Soil Science Practice Questions

  1. What are the 7 Global Functions of Soil?

  2. Name the 4 different kinds of ecosystem services.

  3. What are three examples of Provisioning services?

  4. What are three examples of Regulating services?

  5. What are three examples of Cultural services?

  6. What are three examples of Supporting services?

  7. Name the forms of soil degradation that can occur.

  8. What is the makeup of an ideal soil?

  9. What are the 3 core soil properties, which are important in determining a soil’s ability to provide ecosystem services?

  10. What is the difference between rocks and minerals?

  11. What is weathering?

  12. Name the two main types of weathering.

  13. What are the three types of biogeochemical weathering?

  14. Why is particle size a stable property of soil?

  15. What size of soil particles exert the greatest influence?

  16. What is the term describing a soil particle size?

  17. How large does a solid piece of rock/stone have to be not considered soil?

  18. What are the three soil separates?

  19. What are the size ranges for the three soil separates?

  20. What is soil texture?

  21. Why is texture a stable property of soil?

  22. What are the rules used for naming soil textural classes?

  23. In what cases is the word loam used in naming soil textures?

  24. What are the two ways of determining soil texture?

  25. What does soil texture affect (4 main things)?

  26. Explain what specific surface area is.

  27. Explain why specific surface area is important.

  28. What is the difference between primary and secondary minerals?

  29. Name __ common minerals found in soils, where they are found, and how to tell that they are present in a soil.

  30. What charge do clay particles have, and why is this important?

  31. What important nutrient is negatively charged, and what are the implications of this?

  32. What are the multiple meanings of clay, in soil science?

  33. What does soil organic carbon (SOC) refer to?

  34. Soil organic matter (SOM) is/has roughly what percentage carbon?

  35. What does soil organic matter consist of?

  36. Which components of soil organic matter are considered “labile“ (have a fast turnover rate)?

  37. Which component of soil organic matter has a slow turnover rate?

  38. What is the difference between fresh residue and humus, and what are the benefits of each?

  39. What are the benefits provided by soil organic matter to physical properties?

  40. What are the benefits provided by soil organic matter to chemical properties?

  41. What are the benefits provided by soil organic matter to biological properties?

  42. Describe the distinctions between soil physical, chemical, and biological properties.

  43. High organic matter results in soils of what colour?

  44. Why is soil organic matter usually higher in grassland soils than in forest soils?

  45. Name some practices that maximize inputs regarding soil organic matter.

  46. Name some practices that reduce losses regarding soil organic matter.

  47. On what trophic level are autotrophs found?

  48. Why is soil biodiversity so important?

  49. What are the two different types of diversity, and what does each mean?

  50. What is functional redundancy and why is it important?