Previous Exam Questions
1. The age of the oldest rocks on earth, determined by radio active element dating, is:
a. 7 days b. 4.6 X 106 years C. 4.6 X 109 years
d. 4.6 X 1010 years e. not well known for sure.2. Which mineral is known to be a rich supply "P" to living organisms?
A. Apatite
3. List the elements plants require for completing their life cycle.A. C HOPKNS CaFe MG B Mn CuZn Mo's Cl
4. The only means humanity has for feeding a rapidly expanding population in the future is to:
a. take measures to curb population growth
B. place more land into production or obtain higher yields per acre
c. harvest more food from the ocean
d. establish an equitable food distribution system
e. train more young people to become farmers.5. An essential element is any element required by a plant or animal
to __A. complete their life cycle__.
6. What is the major distinguishing characteristic of intrusive rocks? A.mineral grain size7. Which of the following would not be considered a primary mineral
formed from the cooling of magma:
a. biotite b. orthoclase C. kaolin clay d. apatite e. augite8. All of the following rocks are igneous in origin except:
a. pumice b. scoria c. basalt d. granite E. quartzite9. The only metamorphic rock in the following list is:
A. slate b. obsidian c. dolomite d. shale e. travertine10. Which of the following is considered to be a sedimentary rock?
a. slate b. schist c. scoria D. shale e. marble
11. The texture of young soils forming from a loess parent material will most likely be ___A.__Silt Loam_________ .12. The number of essential elements required for the nutrition of animals is:
a. 16 b. 26 c. 11 D. 25 e. 34
13. Which statement is not true for soil color
a. the color of soil is described by hue, value, and chroma
b. adding water to dry soil causes the value to decrease.
C. well drained soils often have very low chromas
d. iron oxides and humus generally control soil color
e. poorly drained soils often have very low chromas14. Which expression cannot be used to describe density?
a. pounds/gallon b. kilograms/cubic meter
c. kilograms/hectare-furrow-slice D. tbs./cup e. pounds/bushel15. Change 1600kg/m3 to g/cm3. (kg = 103g, m = 102cm)
a. 0.16 B. 1.6 c. 16 d. 160 e. 160016. Modern man has been on Earth for about 2.5 X 105 years. When the age of the Earth is compared to humanity's age, the Earth is how many more times older than mankind.
A. 18,400 b. 4.6 million c. 46 million d. 250 thousand
e. 4.6 billion17. A symmetrical rock peak is 281 meters in elevation. The slope from the base to the top of the peak is 27%, therefore the distance through the peak at its base must be about how many meters?
A. 2080 ft.
18. When the pH of water is changed from 3.6 to 8.6 the H+ concentration
changes by a factor of: ____A. 100,000___________
19. Express 32,000 PPM to parts per 100. A. 3.2
20. Which list contains all plant essential elements?
A. Ca, Zn, B, S, P b. K, O, Mg, F, N c. P, Cl, Mo, Ni, C
d. Sn, Si ,I, As, Se e. Si, K, Mn, Cr, Cu21 List the essential elements required by animals and not by plants.
I Cr F Si Se As NiCo Sn Na
22. Which of the following is not a chemical weathering process ?
a. carbonation b. solution C. transformations d. hydrolysis e. hydration23. The oldest soil among these profiles is:
a. Ap b. A C. O d. A e. O
Bt Bx A Cr A
C AII E R Bt
Cr C B Cr
R R C R24. Find the weight, in metric tons, of a cubic meter of solid quartzite if it has a density of 2.7g/cm3 . A. 2.7 b. 2700 c. 27,000 d. 0.27 e. 270
25. The state rock of California is: a. granite b. dacite c. travertine
D. serpentinite e.quartzite26. Till deposits are most often associated with: a. mass wasting
b. deserts C. glaciers d. historic lakes e. colluvium27. Alluvium is a soil parent material always associated with:
a. glaciers b. dunes c. lakes D. streams e. moraines28. Lacustrine parent materials for soils are associated with:
a. avalanches b. mudflows c. soil creep d. basalt flows
E. ancient lake beds29. A landscape feature classified as eolian in origin is :
a. talus b. till C. dunes d. moraines e. erratics30. When water expands upon freezing it exerts a force of 146 kg/cm2.
