Soil character - Quiz

Answer each question below, then choose Check answers to see your score. You can reveal the correct responses after marking.

1 Which two properties of soil are described as among the most important for behaviour and use?

Texture and structure Colour and smell Depth and slope Temperature and rainfall

2 Soil texture describes:

The proportions of sand-, silt- and clay-sized particles in a sample The way individual particles are assembled into aggregates The number of earthworms living in the topsoil How deep the subsoil extends below the surface

3 Which four standard terms are used in combinations to describe soil texture?

Peat, chalk, gravel and humus Sand, gravel, stone and mud Sand, clay, loam and silt Acid, alkaline, neutral and saline

4 In the bricks-and-mortar comparison used to explain soil, texture is like:

The mortar that sticks blocks together The bricks (the mix of sand, silt and clay) The roof of the building The drainage pipes alone

5 Why is soil structure important?

It controls water and air movement and provides space for roots and soil fauna It determines the legal classification of farmland only It replaces the need to consider soil texture It can only be changed by chemical fertilisers

6 What can farmers and gardeners realistically influence?

The permanent proportions of sand, silt and clay in the soil The way soil particles are assembled into structural blocks The type of bedrock beneath the site Whether clay particles exist in the soil

7 Research cited on soil compaction showed average first-year yield losses of about:

15 per cent, mostly from residual surface compaction 50 per cent every year with no recovery No measurable loss in cultivated soils 90 per cent after a single trafficking event

8 When is soil most compactable from wheel or foot traffic?

When it is completely dry and dusty When it is frozen solid At a moisture content approximating field capacity (about 24 hours after a soaking rain) Only when the soil is fully saturated with water

Soil character - Quiz

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