GEOGRAPHY TOPICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - ATIKA SCHOOL

Atika School Provides Geography questions and answers for KCSE preparations

The map below shows some vegetation regions of the world. Use it to answer questions (a) to (c).

28/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2002 Section B Question 8.

The map below shows some vegetation regions of the world. Use it to answer questions (a) to (c).

The map below shows some vegetation regions of the world. Use it to answer questions (a) to (c). a) Name the temperate grasslands marked H, J and K. b) Describe the characteristics of the natural vegetation found in the shaded area marked N. c) i) Explain four ways in which the vegetation found in the area marked M adapts to the environment conditions of the region. d) You are required to carry out a field study of the vegetation within the local environment: i) a part from identifying the different types of plants, state three other activities you will carry out during the field study. ii) How will you identify the different types of plants?

a) Name the temperate grasslands marked H, J and K.

H – Pampas
J – Steppes
K – Downs

b) Describe the characteristics of the natural vegetation found in the shaded area marked N.

The vegetation is tropical rain forest / equatorial forest.
The forest consists of mixed variety of tree species.
The trees shed their leaves at different time of the year / evergreen.
The trees have broad leaves / deep trapped leaves.
The tree takes long to mature
The forest has little or no undergrowth
The forest has numerous liana /climbing plants / epiphytes
Some of the trees have buttress roots
The forest has crowns that form canopies three distinct layers.

What is a natural vegetation?

21/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2005 Section A Question 5.

(a) What is a natural vegetation?

This is a type of vegetation that grows without interference and modification by human activity.

(b) State three characteristics of Mediterranean vegetation

Mediterranean vegetation is composed of shrubs/ thickets/ bush/thorn bush
Grasses dry off, during summers drought and winter
Some trees are deciduous
Some plants have fleshy leaves
Trees have thick rough barks/many plant have waxy/ spiny/ small leaves
Plants have long tap roots
Many plants are evergreen

(a) What is a natural vegetation? (b) State three characteristics of Mediterranean vegetation

The diagram below represents zones of natural vegetation on a mountain in Africa. Use it to answer question (a) (i) and (ii)

19/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2006 Section B Question 9.

The diagram below represents zones of natural vegetation on a mountain in Africa. Use it to answer question (a) (i) and (ii)

The diagram below represents zones of natural vegetation on a mountain in Africa. Use it to answer question (a) (i) and (ii)

a) (i) Name the vegetation zones marked W, X and Y.

W - Rain forest
X - Bamboo forest
Y - Health and moorland

(ii) Describe the characteristics of the savanna vegetation.

Savannah vegetation consist of trees and grass
Wetter areas/ near the forests the vegetation consists of tall scattered trees similar to those found in the forest/ woodland
The wetter areas also have fall thick grass
Gradually, away from the forest, the trees become fewer and shorter
The grass also becomes shorter
In drier areas the trees are short and more scattered
Some trees are deciduous type
Most of the trees are umbrella- shaped
The most common trees species are the acacia and other thorny trees.
Where rainfalls is lowest, grass is tufted and coarse/ scrub
There are scattered baobab trees and other drought resistant trees
Along river valleys there are tall trees/ riverine trees and thick bushes

Explain three factors that have led to a decline of the natural grassland in Kenya.

19/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 1999 Section B Question 9 with Answers.

The diagram below represents zones of natural vegetation on a mountain use it to answer questions (a)

The diagram below represents zones of natural vegetation on a mountain use it to answer questions (a)

(i) In your answer booklet, name the zones marked X,Y and Z

X – Rainforest
Y – Bamboo forest
Z – Health and moorland

(ii) Describe the characteristics of a tropical Savannah vegetation

Acacia trees are common/ dominant species
Savanna trees are common / dominant species
In the wetter areas the grass is tall and close together
The grass dominates the undergrowth ( in the woodlands)
In the drier areas, the grass is shorter and tufted
Grass dominates the vegetation
The trees are shorter more scattered
The trees are umbrella shaped
Some trees are stunted and have scaly barks/ drought resistance
River valleys have tall trees and thick bushes/ riverine vegetation
During the wet season, the grass withers away/ trees shed their leaves/trees are deciduous
During the dry season, the grass sprouts and the dormant seeds germinate.
Some trees/ shrub are deep rooted
Some trees i.e baobab have thick back/ trunks

(iii) State two reasons why the mountaintop has no vegetation

The temperatures are too low to support plant growth
There is no soil to support plants/ bare rock
Water is always in a frozen state.

