Question 1

Which of the following are not among the major constraints on increasing food production per capita in Africa?

Accepted Answer

A) Food producing areas are far from population centers. 
B) Erratic rainfall distribution and frequent droughts. 
C) Very rapid increases in human population numbers. 
D) Fertilizer use is very low. 
E) Insufficient area of productive soils. 
A) Food producing areas are far from population centers. 
B) Erratic rainfall distribution and frequent droughts. 
C) Very rapid increases in human population numbers. 
D) Fertilizer use is very low. 
E) Insufficient area of productive soils.

Question 2

Which of the following contributes most positively to soil quality?

Accepted Answer

A) Monoculture cropping systems 
B) Combinations of organic and inorganic inputs 
C) High N and P fertilizer inputs 
D) Removal of crop residues to discourage disease build-up 
E) Using irrigation to raising the water table in dry regions 
A) Monoculture cropping systems 
B) Combinations of organic and inorganic inputs 
C) High N and P fertilizer inputs 
D) Removal of crop residues to discourage disease build-up 
E) Using irrigation to raising the water table in dry regions

Question 3

Which of the following describes world food production trends?

Accepted Answer

A) From 1965 to 2005 world food production per person declined. 
B) Since 1990 the increase in food production has accelerated. 
C) The world food problem results from declining capacity of soils to produce food. 
D) Most of the increase in food production in the last 30 years has come from increases in the area of cultivated land. 
E) The world's capacity to produce food is higher today than it has ever been. 
A) From 1965 to 2005 world food production per person declined. 
B) Since 1990 the increase in food production has accelerated. 
C) The world food problem results from declining capacity of soils to produce food. 
D) Most of the increase in food production in the last 30 years has come from increases in the area of cultivated land. 
E) The world's capacity to produce food is higher today than it has ever been.

Question 4

Alfisols are of greater importance in semi-arid tropics than in the humid tropics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Food production increases of the past 30 years have been attributed to either increases in areas of land under cultivation or increases in yields per hectare.In which region has the proportion of increased food supply attributed to increased areas under cultivation been the highest?

Accepted Answer

A) Subsaharan Africa 
B) South America 
C) Middle East/North Africa 
D) South Asia 
E) East Asia 
A) Subsaharan Africa 
B) South America 
C) Middle East/North Africa 
D) South Asia 
E) East Asia

Question 6

Worldwide,excesses and/or deficiencies of water reduce crop yields more than any other factor.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Soils of the tropics will greatly affect future food supplies.Which of the following is correct in relation to these soils?

Accepted Answer

A) Oxisols and Ultisols dominate the semiarid areas. 
B) Oxisols and Ultisols are highly leached and low in available nutrients. 
C) Mollisols developed on alluvial parent materials are prized as productive rice soils. 
D) Alfisols are widespread in the tropics,especially in humid areas. 
E) Aridisols are scarce in the tropics,especially in Africa. 
A) Oxisols and Ultisols dominate the semiarid areas. 
B) Oxisols and Ultisols are highly leached and low in available nutrients. 
C) Mollisols developed on alluvial parent materials are prized as productive rice soils. 
D) Alfisols are widespread in the tropics,especially in humid areas. 
E) Aridisols are scarce in the tropics,especially in Africa.

Question 8

Which of the following is a true statement about chemical constraints in different agroecological areas of the tropics?

Accepted Answer

A) Aluminum toxicity is most widespread in semiarid areas. 
B) Highest phosphorus fixation occurs in semiarid areas. 
C) The proportion of saline soils in the humid tropics is greater than in other regions. 
D) Low CEC is most prevalent in acid savannas. 
E) Acidity without Al toxicity is highest in the humid tropics. 
A) Aluminum toxicity is most widespread in semiarid areas. 
B) Highest phosphorus fixation occurs in semiarid areas. 
C) The proportion of saline soils in the humid tropics is greater than in other regions. 
D) Low CEC is most prevalent in acid savannas. 
E) Acidity without Al toxicity is highest in the humid tropics.

Question 9

Poor people today pay a greater proportion of their incomes for cereal foods (wheat,rice,corn)than they did just 30 years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following was NOT an element of the Green Revolution of the 1970's and 1980's?

Accepted Answer

A) Integrated pest management to reduce the need for chemical pesticides 
B) High yielding cereal varieties that responded well to fertilizers and irrigation 
C) Greatly expanded use of irrigation water and chemical fertilizers 
D) Monocultural systems that maximized the effects of the new varieties and technologies 
E) Integration of the scientific efforts of plant breeders,soil scientists,agronomists and pest management specialists 
A) Integrated pest management to reduce the need for chemical pesticides 
B) High yielding cereal varieties that responded well to fertilizers and irrigation 
C) Greatly expanded use of irrigation water and chemical fertilizers 
D) Monocultural systems that maximized the effects of the new varieties and technologies 
E) Integration of the scientific efforts of plant breeders,soil scientists,agronomists and pest management specialists

Question 11

Which of the following is true of organic farming as certified in the Europe,the USA and many other countries?