The same force expressed in tons/ ft2 is: (1 kg = 2.2 lb, 1ft = 30.48 cm)
a. 322 B. 149 c. 280 d. 1490 e. 146031. Which statement is not true for chemical weathering:
a. Chemical weathering has caused the ocean to become salty.
B. Chemical weathering will occur less rapidly in loess than in dune sand.
c. Carbonation takes place whenever water, carbon dioxide and earth materials come into contact.
d. In wet climates, a well drained soil favors chemical weathering
e. Natural plant nutrition is highly dependent upon chemical weathering.32. As chemical weathering takes place which of the following happens:
a. iron looses electrons and becomes reddish in color
b. plants begin to grow and thus speeding up weathering processes
c. hydration of minerals increases
d. hydrolysis results in the formation of new minerals
E. all of the above processes33. From the list which is the soil forming factor:
a. climate B. carbonation c. translocations d. transformations
e. saltation34. Select the statement that best describes a condition that would slow the soil development process:
a. high rainfall and a warm climate
b. well drained parent material on a level slope
C. steep slopes in an arid climate
d. high rainfall in a cold climate
e. a parent material free of lime and salts35. Select the statement that best describes mollisols
a. developed primarily from volcanic ash
b. are young and have poor horizon development
c. are sandy leached soils found in cool coniferous forests
d. are excessively weathered with few original minerals remaining
E. have high humus and nutrient content from forming under grasslands36. The most common soil order in California deserts is:
A. Aridisols b. Mollisols c. Vertisols d. Spodosols e. Ultisols37. The soil horizon from this list that is most likely to form last would be the:
a. Cr B. Bt c. O d. Ap e. Cg38. Choose, from the list, the most highly weathered soil:
a. mollisol b. ultisol c. inceptisol d. aridisol E. oxisol39. When soil becomes wet the component of color most affected is the :
a. HueB. Value c. Chroma d. purity e. shade40. The soil order most commonly found on the prairies of Nebraska is:
A. mollisol b. ultisol c. inceptisol d. aridisol e. alfisol41. When a 4 cm cube is cut into eight equally sized smaller cubes the new surface area exposed will be:
a. 8 cm2 b. 96 cm2 C. 192 cm2 d. 24 cm2 e. 64 cm342. The length of edges on the original cube above subtracted from the length of edges of all the small cubes is: A. 144
43. The soil horizon most susceptible to being reduced is :
a. Bx b. Ap C. Cg d. Bt e. E44. The soil horizon most susceptible to being oxidized is the:
a. Bx B. Ap c. Cx d. Bt e. E45. The well drained nutrient rich soil order most commonly found on volcanic ash deposits is: a. Entisol B. Andisol c. Aridisol
d. Mollisol e. Ultisol46. Find the grams of clay in a dry soil sample weighing 121.0 grams if the sample contains 23.0 grams of sand and 54% silt. A. 32.7g
47. Compaction of soil by vehicle wheel traffic will have the greatest effect on:
a. soil color b. soil texture c. soil depth D. soil structure e. soil microbes48. The number of individual soils in California is about :
A. 1,000 b. 1700 c. 10,700 d. 450 e. 450049. The rate of soil formation is about one inch per acre per year. Find the volume of soil, in cubic feet, formed per year per acre. (Ac. = 43560 ft2 , 12 in. = 1 ft)
A. 3630 b. 43,560 c. 62.4 d. 362.8 e. 477350. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. If a space ship can travel at a speed of 100 miles per second, what time, in years, is needed to travel by space ship to Tau Ceti, the nearest star that might have an earth like planet? Tau Ceti is 10 light-years away.
a. 18,600 b. 186,000 c. 1,860 d. 18.6 E. 66,90051. Which of the following is not a process in soil horizon development?
a. losses b. transformations c. transfers D. altercations e. additions
Consider the following information and answer the next 4 questions.
