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AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Sustainable Agriculture

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 10 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 10

According to the provided text, what is the primary goal of soil conservation methods like contour plowing and terracing?

All Questions (10)

According to the provided text, what is the primary goal of soil conservation methods like contour plowing and terracing?

A) To increase the nutrient content of the soil

B) To prevent soil erosion

C) To facilitate the rotation of livestock

D) To adjust the pH of the soil

Correct Answer: B

The provided content explicitly states, 'The goal of soil conservation is to prevent soil erosion. Methods include contour plowing, windbreaks, perennial crops, terracing, no-till agriculture, and strip cropping.'

A farmer is cultivating crops on a steep hillside where heavy rainfall often washes away topsoil. Which of the following sustainable practices would be most specifically designed to address this type of water erosion?

A) Windbreaks

B) Rotational grazing

C) Terracing

D) Adding limestone

Correct Answer: C

Terracing is a soil conservation method that involves creating step-like platforms on steep slopes. This practice is highly effective at slowing down the runoff of water and preventing soil erosion on hillsides. Windbreaks are for wind, rotational grazing is for livestock, and limestone affects fertility.

Which of the following agricultural practices is primarily aimed at improving soil fertility rather than preventing soil erosion?

A) No-till agriculture

B) Strip cropping

C) Crop rotation

D) Contour plowing

Correct Answer: C

The content categorizes crop rotation as a strategy to 'improve soil fertility.' The other options—no-till agriculture, strip cropping, and contour plowing—are listed as methods for soil conservation to 'prevent soil erosion.'

A rancher regularly moves a herd of cattle between different pastures throughout the year. What is the primary environmental benefit of this practice, known as rotational grazing?

A) It prevents overgrazing in any single area.

B) It acts as a windbreak to stop soil erosion.

C) It improves soil fertility by adding green manure.

D) It is a form of no-till agriculture.

Correct Answer: A

The text defines rotational grazing as 'the regular rotation of livestock between different pastures in order to avoid overgrazing in a particular area.' This prevents the degradation of pastureland.

Which pair of practices correctly identifies one method for preventing soil erosion and one method for improving soil fertility, respectively?

A) Windbreaks and terracing

B) Crop rotation and green manure

C) Strip cropping and limestone addition

D) Rotational grazing and contour plowing

Correct Answer: C

Based on the text, strip cropping is a method to prevent soil erosion, and the addition of limestone is a strategy to improve soil fertility. Option A lists two erosion prevention methods. Option B lists two fertility improvement methods. Option D lists a livestock management method and an erosion prevention method.

In a large, flat agricultural region susceptible to strong winds, which soil conservation technique would be most effective at preventing the loss of topsoil?

A) Terracing

B) Contour plowing

C) Windbreaks

D) Rotational grazing

Correct Answer: C

Windbreaks, which are typically rows of trees or shrubs, are specifically designed to reduce wind velocity across the surface of the soil, thereby preventing wind erosion. Terracing and contour plowing are primarily for preventing water erosion on sloped land.

A farmer notices that their soil has become too acidic, which can limit the availability of nutrients to plants. According to the provided strategies, which of the following should be added to the soil to improve its fertility?

A) Green manure

B) Limestone

C) Perennial crops

D) Windbreaks

Correct Answer: B

The text lists the addition of limestone as a strategy to improve soil fertility. Limestone is an alkaline substance that is commonly used in agriculture to raise the pH of acidic soils, thereby making them more neutral and improving nutrient availability.

All of the following are explicitly listed as methods to prevent soil erosion EXCEPT:

A) Perennial crops

B) No-till agriculture

C) Green manure

D) Strip cropping

Correct Answer: C

The content lists perennial crops, no-till agriculture, and strip cropping as methods whose goal is to prevent soil erosion. Green manure is listed as a strategy to improve soil fertility, not to prevent erosion.

Planting different crops in the same field in alternating years, such as planting nitrogen-depleting corn one year and nitrogen-fixing soybeans the next, is an example of which sustainable practice?

A) Strip cropping

B) Crop rotation

C) Contour plowing

D) No-till agriculture

Correct Answer: B

This scenario describes crop rotation, which is listed in the text as a strategy to improve soil fertility by managing soil nutrient levels over time.

A comprehensive sustainable agriculture plan for a farm with both sloped fields and livestock would most likely include which combination of practices?

A) Windbreaks and the addition of green manure only

B) Contour plowing, crop rotation, and rotational grazing

C) Rotational grazing and no-till agriculture only

D) Terracing and strip cropping only

Correct Answer: B

This option provides the most complete solution. Contour plowing addresses erosion on the sloped fields, crop rotation improves soil fertility for crops, and rotational grazing sustainably manages the livestock. The other options are incomplete for a farm with this combination of features.