SSC 200 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS &ANSWERS
ACTUAL EXAM 1 - Answer -ACTUAL EXAM 1
The lithosphere is made up of - Answer -rock
Which soil horizon is the zone of maximum eluviation - Answer -E horizon
The deep, wind-deposited, silt-sized material near Kansas City represents which type of
parent material - Answer -loess
Select the appropriate subsurface diagnostic horizon: Commonly found in highly
leached forest soils of cool humid climate, on sandy parent materials. Is an illuvial
horizon characterized by the accumulation of colloidal organic matter - Answer -spodic
Which is not one of the soil forming processes - Answer -parent material
A mollic epipedon is an example of a diagnostic surface horizon used in the USDA soil
taxonomic system - Answer -true
Which horizon would always be present in a Histosol - Answer -O
Which of the following is a mineral soil lacking a B horizon - Answer -coarse-loamy,
mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic typic sulfaquents
_____ is one of the factors of soil formation - Answer -biological activity
A productive, heterogeneous deposit associated with glacial activity forms a parent
material known as _____ - Answer -till
Select the appropriate epipedon: A thick, dark, colored mineral horizon (generally > 25
cm) with a base saturation greater than 50% - Answer -mollic
Which of the following is not an epipedon - Answer -oxic
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon designation: A disturbance of the surface
layer by mechanical means, pasturing, or similar uses - Answer -p
Which type of parent material would you find as the result of gravity transportation -
Answer -colluvium
,In a typical mineral soil in optimal condition for plant growth, approximately what
percentage of the pore space would be filled with water and what percentage filled with
air - Answer -50% water and 50% air
Which of the following soils is most likely to contain the least quantity of organic matter -
Answer -a well-drained forest soil
Select the appropriate soil order: Soils of volcanic origin - Answer -andisols
A soil horizon sequence of A-E-Bt-C-R would be characteristic of which soil order -
Answer -ultisol
Soils in which order would be dominated by minerals that are the most resistant to
weathering breakdown - Answer -oxisol
The _____ horizon not found in the profile of entisols - Answer -B
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon designation: Illuvial accumulation of organic
matter - Answer -h
The two principal features of climate that affect the rate of soil weathering are - Answer
-heat and water
_____ is not considered one of the four general processes of soil genesis - Answer -
loessification
The parent materials for most floodplain soils are residual in nature - Answer -false
Which of these parent materials would show evidence of sorting actions due to fresh,
moving water - Answer -alluvium
Under desert conditions (dry conditions with drastic day/night temperature fluctuations)
which rock weathering processes dominate - Answer -mechanical processes such as
cracking and exfoliation
Which soil is the least developed (younger) soil - Answer -a very dry desert
The B horizon is the zone where you would expect maximum illuviation - Answer -true
Soil air usually has a higher carbon dioxide content than the air in the atmosphere -
Answer -true
The greatest chemical weathering occurs on soils located in what climate - Answer -hot
& moist
The _____ horizon is topmost mineral horizon - Answer -A
, Chemical weathering is accelerated by water, oxygen, and organic and inorganic acids
moving down through the regolith - Answer -true
Eluvation is an example of which of the four soil forming processes - Answer -
translocations
Which of the following categories of Soil Taxonomy provides the greatest specificity of
soil properties - Answer -series
The C horizons are generally more completely weathered than the other horizons -
Answer -false
Deposition of colluvial parent material is an example of which of the four soil forming
processes - Answer -additions
Glacial till soils are unique from other parent materials largely due to their - Answer -
varied mixture of minerals
Except for some kinds of foods, modern industry has made human dependence on soils
a thing of the past - Answer -false
The suborder for a wet volcanic soil might be - Answer -aquand
A / An _____ horizon is generally the first to form in immature soil parent materials -
Answer -A
Obsidian (i.e., volcanic glass) is a good example of metamorphic rocks - Answer -false
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon: Weak development of soil color or soil
structure - Answer -w
Andisols are found mostly near recently active volcanoes - Answer -true
In which of the following horizons has the process of illuviation most likely occurred -
Answer -B horizon
The process of eluviation has most strongly occurred in the _____ horizon - Answer -E
The O horizons of a soil are dominantly organic horizons occurring above mineral
horizons - Answer -true
While many organisms depend on the soil for nutrients and water, only a few very
