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Exam #
SOILS 4463
Soil and Water Conservation and Management
#1. List three functions of soil. (3)
#2. Does the management of soil influence the availability of water in aquifers? (3)
#3. Provide an example of how soil management influences air quality? (3)
#4. List three functions of water. (3)
#5. Rank the following uses of water from highest to lowest use in Oklahoma by placing a 1 by the highest and a 3 by the lowest. (3)
Industrial use_____
Crop irrigation____
Livestock production______
#6. The dust bowl was the result of poor soil management driven by various factors. One factor
that caused the dust bowl was abnormally wet weather in the years prior to the onset of the dust
bowl. Provide another factor except for tillage that contributed to the dust bowl. (4)
#7. List three on-site problems resulting from erosion by water. (6)
#8. List two off-site problems resulting from erosion by water. (4)
#9. List and briefly describe three types of erosion by water. (4)
#10. Can erosion change the texture of soil? If so, briefly describe how. (4)
#11. Which of the following factors influence erosion by water? (4)
a. Rainfall b. Soil properties c. Topography d. All of the above.
#12a. The kinetic energy of runoff is much lower than the kinetic energy of rainfall. True or
false? (4)
#12b. Based on your answer to 14a, which of the following is the most effective at reducing
erosion? (4)
a. Maintaining permanent vegetative/residue cover b. Increasing infiltration using deep tillage c. Increasing surface ponding using chisel plow d. Reducing slope length by installing terraces
#13. Briefly describe one reason why you might want to estimate runoff. (3)
#21. Slaking will cause macropores to plug with soil particles and reduce infiltration? True or
False. (3)
#22. Is it appropriate to use the USLE or Revised USLE equation to estimate watershed scale sediment delivery to a water body? (5)
#23. Can the water erosion prediction project (WEPP) be used to estimate erosion from a single
rainfall event? (4)
#24. Which of the following is the most common form of terrace found in Oklahoma? (4)
a. Broad based terrace b. Flat top terrace c. Subsurface drainage terrace d. None of the above
#25. Attached you will find a factsheet and an isoerodent map. Use these resources and the
following information to determine if erosion control measures are needed to prevent a decrease in the productivity of the hill slope described. (6)
The hill slope is located in Payne County and mapped as a Port silt loam. It is in continuous
winter wheat under mulch tillage and is contour farmed.
A=RKLSCP
The T factor for the Port silt loam is 5 tons/acre
The K factor for the Port silt loam is 0. The slope 1 % and is 100 ft long
Don’t miss the Bonus on the next page.
Bonus(5):
The average T value for soils in Oklahoma is approximately 2 tons per acre.
Based on the brief description and typical profile provided below for the Port silt loam, provide an explanation for why the T value for the Port silt loam is generally high.
The Port series consist of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable flood plain soils that formed in calcareous loamy alluvium of Recent age. These nearly level to very gently sloping soils are on narrow flood plains in the Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA-80A) and the Central Rolling Red Prairies (MLRA 78C). Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 32 inches. Mean annual temperature is 63 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, thermic Cumulic Haplustolls
Ap --0 to 9 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/3) silt loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium granular structure; soft, very friable; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 11 inches thick)
A --9 to 27 inches; dark reddish brown (5YR 3/3) silt loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 2/2) moist; moderate coarse granular structure; slightly hard, friable; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. ( to 30 inches thick)
Bk --27 to 42 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) silty clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, firm; few thin strata of darker material; common masses and films of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; diffuse smooth boundary. (0 to 25 inches thick)
C --42 to 72 inches; reddish brown (2.5YR 5/4) silt loam, reddish brown (2.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm; few thin strata of dark reddish brown silty clay loam; common masses and films of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
