Exam 18: The Geography of Soils

Which soil order is the most spatially widespread?

Soil oxygen concentrations are lower than atmospheric oxygen concentrations due to ongoing respiration processes in the ground.

A soil that is 20% sand, 60% silt, and 20% clay is classified as

These high latitude, periglacial soils contain about half of the pool of global carbon.

The Soil Taxonomy is a hierarchical system consisting of six categories.

Which of the following is not one of the five primary soil-forming factors?

These soils primarily occur in the northern coniferous forests, but may also occur with more moderate properties under mixed or deciduous forests.

The term used to denote the part of a volume of soil that is filled with air, gases, or water is

________ are recently developed soils lacking vertical horizon development.

What are the five primary soil forming factors? Describe each using examples.

Inceptisols are the largest single soil order, occupying approximately 22% of the Earth's land surface.

A vertical section of soil is generally organized into distinct horizontal layers called

Prior to the U.S. Soil Taxonomy system, soils were classified based on pedogenic regimes.

Salinization is often associated with Aridisols.

Soils are remarkably uniform from the surface to bedrock.

In terms of pedogenic regimes, soil acidification associated with forest soils in cool climates is

Oxisols have a ________ cation-exchange and, therefore, ________ fertility.

Pedology is concerned with the practical use of a soils as a medium for plant growth.

Human activities, such as agriculture and cattle grazing, may affect soil development.

Soils with a high concentration of hydrogen ions ( H⁺) are considered alkaline.