GGH2607 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE April 2026
1. According to the scenario, which area in the Eastern Cape is regularly affected
by flooding?
A. Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
B. Farming communities south of Enon
C. Cape Town metropolitan area
D. Western Cape coastal region
Answer: B
Rationale: The text explicitly states: "Farming communities south of Enon in the
Eastern Cape province are regularly affected by flooding."
2. What benefit do the regular floods provide to the farming communities?
A. They prevent soil erosion
B. They bring nutrient-rich sediments that make the area ideal for crop farming
C. They control pest populations
D. They increase the water table for irrigation
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage notes that "The regular floods and nutrient-rich sediments
make the area ideal for crop farming."
3. Which negative consequences of flooding are mentioned in the scenario?
(Select all that apply)
A. Loss of human lives
B. Loss of valuable crops
C. Damage to infrastructure such as buildings
D. Increase in tourism
,Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: The text lists "loss of human lives and valuable crops and cause damage
to infrastructure, such as buildings."
4. Where is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve located?
A. Eastern Cape, near Enon
B. Western Cape, approximately 40 km from Cape Town
C. Northern Cape, near the Orange River
D. KwaZulu-Natal, along the coast
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage states: "The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is in the Western
Cape, approximately 40 km from Cape Town."
5. Approximately how many plant species are found in the Kogelberg Biosphere
Reserve?
A. 150
B. 1,600
C. 40,000
D. 500
Answer: B
Rationale: The text says: "This biosphere provides habitats to about 1 600 plant
species."
6. How many of the plant species in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve are endemic
to the area?
A. 1,600
B. 40
C. 150
D. 500
Answer: C
Rationale: The passage indicates: "of which 150 are endemic to the area."
,7. What biome is characteristic of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve?
A. Savanna
B. Grassland
C. Fynbos biome
D. Forest biome
Answer: C
Rationale: The text states: "characteristic of the Fynbos biome."
8. Why is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve not fenced?
A. To prevent animal migration
B. To allow nature and people to interact freely
C. To reduce maintenance costs
D. To keep out invasive species
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage says: "The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is not fenced,
allowing nature and people to interact freely."
9. What pressures is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve facing?
A. Increasing human population and encroachment from surrounding areas
B. Drought and desertification
C. Overgrazing by livestock
D. Illegal mining activities
Answer: A
Rationale: The text mentions: "the reserve is under pressure from an increasing
human population and encroachment from surrounding areas."
10. As a GIS specialist, which spatial data layer would you use to determine how
many farms are adjacent to the river?
A. A raster digital elevation model
, B. A vector layer of farm parcels and a vector layer of rivers
C. A satellite image classified for land use
D. A point layer of farm entrances
Answer: B
Rationale: Adjacency requires polygon (farms) and line (river) vector layers to
perform spatial analysis.
11. What spatial relationship is used to find farms that are "adjacent to" a river?
A. Within a distance
B. Intersect or touch
C. Contains
D. Centroid within
Answer: B
Rationale: Adjacent means sharing a common boundary; the spatial relationship
"touch" or "intersect" (where boundaries meet) is appropriate.
12. To find farms adjacent to a river, which GIS operation is most appropriate?
A. Buffer
B. Spatial join with intersect option
C. Clip
D. Merge
Answer: B
Rationale: A spatial join using the intersect (or touch) predicate will identify farms
that share a boundary with the river.
13. How many buildings are within 200 metres of the river? Which GIS operation
is required?
A. Buffer the river by 200 m, then select buildings that fall inside the buffer
B. Clip the river by the building layer
C. Merge the river and building layers
D. Calculate the distance from each building to the river centroid
ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DUE April 2026
1. According to the scenario, which area in the Eastern Cape is regularly affected
by flooding?
A. Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
B. Farming communities south of Enon
C. Cape Town metropolitan area
D. Western Cape coastal region
Answer: B
Rationale: The text explicitly states: "Farming communities south of Enon in the
Eastern Cape province are regularly affected by flooding."
2. What benefit do the regular floods provide to the farming communities?
A. They prevent soil erosion
B. They bring nutrient-rich sediments that make the area ideal for crop farming
C. They control pest populations
D. They increase the water table for irrigation
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage notes that "The regular floods and nutrient-rich sediments
make the area ideal for crop farming."
3. Which negative consequences of flooding are mentioned in the scenario?
(Select all that apply)
A. Loss of human lives
B. Loss of valuable crops
C. Damage to infrastructure such as buildings
D. Increase in tourism
,Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: The text lists "loss of human lives and valuable crops and cause damage
to infrastructure, such as buildings."
4. Where is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve located?
A. Eastern Cape, near Enon
B. Western Cape, approximately 40 km from Cape Town
C. Northern Cape, near the Orange River
D. KwaZulu-Natal, along the coast
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage states: "The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is in the Western
Cape, approximately 40 km from Cape Town."
5. Approximately how many plant species are found in the Kogelberg Biosphere
Reserve?
A. 150
B. 1,600
C. 40,000
D. 500
Answer: B
Rationale: The text says: "This biosphere provides habitats to about 1 600 plant
species."
6. How many of the plant species in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve are endemic
to the area?
A. 1,600
B. 40
C. 150
D. 500
Answer: C
Rationale: The passage indicates: "of which 150 are endemic to the area."
,7. What biome is characteristic of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve?
A. Savanna
B. Grassland
C. Fynbos biome
D. Forest biome
Answer: C
Rationale: The text states: "characteristic of the Fynbos biome."
8. Why is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve not fenced?
A. To prevent animal migration
B. To allow nature and people to interact freely
C. To reduce maintenance costs
D. To keep out invasive species
Answer: B
Rationale: The passage says: "The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is not fenced,
allowing nature and people to interact freely."
9. What pressures is the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve facing?
A. Increasing human population and encroachment from surrounding areas
B. Drought and desertification
C. Overgrazing by livestock
D. Illegal mining activities
Answer: A
Rationale: The text mentions: "the reserve is under pressure from an increasing
human population and encroachment from surrounding areas."
10. As a GIS specialist, which spatial data layer would you use to determine how
many farms are adjacent to the river?
A. A raster digital elevation model
, B. A vector layer of farm parcels and a vector layer of rivers
C. A satellite image classified for land use
D. A point layer of farm entrances
Answer: B
Rationale: Adjacency requires polygon (farms) and line (river) vector layers to
perform spatial analysis.
11. What spatial relationship is used to find farms that are "adjacent to" a river?
A. Within a distance
B. Intersect or touch
C. Contains
D. Centroid within
Answer: B
Rationale: Adjacent means sharing a common boundary; the spatial relationship
"touch" or "intersect" (where boundaries meet) is appropriate.
12. To find farms adjacent to a river, which GIS operation is most appropriate?
A. Buffer
B. Spatial join with intersect option
C. Clip
D. Merge
Answer: B
Rationale: A spatial join using the intersect (or touch) predicate will identify farms
that share a boundary with the river.
13. How many buildings are within 200 metres of the river? Which GIS operation
is required?
A. Buffer the river by 200 m, then select buildings that fall inside the buffer
B. Clip the river by the building layer
C. Merge the river and building layers
D. Calculate the distance from each building to the river centroid
