Card 0 of 5
Soil with insufficient nitrogen is generally easier to fix than soil insufficient in phosphorus. Why might this be?
There is a sizable bank of nitrogen in the atmosphere that can be fixed by certain bacteria (and plants that harbor this bacteria in their roots), while phosphorus originates largely from bedrock and is released into the soil in limited quantities. Nitrogen can be fixed from a collective atmosphere that is three-quarters nitrogen, while phosphorus is more region-specific and can be harder to replace than nitrogen once it's depleted. Farms located in phosphorus-poor regions often have to rely on mined phosphates.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all plants, including the ones we grow to eat. If a farmer faces the challenge of phosphorus-poor soil, what can they do to remedy the problem.
Phosphorus defficiency is a challenge to resolve because phosphorus stores are almost exclusively in bedrock and sediment, and there is only as much as the bedrock weathers over time. Manure is very rich in phosphorus, and since plants do not fix phosphorus directly into the soil, applying manure and then covering with mulch is the best option.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following would be the most accurate example of sheet erosion?
Sheet erosion occurs when either wind or widespread shallow water with a slow current degrades the soil in thin layers. A flooded and uneven field that is mostly bare soil will likely experience sheet erosion because the erosion is shallow and uniform.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Farmers use a variety of techniques to conserve soil nutrient quality. Which of the following is not a soil conservation technique?
The correct response is intensification. The term intensification refers to farmers working the fields more heavily and intensely. All the other responses are techniques used by farmers to conserve soil.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Climate change has increased the variability in weather patterns. Unpredictable weather patterns are hard to manage. In 2015, heavy rainfall events caused farm field soils in Ohio to become saturated with water. This killed off many farmers' crops because the plants couldn't receive carbon dioxide/oxygen due to all the water. What is this phenomenon called?
The correct response is waterlogging. In waterlogging, water covers plant roots and soils with water - preventing soils from absorbing oxygen from the air. If the water covers the soil surface for too long, plants begin to die because their roots can't absorb oxygen and/or carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to undergo respiration. Salinization involves the increase in salt content of soil. Sheet erosion is the process by which thin layers of soil are moved due to the force of rain drops and overland flow. Gully erosion involves the formation of gullies (small valleys) due to intensive erosion by water. Rill erosion involves water creating rills, small channels through which water flows.
Compare your answer with the correct one above