(b) Explain three factors that have led to a decline of the natural grassland in Kenya.

The frequent outbreak of bush fires destroys the grass retarding its regeneration
The increasing human population is encroaching into the grasslands replacing them with settlements and cultivated land
Pests such as army worms/ locusts destroy the grass reducing the rate of growth and regeneration
Frequent droughts experienced in the country destroy the grass and the vegetation degenerates into a semi – desert type.
Wild and domestic animals over graze and cause stunted growth of grass

(c) Suppose you were to carry out a field study on the relationship between vegetation and altitude

(i) State three objectives you would formulate for your study

To find the types of vegetation at different altitudes
To find out the changing characteristics of vegetation at different altitudes
To find out the species of trees/ grass at different heights
To find out other factors influencing vegetation distribution other than altitude
Accept other relevant objections

(ii) State three methods you would use to record the information collected during the field study

Taking photographs
Tallying - Field sketching
Tape recording - Note taking
Tabulation - Labeling samples
Filling in questionnaires
( Any 3 x 1 = 3 mks)

(iii) Name two types of maps you would draw to present your findings.

Density maps/ chlopleth Distribution map (1 mk each) 2mks)

Vegetation, Fields Study, Form 2

What is vegetation?

4/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2013 Section B Question 9.

(a) What is vegetation?

It is the total mass of plant life that occupies a given area.

(b) Explain how the following factors influence the distribution of vegetation:
(i) relief
(ii) soils.

(i) relief

High altitude areas have low temperature which encourage scanty / no vegetation / low altitude areas have moderate temperature which encourage dense vegetation.
Gently sloping areas are well drained hence encouraging dense vegetation growth I steep slopes experience excessive drainage that discourage plant growth.
Flat areas tend to be water logged hence covered by swampy plant species.

(ii) soils.

Fertile soils have a variety of nutrients which encourage the growth of dense vegetation/infertile soils have insufficient nutrients leading to scanty vegetation.
Medium textured soils are well drained thus support a variety of plants /dense vegetation / coarse / fine textured soils are poorly drained leading to scanty / no vegetation.
Deep soils enable the penetration of long roots thereby supporting trees / thin soils support vegetation of shallow roots thereby supporting grass vegetation.

(a) What is vegetation? (b) Explain how the following factors influence the distribution of vegetation: (i) relief (ii) soils. (c) Describe the characteristics of the savanna vegetation region.

Describe the distribution of the natural vegetation in the area covered by the map.

4/2/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2013 Section B Question 6.

Study the map of Karatina 1:50,000 (sheet 121/3) provided and answer the following questions.
(a) (i) What is the four figure grid reference of the Technical Institute at Mathira?

8559

(ii) What is the bearing of Mount Kenya Campus at grid reference 932568 from the cattle dip at grid reference 990529?

304° ± 1° (303° - 305°)

(iii) Measure the distance of the railway line from the Level Crossing at grid square 8652 to the Southern edge of the map. Give your answer in kilometres.

13.3 km±0.1 -(13.2- 13.4km)

Study the map of Kitale 1:50,000 (sheet 75/3) provided and answer the following questions.

30/1/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 2016 Section A Question 6.

Study the map of Kitale 1:50,000 (sheet 75/3) provided and answer the following questions.
(a) (i) Identify two human made features found at the grid square 2320.

(ii) What is the altitude of the highest point in the area covered by the map? ,
(iii) Give three types of natural vegetation found in the area covered by the map.

