Land Use, Agriculture, and Forests — HS Environmental Science practice questions

Repeated irrigation in a dry region can make soil salty because:

1. irrigation water has no minerals
2. rain washes salts into the soil
3. water evaporates and leaves salts behind
4. crops produce salt as waste

Answer: C — water evaporates and leaves salts behind

C) Correct — Over time, salinization harms crops. A) Dissolved minerals are the source of the salt. B) Dry regions get little rain. D) Plants do not make salt.

Integrated pest management (IPM) relies on:

1. monitoring and targeted control
2. spraying pesticides on a fixed schedule
3. never using any pesticide
4. only genetically modified crops

Answer: A — monitoring and targeted control

A) Correct — It combines monitoring, natural predators, and crop rotation, using pesticides only when pests pass a threshold. B) Ignores whether pests are present. C) IPM allows limited, targeted use. D) IPM uses many methods.

Cities are often warmer than nearby countryside. This is the:

1. greenhouse effect
2. albedo of fresh snow
3. thermal inversion
4. urban heat island effect

Answer: D — urban heat island effect

D) Correct — Pavement and buildings absorb heat, and there are fewer trees. A) Is a global process involving gases. B) Snow reflects sunlight and cools. C) Traps cool air under warm air.

The topsoil layer (A horizon) is important because it:

1. is made of solid bedrock
2. contains no living organisms
3. is the layer where salt collects
4. is rich in organic matter and nutrients

Answer: D — is rich in organic matter and nutrients

D) Correct — Most plant roots and soil organisms are found here. A) Bedrock is the deepest layer. B) Topsoil is full of life. C) Salt buildup is a problem, not the purpose of topsoil.

A major risk of monoculture farming is:

1. higher biodiversity on the farm
2. pests can spread quickly through the whole crop
3. less need for pesticides
4. having too many different crops to plant and harvest

Answer: B — pests can spread quickly through the whole crop

B) Correct — Identical plants share the same weaknesses. A) Monocultures lower biodiversity. C) They usually need more. D) Monoculture means one crop.

Desertification is:

1. the natural movement of sand dunes
2. dry land losing its productivity
3. the growth of forests in dry areas
4. irrigation of desert farms

Answer: B — dry land losing its productivity

B) Correct — Overgrazing, deforestation, and drought are common causes. A) Desertification is land losing productivity. C) Is the opposite. D) Irrigation can add water, though it may cause salinization.

The Green Revolution greatly increased crop yields mainly through:

1. returning to traditional farming only
2. high-yield seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation
3. reducing fertilizer use
4. planting more crop varieties per field

Answer: B — high-yield seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation

B) Correct — It also raised water use and chemical runoff. A) It relied on new technology. C) Fertilizer use increased. D) It often favored single high-yield crops.

Paving land with roads and parking lots increases:

1. groundwater recharge
2. soil fertility
3. biodiversity
4. stormwater runoff

Answer: D — stormwater runoff

D) Correct — Impervious surfaces keep water from soaking in. A) Less water reaches aquifers. B) Pavement covers soil. C) Habitat is lost.

Overgrazing harms grasslands by:

1. adding too many nutrients to the soil
2. removing plant cover so soil erodes
3. increasing plant diversity
4. raising groundwater levels

Answer: B — removing plant cover so soil erodes

B) Correct — Bare soil is blown and washed away. A) Overgrazing strips plants and soil. C) Usually decreases it. D) Has the opposite effect.

Compared with clear-cutting, selective cutting:

1. removes only some of the trees
2. removes every tree in an area
3. causes more soil erosion
4. replaces the forest with farmland

Answer: A — removes only some of the trees

A) Correct — The forest stays standing, which reduces erosion and habitat loss. B) Describes clear-cutting. C) It usually causes less. D) Describes deforestation for agriculture.

Dust Bowl?

1930s US Plains drought + poor farming → soil erosion. Led to soil conservation programs.

Sustainable agriculture practices?

Crop rotation, cover crops, integrated pest management, no-till, organic.

Deforestation rates?

About 10 million hectares lost yearly. Tropical regions hit hardest.

Deforestation drivers?

Agriculture (cattle, soy, palm oil), logging, mining, urbanization.