A 95 gram sample of dry soil was found to contain 45 grams of sand
and 8% clay. The volume of the sample is 50 cm352. The grams of clay in the sample are:
a. 16 b. 8 c. 4 D. 7.6 e. 3.653. The percent sand in the sample is:
a. 22.8 b. 45 c. 60 d. 35 E. 4754. The grams of silt in the sample are:
a. 45.0 b. 22.4 c. 44.7 D. 42.7 e. 21.855. This sample of soil has a B.D. value of:
a. 2.65 B. 1.90 c. 0.57 d. 1.35 e. 1.4756. Identify the structureless term from the following list:
a. platy b. blocky C. massive d. granular e. columnar57. Water flow rate through soil (percolation) is controlled primarily
by: a. stratification b. structure c. humus d. slope E. pore size58. For the equation below the value of "X" must be:
0.42 = X - 345/652
a. 319.4 b. 226.8 c. 145.2 d. 580.6 E. 0.9559. The depth of soil, having a B.D. of 1.66 g/cm3, brought from 4% moisture at air dry to
18% moisture (F.C.) by a 5.6 cm irrigation is:
a. 22.4 B. 24.4 c. 19.8 d. 10.5 e. 32.960. A soil that retains 3.6 cm of available water should be irrigated at
what interval in days if the allowable depletion is 45% and ET is
0.3 cm/day.
a. 11 b. 6 c. 7 d. 10 E. 561. When the Consumptive Use of water for growing melons is 6.0
acre-ft and the yield is 16 tons, the Transpiration Ratio is:
( water = 62.4 lbs/cubic ft. or 1.00g/cm3, acre = 43,560 ft2)
a. 560 B. 509 c. 708 d. 641 e. 48862. A 1865 gram sample of O.D soil contains 34% water when saturated
and has a B.D. of 1.25g/cm3. The wet weight of the sample at saturation must be:
a. 1230.9 B. 2499.1 c. 1654.3 d. 1399.3 e.1933.263. What methods do plants use to obtain water from soil?
64. The "Law of the Minimum" is attributed to:
a. van Helmont B. Leibig c. Jethro Tull d. Beacon e. Galt65 Which of the above scientist thought the Principle of Plant Growth
was water? A. van Hlmont
66. The pH of soil generally increases from "A" to "C" horizons for which
of the following reasons?
a. Soil parent material is older with depth
b. Parent materials are more weathered with depth
c. Soil is more stable in the lower horizons
d. There is more acid rain weathering near the surface
E. There are more basic cations in the "C" horizon67. The natural Consumptive Use of water by crops is controlled primarily by:
a. Wind, Rain, and length of growing season
b. the irrigator, crop type, soil texture
c. soil texture, temperature, humidity
D. wind, humidity, temperature
e. crop type, texture, temperature68. A parent material not likely to be found on campus is:
A. loess b. alluvium c. shale d. colluvium e. granite69. A soil with a porosity of 37% must have a B.D. value of:
a. 1.35 B. 1.67 c. 1.26 d. 1.37 e. 1.4870. The two most populous groups of microorganisms in soil are:
a. algae & protista b. bacteria & actinomycetes
c. fungi & actinomycetes D. bacteria & fungi e. fungi & algaeMatch the following terms with the definitions listed below.
a. mineralization b. immobilization c. C/N d. Carbon Cycle e. Nitrogen Fixation71. The transfer of N2 from the air to plants via Rhizobia on legumes. (E)
72. The cycle of life (D)
73. The transfer of nitrogen from the air to an organic form in plants. (B)
74. The separation of an element from its combination with carbon. (A)
75 A practical indicator of the protein content of organic matter. (C)
76. A soil containing 2.6% humus, with a C/N ratio of 13/1 and 46% carbon stores what quantity
of "N" per AFS: (AFS = 2 X 106 lbs.)
a. 1955 b. 1776 C. 1840 d. 1066 e. 1993Given the following potential energy differences between water in soil indicate the direction the water will most likely flow:
a. left b. right c. no change77. -1500Kpa | -50Kpa (A)
78. 18 kPa | 6Kpa (B)
79. -50Kpa | Free water (A)
80. 22 kPa | Free water (B)
81. The major force plants must overcome to obtain water from soil at field capacity is:
a. cohesion potential B. matric potential
c. osmotic potential d. gravitational potential e. water potential82. Allowable depletion refers to: a. the maximum amount of water lost from soil:
b. water use efficiency C. the maximum water lost before irrigation d. the consumptive use of water
e. the days between irrigations83. The "Salt Sink" used most often in irrigated agriculture is:
a. lakes b. the ocean C. the soil d. rivers e. ponds84. Under natural conditions how would the amount of humus in a soil parent material change over time?
