5.2 Soil Study Guide
Name ______________________________
Date _____________________
1. What are the four major components of soil?
2. What five factors influence soil formation?
3. What factor in soil formation is the most important?
4. Soil’s texture is determined by _________________ size.
5. In which of the following area will soil formation be the greatest?
a. A steep slope in a warm, wet climate
b. A flat area in a cold, wet climate
c. A flat area in a warm, wet climate
d. A north-facing area on a steep slope
6. Use Figure 5-1 to determine what a soil is called if it has 20 percent clay, 60 percent silk, and 20 percent sand.
a. sandy clay loam
b. loam
c. silty loam
d. loamy sand
7. What are the proportions of clay, silt, and sand shown at point C in Figure 5-1?
a. Clay: 10 percent; silt: 80 percent; sand: 10 percent
b. Clay: 10 percent; silt: 20 percent; sand: 70 percent
c. Clay: 20 percent; silt: 60 percent; sand: 20 percent
d. Clay: 30 percent; silt: 40 percent; sand: 30 percent
8. In a well-developed soil profile, which horizon is the uppermost layer?
9. In Figure 5-2, what horizon is labeled X?
10. In Figure 5-2, what is the layer labeled Y composed of?
11. In Figure 5-2, what layer makes up the B horizon?
12. Soil that forms on unconsolidated deposits is called __________________ soil.
13. What kind of material is found in the C horizon of a soil profile?
14. What kind of material is found in the B horizon of a soil profile?
15. Compared to the past, rates of soil erosion are _____________ .
16. What human activities has caused an increase in soil erosion?
17. The rate of soil erosion depends on what three things?
18. Since humans have appeared, the amount of sediments carried by rivers has
___________________ .
19. What is the correct order for water eroding soil?
a. gullies, rills, sheet erosion
b. sheet erosion, rills, gullies
c. sheet erosion, gullies, rills
d. rills, sheet erosion, gullies
20. The layer of rock and mineral fragments produced by weathering, and
covering nearly all of Earth’s land surface, is called _____________________ .
21. The portion of the regolith that supports plant growth is called
___________________________ .
22. The air component in soil provides plants with the _____________________ needed for photosynthesis.
23. Soils are divided into zones known as ____________________ .
24. A vertical section through all of the soil horizons is called a(n) _____________________ .
25. The ______________________ horizon in a soil profile consists of mainly organic material, such as loose leaves
and decomposing plant structures.
26. Human activities that remove vegetation have resulted in a(n) __________________ in soil erosion.
27. Based on texture, how are soils classified?
28. Briefly describe the characteristics of each soil horizon from the top layer to the bottom layer.
29. List two human activities and two natural events that can cause a large increase in the rate of soil erosion.
5.2 Study Guide Word Bank
parent material
increased
faster
transported soil
unweathered parent material
climate
particle size
slope
partially weathered parent material
mineral matter
soil
carbon dioxide
horizons
soil profile
increase
time
regolith
plants
subsoil
water
type of organic material
air
mineral matter
humus
parent material
increased
faster
transported soil
unweathered parent material
climate
particle size
slope
partially weathered parent material
mineral matter
soil
carbon dioxide
horizons
soil profile
increase
time
regolith
plants
subsoil
water
type of organic material
air
mineral matter
humus
parent material
increased
faster
transported soil
unweathered parent material
climate
particle size
slope
partially weathered parent material
mineral matter
soil
carbon dioxide
horizons
soil profile
increase
time
regolith
plants
subsoil
water
type of organic material
air
mineral matter
humus
parent material
increased
faster
transported soil
unweathered parent material
climate
particle size
slope
partially weathered parent material
mineral matter
soil
carbon dioxide
horizons
soil profile
increase
time
regolith
plants
subsoil
water
type of organic material
air
mineral matter
humus
5.2 Study Guide Word Bank
5.2 Study Guide Word Bank
5.2 Study Guide Word Bank