Environmental Studies · Geography

Soil Science

1,499 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 transpiration major activities of living organisms biology

A soil is said to be physiologically dry when

  1. Soil is water logged

  2. Soil has high salt concentration

  3. Soil has low temperature

  4. All above cases prevail
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Physiologically dry soil means that water is present in the soil but is not available to the plants either because of high salt concentration, or lack of water in liquid form or poor aeration. These conditions respectively occur in saline marshes, cold deserts and water logged soil.

Multiple choice transpiration major activities of living organisms biology

Soil pores with capillary water are

  1. Super pores

  2. Macropores

  3. Mesopores

  4. Micropores
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Water enters the soil through the pores by the means of capillary action and gravity. Microspores are soil pores with capillary water in it. They hold maximum water by capillary forces. These pores have high water holding capacity as water within these pores is immobile. However, water is readily available for plant.

Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice transpiration major activities of living organisms biology

Chresard occurs in the soil

  1. Around soil particles

  2. Inside micropores

  3. Inside macropores

  4. In percolation chambers.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Chresard is an available soil water to plants. Water enters the soil through the pores by the means of capillary action and gravity. Micropores hold maximum water by capillary forces. These pores have high water holding capacity as water within these pores is immobile. However, this water is available for plant. 

Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice transpiration major activities of living organisms biology

Wetting of dried soil surface automatically during night without rain is

  1. Night recovery

  2. Dew wetting

  3. Mist formation

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

During night, the dried soil surface becomes wet. This is due to the water droplets that forms a thin layer due to condensation. This is called as night recovery. As the soil surface cools at night by radiating its heat, moisture present in the atmosphere condenses. This results in the formation of water droplets on the soil. At night as the air cools to the dew point, condensation occurs and soil becomes wet without rain.

Thus, the correct answer is option A. 

Multiple choice biology mineral nutrition in plants nutrients and nutrition essential and non-essential mineral elements transport in the xylem of plants

Minerals salts which are absorbed by the root from soil are in the form of

  1. Very dilute solution

  2. Dilute solution

  3. Concentrated solution

  4. Very concentrated solution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Soil solution is very dilute $10^{-3}M$. It is in equilibrium with minerals adsorbed over colloidal particle.

Multiple choice climate and soil of karnataka climate, soil, natural vegetation and animals of karnataka geography

_____ soil is formed by the weathering of basalt rocks.

  1. Alluvial

  2. Red

  3. Black

  4. Laterite
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  • The black soil is formed by the weathering of lava (igneous rocks) and cooling of lava after a volcanic eruption. 
  • The soil in the Deccan Plateau consist of black basalt soil, which is rich in humus, iron and also contain high quality of magnesia, lime and alumina.
Multiple choice climate and soil of karnataka climate, soil, natural vegetation and animals of karnataka geography

Why a variety of crops can be grown in black soil?

  1. Because its rich is aluminium

  2. Because it is rich in soil nutrients

  3. Because it retains moisture

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
  • Black soil is rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium but has poor nitrogen content. 
  • Crops like cotton, tobacco, chilly, oil seeds, jowar, ragi and maize grow well in it. 
  • Sandy soil is low in nutrient content but is useful for growing trees such as coconut, cashew and casuarinas in areas with high rainfall.
Multiple choice climate and soil of karnataka climate, soil, natural vegetation and animals of karnataka geography

Alluvial soil consists of _____ and clay.

  1. Aluminium

  2. Iron

  3. Sand

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  • Alluvial soil consists of silt, sand, clay, and gravel as well as much organic matter. Alluvial deposits are usually most extensive in the lower part of a river's course, forming floodplains and deltas, but they may form at any point where the river overflows its banks or where the flow of a river is checked.