85. When 3000 kilograms of wheat grain, containing 3 PPM Zn, is harvested find the amount of zinc in
grams removed from the soil.
(PPM = mg/kg)
a. 4090 B. 9.0 c. 9000 d. 1347 e. 4.186. If it requires 30 years to form an inch of soil, find the amount of soil, in tons, formed per acre of
land if the density of the soil is 4 X 10^6 pounds/Ac-Ft. (5.5)87. Which of the following is not a method used to measure soil water
content: a. gravimetric determination b. electrical resistance,
c. radiation scatter d. tensiometer E. hydrometer
88. Identify the oldest soil from the following profiles:
a. O b. O c. Ap D. O e. A
Ap AI C A B
Bt AII Cr E Cx
C AIII Cx B Cg
Cx R Ck89. The youngest soil in 38 above is: (B)
90. An essential element is any element required by a plant or animal:
a. for balanced energy B. for completing its life cycle c. to flower
d. to maintain health e. for steady growth.91. What criteria is used to determine if a substance can be classified as a mineral?
92. Which of the following would not be considered a secondary mineral formed from weathering:
a. kaolin b. gypsum c. calcite D. apatite e. limonite93. All of the following rocks are metamorphic in origin except:
a. slate b. marble c. schist d. gneiss E. shale94. The only igneous rock in the following list is:
a. schist B. obsidian c. dolomite d. kaolinite e. serpentine95. Which of the following is considered to be a sedimentary rock?
a. slate b. schist c. scoria D. travertine e. marble96. If the area of a sphere is 4(pi)r^2, find the total surface area exposed when a 2mm sphere
is cut in equal halves. a. 5pi B. 6pi c. 8pi d. 16pi e. 15.7(mm^2)
97. Loess, a wind deposited parent material, forms soils that will most likely have which of the following textures:
a. sandy loam b. silty clay c. loam d. sandy clay E. silt loam
98. Talus is a soil parent material always associated with:
a. glaciers b. dunes C. colluvium d. alluvium e. moraines99. Convert 1.35 g/cm3 to kg/m3. a. 84.24 B. 1350 c. 13500 d. 135
100. If the bacteria, Thiobacillus sp. can reproduce by cell division every 30 minutes, the number
present after 10 hours would be:
a. 1024 b. 300 C. 1.05 X 10^6 d. 524,288 e. 20101. Which of the following list contains only plant essential elements:
a. I, Ca, Mo, B, Mo, Si b. Na, H, O, C, S, As C. K, N, C, H,Cl, Mnd. B, F, Se, K, Sn, As e. Mg, H, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe
102. In the process of soil formation the last of these horizons to form would be the:
a. A b. C c. Ap D. Bt e. Cr103. If it takes 45 years to form 1.5 inches of soil, what maximum quantity of soil loss
per year, IN TONS, is permissible from an acre of land without degrading the soil resource
(Assume an acre-foot of soil weighs = 4 X 10^6 pounds).
a. 0.25 b. 4.3 C. 5.6 d. 11,111 e. 7.5104. Which soil forming factor has been the most active in the
formation of the Los Osos soil?105. Find the volume, in m3, 3500 Kg of sand will occupy if the sand has a density
of 1.72g/cm3 (1 Kg = 1000g, 1 m = 100 cm).
a. 2034 B. 2.034 c. 20.34 d. 203.4 e. 0.2034106. Mass wasting is the gravitational process that produces a parent material identified as:
a. loess b. till c. alluvium d. mud flow E. colluvium107. All of the following rocks are igneous in origin except:
a. pumice b. scoria c. basalt d. granite E. schist108. The only metamorphic rock in the following list is:
A. slate b. smectite c. dolomite d. shale e. scoria109. Which of the following is considered to be a sedimentary rock?
a. slate b. schist c. scoria D. shale e. apatite110. Young soils forming from an eolian parent material will most likely have which
of the following textures:
A. sandy loam b. clay c. silt loam d. silty clay e. loam111. Glacial deposited parent materials are identified as:
a. alluvium b. lacustrine C. till d. colluvium e. eolian116. Kettles are a landscape feature created by :
A. glaciers b. wind c. gravity d. mass wasting e. volcanoes117. A landscape feature not associated with glaciers is:
A. talus b. till c. outwash plain d. moraine e. erratic118. Consider a cylindrical mineral. Find the increase in surface area exposed when the
cylinder is cut vertically in half.
