Soils Test with Answers

							Team Name_______________________________



                                                         Team Score:______________________


                                          Soils Test

                              TJSWCD Envirothon 2011
                  Judge: Dana Bayless, NRCS District Conservationist

Instructions:

You may begin when your station judge gives you permission.

You will have 20 minutes to complete the test.

You have been provided 2 copies of the test. You may unstaple the tests to work on more than
one page of the time. You may recombine the pages to turn in your best answers, but you will
only be able to turn in ONE copy of the test to be graded.

Please be sure your team name is at the top of each page.

Special Notes for this Station:
   (1) You will be provided a Custom Soil Resource Report for the site. Your location on the soil
       map has a red star. You will also be able to use a Munsell Soil Color Chart.

   (2) Soil Pit: Official measurements (measuring tape provided) for depths of soil layers
       should be taken between the ribbons. DO NOT disturb this area of the pit. You may
       sample soil types from outside the ribbons.




                                    ANSWER KEY
Team Name_______________________________



                    Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District
                                   2011 Local Envirothon
                                        Soils Station
   1. Which nutrients are supplied by the soil and are considered primary macronutrients? (4
      points)
              a. iron, boron, zinc
              b. calcium, magnesium, sulfur
              c. nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium
              d. hydrogen, oxygen, carbon

   2. Soils that are saturated, flooded or covered with water are called: (4 points)
              a. Hydric soils b. aerobic soils c. non-hydric soils d. permeable soils

   3. Soil Scientists classify individual soil particles in the categories of: (4 points)
      a. loam, clay loam, sand                                  c. sand, silt, clay
      b. loam, sand, clay, silt                                 d. clay, silt, sandy clay loam

   4. What are the five major factors that influence the kind of soil that forms in an area? (4
      points)
      a. landscape position, natural vegetation, soil profile, steepness of slope, length of
         slope
      b. parent material, climate, living organisms, topography, time
      c. bedrock, rainfall, runoff, erosion, tree species

   5. The chemical reduction of what mineral in the anaerobic (lacking of oxygen) soil
      environment causes a significant change in the soil color? (4 points)
      a. Aluminium
      b. Iron
      c. Lead
      d. Sulfur
      e. All the above

   6. Select the correct sequence in the soil erosion process. (4 points)
      a. detachment  sedimentation  transportation
      b. sedimentation  transportation  detachment
      c. detachment  transportation  sedimentation

   7. Generally, the O horizon would be the thickest on a soil with what drainage class? (4
      points)
              a. poorly drained
              b. somewhat poorly drained
              c. moderately well drained
              d. well drained
Team Name_______________________________


   8. What is the soil series name, according to the soil map provided, where you are
      located? (4 points)
      a. Iredell
      b. Glenelg
      c. Elioak
      d. Altavista

   9. What would be the infiltration rate for this surface texture? (4 points)
      a. Rapid
      b. Medium
      c. Slow

   10. At what depth, as viewed in the pit, is there evidence of a seasonal high water table (in
       approximate inches)? (4 points)
       a. 4”
       b. 7”
       c. 18”
       d. none shown

   11. What is the landscape position? (4 points)
       a. Side slope
       b. Floodplain
       c. Toe slope
       d. Summit

   12. What is the soil structure type in the lower horizon of the pit? (4 points)
       a. blocky
       b. granular
       c. prismatic
       d. platy

   13. What is the rating class for this site for Dwellings with basements according to the
       report? (4 points)
       a. Somewhat limited
       b. Very limited
       c. sort of limited
       d. Not limited

   14. What is one of the limiting factors listed for this site for Septic tank absorption field use?
       (4 points)
       a. Slow water movement
       b. Seepage
       c. Depth to bedrock
       d. Depth to saturated zone
Team Name_______________________________


   15. Use the tape measure to measure the depth range(below the surface) of each of the
       following soil layers: (Note: the boundary between Bt1 and Bt2 is diffuse). (2 points for
       each layer)
              Ap: __0___inches to __2___inches

              BA:     __2___inches to __7___inches

              Bt1:    __7___inches to __18___inches

              Bt2:    __18___inches to (assume to bedrock)


   16. Use the Munsell soil charts to determine the color (NUMERICAL and DESCRIPTIVE) of the
       soil at 5” deep. (5 points)
                       Strong Brown (7.5 YR 4/6)


   17. If we dug the pit on top of the dam at Walnut Creek Park, would you expect the soils
       layers to be the same as they are at this pit? Why or why not? (8 points)
                      NO  2 points
                      Full Credit: Explain that the dam is fill material and natural soils layers
                      would not be present 6 points
                      Give half credit if they say no, but their reason is that there is a different
                      soil type on the soils map  3 points

   18. What is the texture of the A horizon in the pit? (5 points)
         a. Sandy Clay Loam
         b. Loam
         c. Silt loam
         d. Clay

   19. What is the texture of the soil at 12” deep? (5 points)
         a. Sandy Clay Loam
         b. Loam
         c. Silt loam
         d. Clay




              (Continued on next page)
Team Name_______________________________


   20. What is the slope class between the two stakes (50 feet apart) adjacent to the
        pit? You may use the clinometer (and range pole), if necessary. (Note: There is more
        than one way to correctly come up with this answer) (4 points)
              A (0 to 2%)
              B (3 to 7 %)
              C (8 to 15 %)
              D (16 to 25%)
              E (>25%)

   21. Would you expect GREATER depth to bedrock at the location of the soils pit or on the
       slopes to the northwest? Explain. (8 points)
               Location of the soils pit has GREATER depth to bedrock. (4 pts)
               On the slopes, erosion potential is much greater. (4 pts)



   22. You may notice quite a few downed trees. Based on evidence you find in the soils pit
       (not necessarily on the face of the pit that you will be using), which of the following is
       the MOST LIKELY cause of these downed trees? (4 points)
           a. The soil is sandy without much structure.
           b. There is a restrictive feature that may be impenetrable to tree roots at a
              relatively shallow depth.
           c. There is a very high water table.




ANSWER KEY ONLY:
Below is the description of the soil at the site. Use the description to alter the questions
above if you would like.

Ap 0-2” very dark gray (10YR 3/1) Loam, weak granular structure, very friable, clear wavy
boundary
BA 2-7” Strong Brown (7.5 YR 4/6) clay loam, weak subangular structure, friable, clear wave
boundary
Bt1 7-18” red (2.5YR) clay, moderate medium subangular structure, friable, diffuse wavy
boundary
Bt2 18”plus red (2.5YR) clay, moderate medium subangular structure, firm