Directions: Read the statement and choose the most appropriate response. You may click the helpful hints button at any time. Good luck!

1. Soil organisms, like bacteria and fungi, have their greatest effect in the soil ***.

a. as decomposers of dead organic matter
b. by lowering yields by causing diseases in plants
c. because they reduce soil fertility
d. none of the above

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2.Harmful organisms and pollutants from ground water *** .

a. pollute the soil for decades
b. can be removed by soil itself
c. must be physically removed by man
d. have no effect on helpful organisms in the soil

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3. Soil pH that is high in free hydrogen ions ***.

a. may be found around sloughs in the southwest portion of the province
b. can make elements such as iron, manganese and zinc less soluble
c. is common in forested areas
d. is higher in alkalinity than soils with less hydrogen ions

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4. "Parent material" may be found in the ***within soil profile.

a. topsoil layer
b. subsoil layer
c. B horizon
d. C horizon

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5. Cryosolic soil would most likely be found ***.

a. in the Swift Current area
b. north of the province's northern border
c. between the black and brown soil zones
d. on the forested areas of the province

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6. Darkness of soil types is usually determined by the presence of *** in the soil.

a. parent material
b. mineral matter
c. humus
d. pores

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7. Removal of  *** in a crop can be attributed to cultivation of a soil. This element must be replaced by fertilizers.

a. phosphorus
b. nitrogen
c. sulfur
d. iron

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8. Strip cropping, planting shelterbelts and fertilization of soil may help to reduce the problem of ***.

a. soil salinity
b. water erosion
c. wind erosion
d. soil pollution

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9. A special kind of fungus called Mycorrhizae invades plant root cells and aid in transfer of soil nutrients and water into the plant. This fungus is classified as a ***.

a. macroorganism
b. macroflora
c. macrofauna
d. none of the above

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10. The process of soil formation in which large mineral particles are converted into smaller particles without changing the identifying properties, is called ***.

a. soil leaching
b. physical weathering
c. biological weathering
d. chemical weathering

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