(Diameter = 4mm, height = 8mm, (pi = 3.14) A. (64mm^2)
119. Select the statement that best describes an Inceptisol:
a. developed primarily from volcanic rocks
B. are young and have some horizon development
c. are sandy leached soils found in cool coniferous forest
d. are excessively weathered with few original minerals
e. have high organic carbon content from forming under grasslands120. Which expression cannot be used to describe density?
a. pounds/gallon B. grams/square meter
c. kilograms/hectare-furrow-slice d. pounds/acre-furrow-slice
e. pounds/bushel121. Change 1.6 Mt/m3 to grams/cm3.
(kg = 103g, m = 100 cm, Mt. = 1000 kg
a. 0.16 B. 1.6 c. 16 d. 160 e. 1600122. Bay's Peak is 381 meters in elevation. The slope from the base to the top of the peak
is 20%, therefore the distance through the peak must be about how many meters?
a. 1,905 b. 26.5 c. 5300 D. 3,810 e. 2,650123. When the pH of water is changed from 4.2 to 7.2 the H+ concentration changes by a factor of:
A. (1000)
124. Express 32,000 PPM to parts per 100. A. (3.2)
125. A 25g sample of dry soil contains 24 % sand and 6g clay. The grams of silt in the sample is:
A. 13 b. 6 c. 24 d. 32 e. 52126. When the density of dry soil is 1.4g/cm3 its density in English units (pounds/cubic foot) would be:
A. 87.36 b. 62.40 c. 2 X 10^6 d. 1400 e. 140127. The rock, from the following list, most susceptible to weathering by the carbonation reactions is:
a. granite b. shale c. quartzite d. pumice E. limestone
128. Oxidizing conditions are most likely to occur in which soil horizon?
A. Ap b. Bt c. Cr d. O e. E129. The largest biomass of microbes in soil is the:
a. nematodes b. bacteria c. actinomycetes d. algae E. fungi
130. To best prevent ammonia volatilization from organic waste the pH of the material should be kept below:
A. 5.3 B. 7.0 c. 7.9 d. 6.8 e. 8.1131. Find the bulk density of a soil mix that has 37% pore space.
a. 0.98 b. 1.35 c. 2.65 D. 1.67 e. 0.87132. A wet sample of soil weighing 1100g contains 24% grams of water. Find the sample dry weight.
a. 836 B. 887 c. 860 d. 810 e. 789133. Which of the following would not be considered a complete fertilizer:
a. 4-1-1 b. 5-10-15 c. 3-9-6 D. 1-1-2 e. 12-12-12134. When 34 - 0 - 0 costs $298 per ton the cost of nitrogen in cents per pound is: (A. 43 cents)
135. The quantity of 16 - 20 - 0 fertilizer required to apply 65 pounds "P" to a crop is: _744_
136. The depth of soil, with a B.D. of 1.36 g/cm3, brought to 21% moisture (F.C.) by a 12.6 cm rain is:
a. 23.0 b. 19.6 c. 17.2 D. 44.1 e. 3.59137. A soil that retains 7.8 cm of available water should be irrigated at
what interval in days if the allowable depletion is 55% and ET is
0.6 cm/day. a. 13 B. 7 c. 8 d. 10 e. 5138. If the Consumptive Use of water for growing peppers is 4.0 acre-ft and the yield is
6 tons, the Transpiration Ratio would be: A.906
( water = 62.4 lbs/cubic ft. or 1.00g/cm3, acre = 43,560 ft2)139. The most limiting essential element for plant growth under natural conditions is:
a. C b. P c. K D. N e. CaMatch the following terms with the definitions listed below.
a. volatilization b. immobilization c. fixation
d. endomycorrhizae e. chemoautotrophic140. The transfer of N2 from the air to plants via Rhizobia sp. on legumes. (C)
141. a symbiotic fungus-root association (D)
142. Organisms that obtain their energy from changing the oxidation state
of sulfur from So to H2SO4. (E)
143. The uptake of NO3- to NH4+by plants. (B)
144. The loss of nitrogen as NH^3. (A)145. A soil was found to contain 1.6% humus composed of 48% carbon. The C/N ratio was 12/1.
