Soil and Water Conservation Final Exam Study Guide
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of modern cropping systems compared to traditional ones?

  • Maximizing crop yield
  • Increasing soil erosion
  • Minimizing water use
  • Addressing environmental issues (correct)

    • Which factor is NOT considered when determining the best cropping system for a specific field?

  • Climate
  • Topography
  • Soil resilience
  • Market trends (correct)

    • Which tillage practice is associated with minimal soil disturbance?

  • Chisel tillage
  • Strip tillage
  • No-till (correct)
  • Conventional tillage

    • What is a key benefit of using conservation buffers in cropping systems?

    <p>They improve soil health and reduce erosion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is required for denitrification to occur?

    <p>Acidic soil pH</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What management technique is part of nutrient and water management practices?

    <p>Irrigation/drainage practices</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which gas is NOT released during the denitrification process?

    <p>Oxygen (O2)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement about soil health is true?

    <p>It refers to the soil's ability to improve overall environmental health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is considered the Master variable of soil health?

    <p>Organic matter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following would NOT be classified as an erosion control practice?

    <p>Precision farming</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What function of soil involves controlling the flow of water?

    <p>Regulating water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does organic matter improve soil health?

    <p>By enhancing water holding capacity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an essential characteristic of a cropping system?

    <p>The types of crops grown and their management over years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT one of the five essential functions of healthy soil?

    <p>Enhancing biodiversity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does soil provide to support human structures and archeological treasures?

    <p>Physical stability and support</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which physical attribute of soil is related to its resistance to disintegration when hit by raindrops?

    <p>Aggregation and structure</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does soil health primarily relate to?

    <p>The capacity of soil to support various ecosystems</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is intercropping?

    <p>Growing multiple crops simultaneously in the same field</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does climate change affect corn yields in Indiana?

    <p>Corn yields are expected to decrease in both irrigated and non-irrigated fields</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What agricultural practice does not contribute to organic farming?

    <p>Chemical pesticide application</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What influence does climate change have on soil saturation in Indiana?

    <p>Increased soil saturation early in the growing season</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What process occurs in waterlogged soils that impacts nitrogen?

    <p>Denitrification</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements best defines soil quality?

    <p>Physical and chemical properties of the soil affecting productivity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between soil health and soil quality?

    <p>Soil health relates to biological and ecological characteristics, whereas soil quality concerns physical and chemical properties</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does rainwater play in soil formation and restoration?

    <p>Infiltrates soil and carries fine particles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does flora contribute to soil structure?

    <p>By providing vegetative cover and root networks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process is NOT part of the physical factors affecting soil resilience?

    <p>Soil organic matter decomposition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of fauna in soil resilience?

    <p>Facilitating nutrient turnover and cycling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a chemical process affecting soil resilience?

    <p>Weathering</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what way does biological weathering contribute to soil health?

    <p>By enhancing soil organic matter decomposition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significance of the 'Act in 1816' regarding drainage?

    <p>It was the first mention of drainage in Indiana statute</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which factor does NOT influence the magnitude of soil resilience?

    <p>Soil color</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which act allowed landowners to drain swamps, ponds, and marshes in specific counties?

    <p>Act of 1832</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one primary purpose of subsurface drainage systems?

    <p>To lower the water table</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which potential is influenced by the attraction of water to solid surfaces?

    <p>Matric Potential</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the drainage laws affect land usage between 1860 and 1890?

    <p>Acreage of tillable land almost doubled.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What represents the force that pushes water to the center of the earth?

    <p>Gravitational Potential</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a type of internal drainage system?

    <p>Surface Water Ditches</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to osmotic potential as you go higher up in the soil profile?

    <p>It decreases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of drainage is below the level of the water table?

    <p>Internal Drainage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What describes hydrostatic potential?

    <p>Pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium due to gravity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following properties of water is linked to its V-shaped structure?

    <p>Polarity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary factor for the greater adhesive forces observed in clay loam compared to sand?

    <p>Smaller pore sizes in clay loam</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which soil type has the greatest capillary rise?

    <p>Clay Loam</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which region is the highest U.S. tile drainage density found?

