B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Forest Soils

Question 1

What is the O horizon in a forest soil profile primarily composed of?

Accepted Answer

Decomposed and partially decomposed organic matter

Answer

Mineral particles and clay

Answer

Weathered bedrock fragments

Answer

Leached minerals and iron oxides

Question 2

Which soil texture has the highest water-holding capacity?

Accepted Answer

Clay loam

Answer

Sand

Answer

Sandy loam

Answer

Gravel

Question 3

What is the downward movement of water through soil that carries dissolved minerals called?

Accepted Answer

Leaching

Answer

Translocation

Answer

Eluviation

Answer

Pedogenesis

Question 4

Which soil order is most commonly associated with highly weathered, nutrient-poor soils found under humid subtropical forests in the southeastern US?

Accepted Answer

Ultisols

Answer

Mollisols

Answer

Entisols

Answer

Histosols

Question 5

What does cation exchange capacity (CEC) measure in forest soils?

Accepted Answer

The soil's ability to hold and supply positively charged nutrient ions

Answer

The rate at which water infiltrates the soil

Answer

The total amount of organic carbon stored in the soil

Answer

The percentage of clay particles present in the soil

Question 6

Which soil order is most commonly associated with productive temperate deciduous forests in the eastern United States?

Accepted Answer

Alfisols

Answer

Aridisols

Answer

Gelisols

Answer

Oxisols

Question 7

What is soil porosity?

Accepted Answer

The ratio of void space volume to the total soil volume

Answer

The resistance of soil to penetration by plant roots

Answer

The capacity of soil to adsorb and retain nutrients

Answer

The distribution of particle sizes in a soil sample