Free AP Environmental Science Tests
AP Environmental Science FRQ 1
Design an Investigation
A farmer recently bought 120 acres of new land to grow crops on. On his existing farm he currently only grows corn and relies on nitrogen-based fertilizer and plenty of water. The farmer wants to know if the new plot of land will be good for corn as well and needs to test the soil.
(a) Identify two characteristics of soil that the farmer would need to test to help him decide if corn would do well in the new plot.
The farmer finds that the soil has high water retention and needs to increase permeability by amending the soil with sand. The farmer decides to split the plot up into four different patches, three with increasing amounts of sand amended and one unaltered plot. He then plants corn in all four plots and tracks growth throughout the summer.
(b) Identify the independent variable of the experiment.
(c) Identify the control group in the experiment.
(d) Describe the changes in water retention with increasing sand amendment.
(e) Explain the relationship between water retention and nutrient availability in soil.
(f) Explain how you might change the experiment if the soil’s pH was too acidic.
Corn needs high amounts of nitrogen to grow year after year. The farmer uses nitrogen fertilizer to help get consistent crops every time.
(g) Identify a method the farmer could use to reduce his reliance on fertilizer.
(h) Explain how your answer in the pervious question would help reduce fertilizer use.
(i) Explain one way climate change may affect how the farmer may have to change his farming practices.
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