The quantity of "N" stored per AFS would be ___1280lbs_________146. If the C/N ratio for microbes is 10/1 and they assimilate 32 percent of the carbon in
rice straw that has a C/N ratio of 95/1, find the quantity of "N" that needs to be added per
ton of straw applied to soil for disposal to prevent "N" immobilization. The straw averages 53% carbon. (A 22.7)147. Which of the following is not a kingdom of life forms:
A. insecta b. plantae c. monera d. fungi e. protista148. The charge on clay minerals results from which of the following:
a. cation exchange b. mass action C. ion substitution in the
clay structure d. static electricity e. hydrolysis149. The retention of water by clay minerals is most directly related to:
a. the charge on the clay B. the size of the clay c. the age of the clay
d. the composition of the clay e. source of the clay150. Find the % base saturation of a soil that retains the following cmol/kg(+ions)
Ca Mg Na K H-Al a. 12.9 b. 7.7 C. 71
5 3 1 0.2 3.7 d. 29 e. 34151. Most of the salt added to soils from farming in California is by:
a. rainfall b. fertilizer C. irrigation d. pollution e. weathering
152. Show on a diagram of a section of land the location of each Parcel:
a. NW1/4, NE1/4, Sec. 5, T8N, R15E, MDBM 20 ac.
b. NE1/4, NW 1/4, Sec. 5, T8N, R15E, MDBM 40 ac.
c. S1/2, SE1/4, SE1/4, Sec. 5, T8N, R15E, MDBM 20 ac.
d. S1/4, SE1/4, SE1/4, Sec. 5, T8N, R15E, MDBM 20 ac.
e. SE1/2, SE1/4, SE1/4, Sec. 5, T8N, R15E, MDBM 20 ac.153. How many acres are in a township? A.640 B. 23,040 c. 160 d. 2304 e.6400
154. Leibig's "Law of the Minimum" that describes the relationship of available nutrients to plant
yield is attributed to:
a. van Helmont B. Juston von Leibig c. Jethro Tull
d. Gaston Amedee e. D. Dingus155. The variation in Consumptive Use of water by crops results from which of the following:
a. soil texture, temperature, crop
b. temperature, wind, type of crop
c. humidity, wind, light energy
D. wind , humidity, temperature
e. soil type, management, costs156. Land Capability Classification (I - VIII) is a rating of soil for
a. crop production b. septic tank leach lines c. shrink-swell
d. flooding hazard E. soil management requirements157. Five soils on a ranch were found to have Storie Index values of
A. 89 b. 56 c. 43 d. 32 e. 23
respectively. The best soil choice for growing lettuce is soil:158. The grade for pure K2HPO4 if used as a fertilizer would be:
a. 0 - 17.8 - 44.8 B. 0 - 40.8 - 53.9 c. 0 - 53.9 - 40.9
d. 21.5 - 0 - 72 e. none of theseConsider the following soil test results to answer the next four questions.
cmol(ions)/kg
Ca++ Mg++ Na+ K+ H-Al+++ EC pH
10 7 0 .5 1 4 5.2 6.6159. The soil CEC is: A. 22.5 b. 23.7 c. 30.3 d. 21.5 e. 20.6
160. The ESP for the soil is: a. 22% B. 2.2% c. .22% d. .02% e. 1.22%
161. The % Basic Cation Saturation is: a. 0.82 b. 8.2% C. 82% d. .082%
162. This soil's chemical condition would be classified as:
a. acidic B. saline c. "normal" d. saline-sodic e. sodic163. The best way to treat acidic soils is to:
a. add water and leach
b. add lime and leach
c. add gypsum and leach
d. plant and pray
E. add lime164. The best method to us for the reclamation of a saline-sodic soil is:
a. add water and leach b. add lime and leach
C. add gypsum and leach d. plant and pray
e. add lime165. The earliest common "salt sink" used to dispose of the salt applied with irrigation water was:
a. rivers b. the ocean C. the soil d. a stream
e. a salt pond166 The greatest majority of people in the world live in:
a. developed countries B. developing countries.
c. the least developed countries d. emerging countries
e. industrialized countries167. If the net gain in the human population of the earth is 90 X 10^6 people per year, find the number that will have been born between 8:00 am and 10:00 am today.