    <p>Midwest</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When does peak tile discharge typically occur in relation to surface runoff?

    <p>Simultaneously with surface runoff peaks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is essential for water to be classified as undergoing capillary flow?

    <p>Water moves up or in any direction due to adhesion and cohesion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key contributor to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico?

    <p>Excess nitrogen and phosphorus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Soil and Water Conservation Final Exam Study Guide

    • This study guide covers material from the course, with some overlap with a previous midterm.
    • Tillage systems: Erosion
    • Principles and application of principles: Focus on why some tillage methods work better than others.
    • Soil health: The continued capacity to function in a way that improves animal, human, and environmental health.
    • Exam is worth 150 points.
    • Extra credit for course evaluations.
    • Study cycles and their integration into conservation practices.
    • Definitions and effectiveness analyses.
    • Multiple-choice questions.

    Cropping Systems

    • Definition: Cropping systems define the crops and crop sequences and management techniques used on a field over several years.
    • Traditional vs. Modern: Traditionally, maximizing yield was the primary goal. Now, environmental concerns demand more sustainable cropping systems.
    • Types:
      • Monoculture: Growing the same crop repeatedly on the same land.
        • Advantages: Specialization, large-scale operations, cost-effectiveness in some cases.
        • Disadvantages: Eliminates crop diversity, reduces biological diversity, increased use of fertilizers and pesticides, greater susceptibility to erosion and pests.
      • Fallow systems
      • Strip cropping: Alternate strips of different crops
      • Contour cropping: Planting crops along contour lines to reduce erosion.
      • Crop rotation: Planting different crops in a cycle to improve soil health, control pests, and reduce erosion. This can involve short and long rotations.
      • Cover crops: Planting crops to protect and improve soil conditions.
      • Double/Relay cropping: Planting two crops in the same field in a single year.
      • Mixed cropping: Growing multiple crops in the same field simultaneously.
      • Organic farming: This involves various practices, including no-till, residue mulch, integrated nutrient management, and cover cropping.

    Soil Health and Testing

    • Definition: Soil health is the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem sustaining plants, animals, and humans.
    • Master variable: Organic matter is the key soil health variable affecting many aspects of soil health, including physical, biological, and chemical properties.
    • Denitrification: A process where soil bacteria convert plant-available nitrate into nitrogen gases that are lost.
    • Soil Health Test: Assess soil health through various measures, including nitrogen levels, organic carbon, water extractable organic carbon, and C:N ratios.

    Soil Water Potential and Drainage

    • Definition: Soil water potential: Controls a soil's ability to facilitate runoff, dependent on antecedent soil water content.
    • Components:
      • Gravitational: Driven by gravity.
      • Matric: Attraction of water to soil surfaces.
      • Osmotic: The effect of solutes in the soil solution on water potential.
    • Drainage systems: Used to prevent waterlogging.
    • Subsurface drainage
      • Deep open-ditch drainage
      • Buried perforated pipes
      • Building foundation drains
    • Internal Drainage: When the pathway for drainage is located below the water table.

    Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico

    • Definition: Low oxygen (hypoxia) conditions in water bodies.
    • Factors:
      • Excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff).
      • Algal blooms consume oxygen as they decompose.
    • Impacts:
      • Damages marine life
      • Affects fisheries.

    Nutrient Cycles

    • Nitrogen Cycle: A cyclical process involving various forms of nitrogen.
      • Inputs: Atmospheric nitrogen, fertilizer use.
      • Transformations: Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, etc.
      • Loss: Through leaching, runoff, or other processes.
    • Phosphorus Cycle: A cyclical process detailing various forms of phosphorus.

    Infield and Edge-of-Field Strategies

    • Infield: Strategies like reducing nitrogen use, split applications, and cover cropping.
    • Edge-of-field: Strategies like bioreactors, wetlands, and buffer strips.

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    Related Documents

    Final Exam Study Guide AGRY/NRES 450 PDF

    Description

    Prepare for the Soil and Water Conservation final exam with this comprehensive study guide. It covers key concepts such as tillage systems, soil health, and cropping systems, with an emphasis on sustainable practices. Get ready to tackle multiple-choice questions and earn extra credit!

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