all soil horizons
b. sand, dirt, and very small rocks that are carried from one place to another by moving water
c. the amount of acid in a substance, such as food, water, or dirt
d. a soil layer with physical and chemical properties that differ from those of the layer above or below it
a. a cross section of soil layers that displays all soil horizons
What are terraces?
a. a flow of water or chemicals from one place to another, especially one that damages the environment
b. a method of plowing in which the furrows are plowed across, rather than up and down a slope, in order to prevent soil erosion
c. something such as a fence or group of trees that protects an area from the wind
d. a flat area created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops
d. a flat area created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops
How is C horizon different from A horizon?
a. C horizon has the least-weathered rock particles
b. C horizon has the most microorganisms
c. C horizon has more nutrients
d. C horizon has more water
a. C horizon has the least-weathered rock particles
Why are microorganisms good for soil?
a. They provide oxygen to plants
b. They provide stability to the plants
c. They provide nitrogen to plants
d. They help larger animals to grow
c. They provide nitrogen to plants
In dry regions, what can overgrazing and clearing of land for farming lead to?
a. crop rotation
b. plowing
c. tillage
d. desertification
d. desertification