Name: _________________________________
Soil Ch. 5.2 Study Guide p. 133-142
except Soil Profile and Types p. 138-140
1. What is regolith? ________________________________________
2. What purpose does soil serve in the regolith? ___________________
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3. What are the four major components of soil? ___________________
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4. Describe the proportions of each in good quality soil. ______________
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5. How might a desert soil be different than a bog soil? _____________
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6. How is water in the soil important? ___________________________
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7. How is air in the soil important? _____________________________
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8. Does the moon have soil? Why or why not? _____________________
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9. What is soil texture? _____________________________________
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10.
What is the problem with a highly sandy soil?
___________________
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11. What is the problem with a soil that's high in silt or clay?
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____
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12.
Describe the texture of a loam soil.
__________________________
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13.
Why is a loam soil best for plant growth?
______________________
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14.
Identify the factors involved in the formation of soil.
_____________
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15.
How does parent material influence the soil?
____________________
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16.
How does time influence the soil?
____________________________
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17.
How does climate influence the soil?
__________________________
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18.
What are the three major organisms found in soil and how does
each affect the soil?
_____________________________________________
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19.
How does the steepness of the slope influence the soil?
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20.
How does the direction the slope faces influence the soil?
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21.
Explain why soils are the foundation of the human life-support
system.
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22.
Summarize how water erodes soil.
____________________________
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23.
Extra Credit in the Project Category: Research one of the
following topics and post on the twillscience.wikispaces.com/erosion
page. 25 pts
 What were the causes of the American Dust Bowl?
 How is erosion connected to the end of Mesopotamia or ancient Greece?
 How does cutting down the tropical rainforests affect soils?
 How is soil erosion in Africa affecting the US?
 How is soil erosion affecting China today?