Accepted Answer

A) Organic farmers are allowed to use only organic chemicals (those containing carbon). 
B) Improvement of soil quality is an official goal of organic farming. 
C) The burning of all plant residues is encouraged in organic farming. 
D) Organic farms can use only animal manure to supply nutrients and build soil organic matter. 
E) Organic farmers can use only compost made form plant materials to supply nutrients and build soil organic matter. 
A) Organic farmers are allowed to use only organic chemicals (those containing carbon). 
B) Improvement of soil quality is an official goal of organic farming. 
C) The burning of all plant residues is encouraged in organic farming. 
D) Organic farms can use only animal manure to supply nutrients and build soil organic matter. 
E) Organic farmers can use only compost made form plant materials to supply nutrients and build soil organic matter.

Question 12

The quality of a soil is most directly related to___.

Accepted Answer

A) its capacity to perform the functions you want it to. 
B) its acidity or alkalinity of the soil 
C) its resistance to soil erosion 
D) its capacity to regain lost organic matter 
E) its texture. 
A) its capacity to perform the functions you want it to. 
B) its acidity or alkalinity of the soil 
C) its resistance to soil erosion 
D) its capacity to regain lost organic matter 
E) its texture.

Question 13

Which of the following has NOT been an effect of the intensified agriculture of the past 40 years?

Accepted Answer

A) Increased micronutrient levels in the soil. 
B) Reduced need to cultivate fragile lands to produce the food required by the world. 
C) Decreased biological diversity in soil systems. 
D) Increased use of chemical pesticides. 
E) Imbalanced human nutrition due to decreased production of edible legume crops. 
A) Increased micronutrient levels in the soil. 
B) Reduced need to cultivate fragile lands to produce the food required by the world. 
C) Decreased biological diversity in soil systems. 
D) Increased use of chemical pesticides. 
E) Imbalanced human nutrition due to decreased production of edible legume crops.

Question 14

Which if the following is true about a soil quality index (SQI)?

Accepted Answer

A) The SQI must be related to a particular functional goal for the soil in the ecosystem. 
B) Soil pH,bulk denisty (Mg m-3)and soil active C levels (mg kg-1)may all be averaged together in a SQI. 
C) Soil quality indices may be used to monitor the effects of changes in soil management practice over time. 
D) All of the above are true. 
E) None of the above are true. 
A) The SQI must be related to a particular functional goal for the soil in the ecosystem. 
B) Soil pH,bulk denisty (Mg m-3)and soil active C levels (mg kg-1)may all be averaged together in a SQI. 
C) Soil quality indices may be used to monitor the effects of changes in soil management practice over time. 
D) All of the above are true. 
E) None of the above are true.

Question 15

In which area is the highest proportion of potentially arable land actually being cropped?

Accepted Answer

A) United States 
B) Africa 
C) South America 
D) Asia 
E) Australia 
A) United States 
B) Africa 
C) South America 
D) Asia 
E) Australia

Question 16

There are more hungry people on Earth today than at any time in history

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Experts predict that the world's population will exceed 10 billion people by 2025.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In recent years the annual productivity of slash-and-burn systems has tended to decline over that achieved by the traditional shifting cultivation systems of the past.To what is this decline most likely due?

Accepted Answer

A) decrease in the length of the fallow period 
B) increase in the period of food production in a given cycle 
C) failure to grow legumes in the cropping system 
D) reduction in the C/N ratio of the soil organic matter 
E) reduction in the use of fertilizers 
A) decrease in the length of the fallow period 
B) increase in the period of food production in a given cycle 
C) failure to grow legumes in the cropping system 
D) reduction in the C/N ratio of the soil organic matter 
E) reduction in the use of fertilizers

Question 19

During the past 30 years,per capita food production increased in developing countries of all regions but Asia.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Which of the following is a major reason that most of the uncultivated but potentially arable lands of South America and Africa should not be used for agricultural production?

Accepted Answer

A) They are too infertile. 
B) They would contribute little to meeting food requirements. 
C) Their cultivation would increase global biological diversity. 
D) Their cultivation would aggravate global warming. 
E) They would require expensive irrigation water for high productivity. 
A) They are too infertile. 
B) They would contribute little to meeting food requirements. 
C) Their cultivation would increase global biological diversity. 
D) Their cultivation would aggravate global warming. 
E) They would require expensive irrigation water for high productivity.

