Unit 5: Soil Systems and Terrestrial Food Production
Topic 5.1: Soil Systems Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB ESS Topic 5.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
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After a storm, a farmer notices muddy brown water flowing off a ploughed field into a nearby stream. Define the term soil erosion.
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A compost program increases organic matter in a school garden. Outline two ways higher organic matter can improve plant growth.
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A student digs a soil pit in a forest and finds a surface layer of leaf litter and decomposing material. Identify the horizon most likely represented.
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A soil profile shows a very thick O horizon and slow decomposition. Suggest which biome could produce this pattern and give one reason.
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A dry irrigated farm starts showing a white crust on the soil surface and crops begin to wilt even though the soil looks wet. Identify the type of soil degradation described.
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Define the term soil texture.
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A student measures soil pH at two sites. Site A has pH 5.0 and Site B has pH 6.5. Using the data, identify which site is closer to the preferred pH range of many crops and state the usual preferred range.
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Define the term soil profile.
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A field becomes waterlogged after heavy rain and is sticky when wet and hard when dry. Suggest which soil type is most likely and give one reason.
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In a soil profile, which horizon is usually most important for plant growth and why?
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Define the term weathering.
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A student uses CLORPT to explain why soils differ between two locations. Outline what each letter in CLORPT stands for.
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After a cold winter, a mountain road shows many new cracks in the rock face. Identify the type of weathering most likely responsible and state how it works.
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A gardener notices that after rain, water disappears quickly from a light, gritty soil and plants wilt soon after. Identify the soil type most likely present.
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Explain how leaching can reduce soil fertility in a wet climate.
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A student labels a soil diagram with O, A, B, C and R horizons. Outline what each horizon typically contains.
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Explain why loam is often described as an ideal soil for agriculture.
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Answer all parts (a) to (c) about nutrient inputs and losses in soils, technology, and drivers of sustainable soil management.
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A class is told that soil is renewable but can be considered non-renewable on human timescales. Explain this statement.
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Answer all parts (a) to (c) about soil inputs and outputs, technocentric responses to degradation, and evaluation of economic pressures.
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