specialized organisms live in the soil itself - Answer -false
ACTUAL EXAM 1 - Answer -ACTUAL EXAM 1
The lithosphere is made up of - Answer -rock
Which soil horizon is the zone of maximum eluviation - Answer -E horizon
The deep, wind-deposited, silt-sized material near Kansas City represents which type of
parent material - Answer -loess
Select the appropriate subsurface diagnostic horizon: Commonly found in highly
leached forest soils of cool humid climate, on sandy parent materials. Is an illuvial
horizon characterized by the accumulation of colloidal organic matter - Answer -spodic
Which is not one of the soil forming processes - Answer -parent material
A mollic epipedon is an example of a diagnostic surface horizon used in the USDA soil
taxonomic system - Answer -true
Which horizon would always be present in a Histosol - Answer -O
Which of the following is a mineral soil lacking a B horizon - Answer -coarse-loamy,
mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic typic sulfaquents
_____ is one of the factors of soil formation - Answer -biological activity
A productive, heterogeneous deposit associated with glacial activity forms a parent
material known as _____ - Answer -till
Select the appropriate epipedon: A thick, dark, colored mineral horizon (generally > 25
cm) with a base saturation greater than 50% - Answer -mollic
Which of the following is not an epipedon - Answer -oxic
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon designation: A disturbance of the surface
layer by mechanical means, pasturing, or similar uses - Answer -p
Which type of parent material would you find as the result of gravity transportation -
Answer -colluvium
,In a typical mineral soil in optimal condition for plant growth, approximately what
percentage of the pore space would be filled with water and what percentage filled with
air - Answer -50% water and 50% air
Which of the following soils is most likely to contain the least quantity of organic matter -
Answer -a well-drained forest soil
Select the appropriate soil order: Soils of volcanic origin - Answer -andisols
A soil horizon sequence of A-E-Bt-C-R would be characteristic of which soil order -
Answer -ultisol
Soils in which order would be dominated by minerals that are the most resistant to
weathering breakdown - Answer -oxisol
The _____ horizon not found in the profile of entisols - Answer -B
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon designation: Illuvial accumulation of organic
matter - Answer -h
The two principal features of climate that affect the rate of soil weathering are - Answer
-heat and water
_____ is not considered one of the four general processes of soil genesis - Answer -
loessification
The parent materials for most floodplain soils are residual in nature - Answer -false
Which of these parent materials would show evidence of sorting actions due to fresh,
moving water - Answer -alluvium
Under desert conditions (dry conditions with drastic day/night temperature fluctuations)
which rock weathering processes dominate - Answer -mechanical processes such as
cracking and exfoliation
Which soil is the least developed (younger) soil - Answer -a very dry desert
The B horizon is the zone where you would expect maximum illuviation - Answer -true
Soil air usually has a higher carbon dioxide content than the air in the atmosphere -
Answer -true
The greatest chemical weathering occurs on soils located in what climate - Answer -hot
& moist
The _____ horizon is topmost mineral horizon - Answer -A
, Chemical weathering is accelerated by water, oxygen, and organic and inorganic acids
moving down through the regolith - Answer -true
Eluvation is an example of which of the four soil forming processes - Answer -
translocations
Which of the following categories of Soil Taxonomy provides the greatest specificity of
soil properties - Answer -series
The C horizons are generally more completely weathered than the other horizons -
Answer -false
Deposition of colluvial parent material is an example of which of the four soil forming
processes - Answer -additions
Glacial till soils are unique from other parent materials largely due to their - Answer -
varied mixture of minerals
Except for some kinds of foods, modern industry has made human dependence on soils
a thing of the past - Answer -false
The suborder for a wet volcanic soil might be - Answer -aquand
A / An _____ horizon is generally the first to form in immature soil parent materials -
Answer -A
Obsidian (i.e., volcanic glass) is a good example of metamorphic rocks - Answer -false
Select the appropriate subordinate horizon: Weak development of soil color or soil
structure - Answer -w
Andisols are found mostly near recently active volcanoes - Answer -true
In which of the following horizons has the process of illuviation most likely occurred -
Answer -B horizon
The process of eluviation has most strongly occurred in the _____ horizon - Answer -E
The O horizons of a soil are dominantly organic horizons occurring above mineral
horizons - Answer -true
While many organisms depend on the soil for nutrients and water, only a few very
specialized organisms live in the soil itself - Answer -false