Which of the following are not among the major constraints on increasing food production per capita in Africa?

Which of the following contributes most positively to soil quality?

Which of the following describes world food production trends?

Alfisols are of greater importance in semi-arid tropics than in the humid tropics.

Food production increases of the past 30 years have been attributed to either increases in areas of land under cultivation or increases in yields per hectare.In which region has the proportion of increased food supply attributed to increased areas under cultivation been the highest?

Worldwide,excesses and/or deficiencies of water reduce crop yields more than any other factor.

Soils of the tropics will greatly affect future food supplies.Which of the following is correct in relation to these soils?

Which of the following is a true statement about chemical constraints in different agroecological areas of the tropics?

Poor people today pay a greater proportion of their incomes for cereal foods (wheat,rice,corn)than they did just 30 years ago.

Which of the following was NOT an element of the Green Revolution of the 1970's and 1980's?

Which of the following is true of organic farming as certified in the Europe,the USA and many other countries?

The quality of a soil is most directly related to___.

Which of the following has NOT been an effect of the intensified agriculture of the past 40 years?

Which if the following is true about a soil quality index (SQI)?

In which area is the highest proportion of potentially arable land actually being cropped?

There are more hungry people on Earth today than at any time in history

Experts predict that the world's population will exceed 10 billion people by 2025.

In recent years the annual productivity of slash-and-burn systems has tended to decline over that achieved by the traditional shifting cultivation systems of the past.To what is this decline most likely due?

During the past 30 years,per capita food production increased in developing countries of all regions but Asia.

Which of the following is a major reason that most of the uncultivated but potentially arable lands of South America and Africa should not be used for agricultural production?

The Soils Around Us

Formation of Soils From Parent Materials

Soil Classification

Soil Architecture and Physical Properties

Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior

Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle

Soil Aeration and Temperature

The Colloidal Fraction: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical Activity

Soil Acidity

Soils of Dry Regionsalkalinity,salinity and Sodicity

Organisms and Ecology of the Soil

Soil Organic Matter

Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils

Soil Phosphorus and Potassium

Calcium,magnesium and Trace Elements

Practical Nutrient Management

Soil Erosion and Its Control

Soils and Chemical Pollution

Geographic Information About Soils

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Exam 20: Prospects for Global Soil Quality As Affected by Human Activities

Which of the following are not among the major constraints on increasing food production per capita in Africa?

Which of the following contributes most positively to soil quality?

Which of the following describes world food production trends?

Alfisols are of greater importance in semi-arid tropics than in the humid tropics.

Food production increases of the past 30 years have been attributed to either increases in areas of land under cultivation or increases in yields per hectare.In which region has the proportion of increased food supply attributed to increased areas under cultivation been the highest?

Worldwide,excesses and/or deficiencies of water reduce crop yields more than any other factor.

Soils of the tropics will greatly affect future food supplies.Which of the following is correct in relation to these soils?

Which of the following is a true statement about chemical constraints in different agroecological areas of the tropics?

Poor people today pay a greater proportion of their incomes for cereal foods (wheat,rice,corn)than they did just 30 years ago.

Which of the following was NOT an element of the Green Revolution of the 1970's and 1980's?

Which of the following is true of organic farming as certified in the Europe,the USA and many other countries?

The quality of a soil is most directly related to___.

Which of the following has NOT been an effect of the intensified agriculture of the past 40 years?

Which if the following is true about a soil quality index (SQI)?

In which area is the highest proportion of potentially arable land actually being cropped?

There are more hungry people on Earth today than at any time in history

Experts predict that the world's population will exceed 10 billion people by 2025.

In recent years the annual productivity of slash-and-burn systems has tended to decline over that achieved by the traditional shifting cultivation systems of the past.To what is this decline most likely due?

During the past 30 years,per capita food production increased in developing countries of all regions but Asia.

Which of the following is a major reason that most of the uncultivated but potentially arable lands of South America and Africa should not be used for agricultural production?

The Soils Around Us

Formation of Soils From Parent Materials

Soil Classification

Soil Architecture and Physical Properties

Soil Water: Characteristics and Behavior

Soil and the Hydrologic Cycle

Soil Aeration and Temperature

The Colloidal Fraction: Seat of Soil Chemical and Physical Activity

Soil Acidity

Soils of Dry Regionsalkalinity,salinity and Sodicity

Organisms and Ecology of the Soil

Soil Organic Matter

Nitrogen and Sulfur Economy of Soils

Soil Phosphorus and Potassium

Calcium,magnesium and Trace Elements

Practical Nutrient Management

Soil Erosion and Its Control

Soils and Chemical Pollution

Geographic Information About Soils

Filters