Environmental Studies · Geography

Soil Science

1,537 Questions

Soil Science examines the formation, classification, and properties of soil as a critical natural resource. This hub offers practice questions covering soil horizons, soil types like laterite and black soil, and regional soil characteristics. The content is highly useful for agriculture exams and civil services preparation.

Soil typesSoil horizonsSoil formation factorsAgricultural soil requirementsIndian soilsForest and mountain soils

Soil Science Questions

Multiple choice geography properties of natural resources properties of soil soil pollution and its effects soil and soil pollution

Which of the following soil is the most fertile?

  1. Black soil

  2. Alluvial soil

  3. Red soil

  4. Laterite soil
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. Mostly these soils contain an adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops. Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

Multiple choice biology properties of natural resources properties of soil soil pollution and its effects soil and soil pollution

Soil carried by gravity is

  1. Alluvial

  2. Eolian

  3. Colluvial

  4. Glacier
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Colluvial soil is made of materials of all sizes (from boulders to clay), that accumulate at the bottom of steep slopes and cliffs without the help of streams. 

Sheet wash during rain storms and gravity are responsible for depositing this type of soil. Wheat is the main crop grown in colluvial soil. When the velocity of running water decreases, the heaviest particles are deposited on a riverbed. The finest particles (gravel, silt, sand, and clay) are deposited at the mouth of the river, forming a delta made of alluvial soil. 
Eolian sediments are wind deposited materials that consist primarily of sand or silt-sized particles. Glaciers are made up of fallen snow that, over many years, compresses into large, thickened ice masses.

Multiple choice biology properties of natural resources properties of soil soil pollution and its effects soil and soil pollution

Alluvial soil is mostly found in which region

  1. Southern India

  2. Northern India

  3. Gangetic Jamuna Plains

  4. Eastern India
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Alluvial soil covers about 40 percent of land area of India. It is depositional soils that are transported and deposited by rivers and stream formed by deposition of fine sediments and silt by the rivers along their banks. Such soil is mostly found in the Great Northern Plains of the river Ganga. Thus the correct answer is option C.
Multiple choice biology properties of natural resources properties of soil soil pollution and its effects soil and soil pollution

The best soil for healthy and vigorous growth of most plants is

  1. Sandy soil

  2. Loam soil

  3. Clay soil

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Loam soil is a soil that has a good combination of minerals, rock, sand, silt water and organic matter. The soil contains microorganisms, insects and worms that replenish soil fertility. Because of this good composition, it is the healthiest type of soil. Thus the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice geography atmosphere and temperature the climate and natural resources of gujarat introduction to weather and climate elements of weather and climate : temperature

Which of the following names is used for the soil that is composed of very small particles of sediment?

  1. Clay

  2. Sand

  3. Sediment

  4. Alluvial
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Clay is defined by its very fine particle size, which is smaller than silt and sand, giving it unique properties like plasticity when wet.

Multiple choice geography agriculture in india - ii : food crops wheat cultivation in india production of agricultural crops food crops in india

Which type of soil is best suitable for wheat cultivation?

  1. Alluvial soil

  2. Black soil

  3. Laterite soil

  4. Loamy and clayey soil
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Loamy and clayey soil
Wheat crop is grown in different types of soils ranging from desert soil to heavy clay soil. Well-drained, fertile clayey loamy soils having moderate water holding capacity are ideal for wheat cultivation.

Multiple choice evs mud and stones importance of soil in agriculture soil - formation, profile and properties soil as a natural resource

Soil is the component of

  1. Atmosphere

  2. Lithosphere

  3. Hydrosphere

  4. Exosphere
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The lithosphere is the solid portion of the Earth. It is a dense shell of material, that surrounds the entire planet. Even though most of the Earth's surface is covered with water, underneath, that water is a solid layer of rock. With the exception of ice, basically any solid non-organic material on the Earth is from the lithosphere. This includes soil, rocks, sand, etc.

Multiple choice evs mud and stones importance of soil in agriculture soil - formation, profile and properties soil as a natural resource

Models of vegetables are made with this soil :

  1. Sandy

  2. Sticky

  3. Rocky

  4. All the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Sticky soil, which contains a high proportion of clay, is pliable and retains its shape well, making it ideal for molding models of vegetables. Other soil types lack the necessary cohesion and plasticity for fine modeling work.

Multiple choice evs mud and stones importance of soil in agriculture soil - formation, profile and properties soil as a natural resource

The soil is a complex mixture of

  1. Soil biota

  2. Eroded rock

  3. Gases and water

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
  • The soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and the countless organisms that together support life on Earth. 
  • The soil is a natural body known as the pedosphere and which performs four important functions. It is a medium for plant growth. 
  • It is a means of water storage, supply, and purification. 
  • It is a modifier of Earth's atmosphere. 
  • It is a habitat for organisms, all of which, in turn, modify the soil.
So the correct answer is 'All of the above'.
Multiple choice evs mud and stones importance of soil in agriculture soil - formation, profile and properties soil as a natural resource

What is a soil horizon?

  1. A factor influencing how soil is formed

  2. A layer of soil

  3. An organism found within the soil

  4. A technique used to map soils
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation: Virtually all soil profiles are composed of a number of distinctive layers, termed horizons, interpretation of which is the key to understanding how the soil has formed.