A. 20,547 b. 10,273 c 11,416 d. 15, 345 e. 27,397168. The greatest threat causing the loss in productivity of prime agriculture farm land in America is:
a. erosion B. urban development c. pollution d. lack of fertilizers
e. misuse of pesticides169. Soil Survey Reports are mainly produced by:
a. Soil Scientist b. Soil Conservationist c. Cal Poly d. UC Davis
E. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)170. A soil that holds 5 cmol (1/2 Ca++) per kg of soil will have how many grams of Ca++ per kg soil? (Ca++ = 40, 1.0 cmol (1/2Ca++) = 0.20g)
a. 2.0 b. 20 C. 1.0 d. 0.10 e. 0.20171. Which of the following list contains all animal essential elements:
a. I,Ca,Mo,As,Se,Cu,Ba
b. Na,H,O,C,N,B,Zn, Er
C. K,N,C,Hg,Zn,Mo,Fe,Ca
d. Sn,F,As,K,Cu,Fe,Mn,Se
e. Mg,H,Cu,Ni,Mo,Mn,S,Pb
172. In the process of soil formation the first of these horizons to form from a parent material would be the:
A. A b.C2 c.Ap d.Bt e.Cr
173. An acre-furrow-slice (6 in.) of soil weighs two milion pounds and takes 210 years to form under local conditions. How many pounds of soil form each year per acre of land?
a. 4.7 B.9523 c.5.6 d.9756 e.1550
174. The current world fish catch is 110 million metric tons per year. Assuming everyone on earth gets their fair share, how many kilograms would each of the six billion humans on earth get per year? (Mt=1000kg)
a. 1.83 b.2.0 C.18.3 d.200 e.0.18
175. Select from the following minerals one that contains abundant calcium:
a. pyrite b. serpentine c. quartz D. calcite e. apatite
176. The soil order most likely to be found along the flood plain of the Mississippi River:
a. Aridisol b. Vertisol c. Spodosol d. Oxisol E. Entisol
177. The common name of a soil parent material that has been transported down slope by gravity is:
a. alluvium b. lacustrine c. till D. collluvium e. conglomerate
178. A microbe that can reproduce itself every 80 minutes will grow to how many individuals after one and a half days under optimum conditions?
A. 134 million b. 16.6 million c. 80 million d. 160 million e. 8 million
179. Microorganisms that are able to survive either with or without the presence of oxygen are known as:
a. heterotrophs b. aerobes c. chemoautotrophs D. facultative e. anaerobes
180. The oldest soil among the following profiles is:
a. Ap-BA-B-C
b. O-A-Cg-Cr
c. O-Ap-B-Cr
d. A-AB-B-Ck
E. Ap-Bt-C-Cr
181. Which expression cannot be used to describe density?
a. pounds/gallon b. kilograms/cubic meter c. kilograms/hectare-furrow-slice
D. kilograms/mile e. milligrams/tablespoon
182. Change 1.60 g/cm^3 to Kg/m^3. (kg = 10^3g, m = 10^2cm)
a. 1200 b. 1.6 c. 16 d. 1.2 E. 1600
183. Bishop's Peak is 281 meters in elevation. The slope from the base to the top of the peak is 20%, therefore the distance through the peak at the base must be about how many meters?
a. 1124 b. 1405 c. 1040 d. 2248 E. 2810
184. When the pH of water is changed from 7.6 to 4.6 the H+ concentration:
a. increases by three b. decreases by 100 C. increases by 1000 d. decreases by 1000
e. changes by a factor of 30
185. Express 3.2 pph as parts per 10,000.
a. 32 B. 320 c. 3.2 d. 3200 e. 0.00032
186. A 50g sample of dry soil contains 15g sand and 14% clay. The grams of silt in the sample is:
a. 8 B. 28 c. 64 d. 31 e. 3.5
187. The rock most susceptible to weathering by the carbonation reactions is:
a. talc b. obsidian c. quartzite d. pumice E. limestone
188. Oxidizing conditions are most likely to occur in which soil horizon?
A. Ap b. Bt c. Cr d. Bx e. E
189. Which of these soil physical properties is least affected by cultivation:
a. texture b. structure c. bulk density D. particle density e. porosity
190. The weight, in tons, of soil excavated from a pit that is 100 feet long, 20 feet wide and 6 feet deep, if the material has a bulk density of 90.5 lbs/cubic foot.
