Question 1

Which of the following best describes the role of soil carbon in agricultural ecosystems?

Accepted Answer

Soil carbon makes water more available to plants, supports microbes, and helps soils hold nutrients.

Question 2

Which farming practice resulted in the highest average % soil carbon according to the data provided?

Accepted Answer

Cover crops

Question 3

Why are cover crops considered beneficial for increasing soil carbon?

Accepted Answer

They add organic matter to the soil and help prevent erosion.

Question 4

A student claims that no-till farming increases soil carbon because it reduces soil disturbance. Which data from the table supports or refutes this claim?

Accepted Answer

No-till plots have a higher average % soil carbon than conventional plots.

Question 5

Given the following averages: Conventional (0.89), No-till (1.15), Cover crops (1.28), Not farmed (1.24), which treatment would you recommend to a farmer aiming to maximize soil carbon?

Accepted Answer

Cover crops

Question 6

Which of the following is a plausible hypothesis based on the research background?

Accepted Answer

Farming practices that reduce soil disturbance and add organic matter will increase soil carbon.

Question 7

If a farmer switches from conventional to cover crop farming, by how much would you expect the average % soil carbon to increase, based on the data?

Accepted Answer

$$1.28 - 0.89 = 0.39$$

Question 8

Which of the following best explains why not farmed plots have high soil carbon?

Accepted Answer

They are undisturbed, allowing organic matter to accumulate.

Question 9

A scientist wants to test if adding cover crops increases soil carbon more than no-till farming. Which experimental design would best test this hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

Compare soil carbon in plots with cover crops to plots with no-till farming, keeping all other variables constant.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is supported by the data in the table?

Accepted Answer

Cover crops and not farmed plots have similar average % soil carbon.

Question 11

If the standard deviation for cover crops is $$0.15$$ and for conventional is $$0.12$$, what does this indicate about the variability of soil carbon in these treatments?

Accepted Answer

Soil carbon is more variable in cover crop plots than in conventional plots.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the scientific method as applied in this research?

Accepted Answer

Making an observation, forming a hypothesis, testing with experiments, and analyzing data.

Question 13

Why is it important to have replicate plots in each treatment?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that results are not due to random chance and to estimate variability.

Question 14

Which of the following is the dependent variable in the experiment described?

Accepted Answer

% soil carbon

Question 15

If a new farming practice is introduced that combines no-till and cover crops, what would you predict about the % soil carbon compared to the other treatments?

Accepted Answer

It would likely be higher than either no-till or cover crops alone.

Soil Carbon and Farming Practices: Impacts on Climate Change

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