1. Factors of Soil Formation  

What are factors of soil formation?

List human activities (other than agriculture and forestry) that can have direct impact on soil formation

Why are A horizons more common in grassland soils than forest soils?

How deep would be the layer of topsoil on the hilltop as compared to the valley?

2. Soil Formation Processes

What are the four soil forming processes?

If all four processes are active in all soils, why aren’t all soils alike?

3. Soil Horizons

The Ae horizons are more commonly present in soils that are under a vegetative cover of trees, rather than grasses. Can you think why this might be?

What is the difference between eluviation and illuviation?

What does the lower case ‘g’ indicate about a horizon?

List the major organic and mineral horizons.

4. Canadian System of Soil Classification

A possible sequence of horizons starting at the ground surface for an Gleysol is

(a)     LFH-Ah-Cg

(b)     LFH-Ae-Bhf-BC-C

(c)     LFH-Aegj-Bhf-Bfgj-C

(d)     Ah-Cgj.

A possible sequence of horizons starting at the ground surface for an Luvisol is

(a)     Ah-Ae-Btj-Cca

(b)     LFH-Ah-Btg-Cg

(c)     LFH-Ae-Bt-Ck

(d)     Ah-Bnt-Csk.

A possible sequence of horizons starting at the ground surface for an Solonetz is

(a)     LFH-Ae-Btnjgj-Cgj

(b)     Ah-Bnjtj-Ck

(c)     LFH-Ae-AB-Bt-C

(d)     Ah-Ae-Bn-Csk.

What is the major factor limiting land use possibilities for each of the following soil orders?   

a)      Solonetz

b)      Vertisols

c)      Gleysol

d)      Cryosol

e)      Podzol

f)        Organic soils

Identify the Great Group and Order of these soil profiles:  

a
b
c
d
e
f
g