Soil and Water Conservation Flashcards
7 cards from real CCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Soil and Water Conservation flashcards as text
Which condition would MOST increase the risk of soil crusting after a rainfall event?
Answer: Low organic matter, fine-textured soil with sparse cover
Fine-textured soils with low organic matter and little cover are most prone to crust formation as raindrop impact disperses aggregates and seals the surface.
Strip cropping on contour is MOST effective at reducing which type of erosion?
Answer: Rill and sheet erosion on slopes
Contour strip cropping intercepts runoff and sediment between alternating strips of row crops and close-growing crops, reducing rill and sheet erosion on sloped fields.
A field has a measured soil loss of 6 tons/acre/year and a T value of 4 tons/acre/year. This means:
Answer: Erosion exceeds the tolerable soil loss rate
Since actual soil loss (6 T/ac/yr) exceeds the T value (4 T/ac/yr), the field is losing soil faster than it can be replaced and requires conservation measures.
Which nutrient management practice MOST directly reduces the risk of phosphorus runoff from manure applications?
Answer: Injecting manure subsurface before planting
Subsurface injection incorporates manure below the soil surface, keeping phosphorus away from surface runoff and dramatically reducing loss risk.
In a four-year corn-soybean-wheat-alfalfa rotation, which year provides the GREATEST protection against soil erosion?
Answer: Alfalfa year
Alfalfa provides dense, continuous perennial ground cover throughout the growing season, offering the greatest protection from both water and wind erosion.
Which practice is MOST effective at reducing evaporation losses from soil in a dryland farming system?
Answer: Maintaining surface residue mulch
Surface residue acts as a mulch that shades the soil, reducing soil temperature and blocking wind, thereby significantly decreasing evaporative water loss.
The primary reason for establishing a riparian buffer along a crop field is to:
Answer: Filter runoff and stabilize streambanks to protect water quality
Riparian buffers trap sediment and nutrients from runoff, stabilize banks with root systems, and improve water quality in adjacent streams.