a. 54.5 b. 5430 c. 813 D. 543 e. 345
191. Mineralization of "N" will most rapidly occur in soils when the C/N ratio of added organic residues is:
a. 100/1 b. 30/1 c. 60/1 d. 400/1 E. 15/1
192. Find the porosity of a soil mix that has a BD of 0.85 g/cm^3 and a particle density of 2.53 g/cm^3
a. 73 b. 33 c. 55 d. 22 E. 67
193. A wet sample of soil weighing 267g contains 27% water. Find the grams of water in the sample.
a. 115 B. 72 c. 100 d. 57 e. 210
194. All of the following are soil cementing agents except:
a. calcium carbonate b. silica c. clay d. humus E. silt
195. An acre-furrow-slice of soil (2 x 10^6 pounds) was found to contain 3.2 percent humus that has a C/N ratio of 15/1. Humus is 55% carbon. Find the pounds of "N" stored in the AFS of soil.
a. 64,000 b. 1,920 c. 28,800 D. 2,346 e. 4,266
196. The depth of dry soil, with a BD of 1.16 g/cm^3, brought to 17% moisture (FC) by a 6.6 cm rain is:
a. 33.5 b. 14.6 c. 17.2 d. 10.5 e. 26.4
197. A soil that retains 4.6 cm of available water should be irrigated at what interval in days if the allowable depletion is 40% and Eto is 0.3 cm/day.
a. 12 b. 6 c. 9 d. 10 e. 5
198. If the Consumptive Use of water for growing melons is 3.0 acre-ft and the yield is 12 tons, the Transpiration Ratio would be:
(water = 62.4 lbs/cubic ft or 1.00 g/cm^3, acre = 43,560 ft^2)
a. 560 b. 509 c. 708 d. 641 e. 339
199. A 1875 gram sample of wet woil contains 34% water when saturated and has a BD of 1.25 g/cm^3. The dry weight of the sample must be:
a. 1237 b. 1456.7 c. 1654 d. 1399 e. 1933.2
200. The most limiting essential element for plant growth under natural conditions is:
a. C b. P C. K d. N e. Ca
201. The addition of a lignite material to soil (C/N ratio of 780/1) as an amendment will likely cause "N" availability to :
a. increase b. decrease c. not change d. mobilize e. materialize
202. The largest biomass of microbes found in soil are the :
a. nematodes b. bacteria c. actinomycetes D. fungi e. mites
203. Transpiration ratio for beans is 550/1. If a serving is four ounces, find the pounds of water required to produce the serving of beans. (16 oz = pound)
a. 137.5 b. 112.5 c. 450 d. 121 e. 237
204. The variation in Consumptive Use of water by crops from place to place is caused by a variation in :
A. soil texture, temperature, crop
b. temperature, wind, type of crop
c. humidity, wind, light energy
d. wind, humidity, temperature
e. soil type, management, crop
205. What are the main steops in the carbon cycle?
a. carbonation, oxidation b. photosynthesis, reduction c. photosynthesis, decomposition
d. oxidation, reduction e. fixation and denitrification
206. The nitrogen cycle step describing the loss of NO3- by microbial conversion to N2O is called:
a. Fixation b. Volitalization c. Denitrification d. Mineralization e. Immobilization
207. Determine the grade of pure KCN if sold as a fertilizer. (K= 39, C= 12, N= 14)
a. 21.5-0-60 b. 21.5-60-0 c. 60-21.5-0 d. 21.5-0-72
208. How much 3-6-9 organic fertilizer is needed to supply a garden plot with 18 pounds of "K"?
a. 200 b. 240 c. 300 d. 458 e. 250
209. What is the cost of purchasing "N" plant food when using 20-6-0 fertilizer that sells for $396/ton?
a. 99 cents b. .99 cents c. $0.09 d. $99 e. 18.3 cents
210. How much will it cost for the 180 pounds of "N" plant food applied per acre each year to a golf course that uses 30-10-10 Turf Grow, if the product sells for $520/ton.
a. $234 b. $15.60 c. $156 d. $23.40 e. $64.68