1. What are the 6 ecosystem functions provided by soil?

2. What are the main components in a volume of typical soil in a condition well-suited for plant growth?

3. Soils are considered a 3-phase system. What are the 3 phases and how do they change temporally?

4. What are the dominant chemical elements found in soil?

5. Which component of soil is not typically found in geologic material? The presence of which element differentiates soil from geologic material?

6. What are the 4 general soil-forming processes? Give an example of each.

7. Describe situations in which each of the 5 soil-forming factors has a direct effect on soil properties. For example, think of a situation where parent material has an effect on soil properties. Then do the same for organisms, topography, climate, and time.

8. What is the major difference in the mechanism by which carbon accumulates in a forest soil versus a grassland soil?

9. Why should soils best be thought of as non-renewable resources?

10. What is the distinction between a mineral and an organic soil horizon?

11. What is the difference between a C horizon and an R horizon?

12. What are some of the common soil constituents that accumulate in B horizons?

13. For each of the 12 soil orders, describe the general environmental setting in which it occurs and the distinguishing feature or characteristic that separates it from other soil orders.

14. What are the general principles used to make detailed soil survey maps?

15. What is the difference between a soil map unit and a soil series?

16. What are some of the advantages of Web Soil Survey over traditional hard copy soil surveys?