(ii) What is the altitude of the highest point in the area covered by the map? , (iii) Give three types of natural vegetation found in the area covered by the map.

(b) (i) What is the bearing of the air photo principal point at grid square 3426 from the air photo principal point at grid square 2931?
(ii) Measure the distance of the dry weather road (C640) from the junction at point M (345142) from the junction at point N (416201) Give your answer in kilometers.

State three advantages of studying the weather through fieldwork and factors that influence climate

26/1/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 1998 Section B Question 8.

The graph below represents the climate of a station in Africa. Use it to answer question

The graph below represents the climate of a station in Africa. Use it to answer question

(i) Describe the characteristics of the climate represented by the graph

Temperature are higher between September and March/ relatively low during April to August
Most of the rainfall is received during the warmer season/ cool season relatively dry/ single maximum R/F regime
The highest temperature are experienced in December (230C) / the lowest temperature range is large / 140 C
The highest rainfall is received in December (125mm) the lowest June to August ( 10mm)
There is no distinct dry month
Rainfall is low ( 6.55mm)

(ii) Describe the type of natural vegetation likely to be found in an area with the type of climate represented by the graph.

(iii) Scrub/ thicket/bush/ Shrubs

Grass is tall in the wetter areas and short in drier areas
The vegetation in mainly grass
Trees are only found along water courses/ trees scattered
Grass withers during the dry season/ winter but spouts at the beginning of wet season
Acacias
Umbrella shaped trees/ thorny trees

(b) Explain four factors that influence climate.

Latitude
Areas near the equator are hotter than those far away from the equator. This is due to a higher concentration of trees in rays per unit area at the equator. The amount of solar insulation decreases polewards since it passes through a longer distance of the atmosphere and therefore more interference.
Altitude
Lowlands are usually warmer than highlands because the atmosphere becomes thinner as the altitude increases where the ground loses heat to enter space faster. Atmosphere pressure decreases with increasing altitude. This is due to the weight of atmospheric air above highlands being less than in lowlands.
Distance from the sea/ continentally
During the hot season, coastal lands are relatively hotter than inland areas on the same latitude due to the existing effect of the sea breezes. By the time the sea breezes. By the time the sea breezes reach inland areas they have adapted to the temperature of the land for which are passing. During the cold season the effects is reversed.
Ocean currents
When winds are on shore warm ocean currents have a warming effect on the adjacent coasts./ Lead to higher rainfall than inland areas/ cool ocean currents have a cooling effects/ drying effect on the adjacent coastlands.
Wind/Air Masses
Warm/ cool winds bring a warming/ cooling influences to a place if they come from a warm / cool zone. Areas under the influence of dry winds have little or no rainfall/ areas under moist winds are usually wet.
Aspect
In the northern hemisphere outside the tropics the non facing slopes are cooler than the south- facing slopes because they do not receive direct solar isolation. (The reverse is true for the southern hemisphere). Windward slopes are generally wetter than leeward slopes because the moisture- laden winds rise and drop their moisture on this side first.

(c) You intend to carry a field study on the weather experienced in the locality of your school
(i) State three ways in which you would prepare for the study

Formulate objectives of the study/ hypothesis
Reading from secondary sources
Carry out a reconnaissance to ensure that the instruments are in a working conditions/ are in their right position
Seek permission from the relevant authority
Procure appropriate stationary
Prepare a table for recording data
Procure the instrument
(any 3 x 1 = 3 mks)

(ii) Describe how you would use the following instruments during the study
A rain gauge (Used to collect rain water)
Maximum and minimum thermometer

A rain gauge

Used to collect rain water
Take the rain water which has collected in the jar/ bottle
Pour the water in the measuring / graduated cylinder
Take the reading
Record the reading in a book / or table (2 mks)

Maximum and minimum thermometer

Used to record/ measure maximum and minimum temperature in a day
Be at the station at the convectional time for taking records
Read the position of the metal indices for both maximum and minimum temperature
Record the readings in a book or table
Reset the thermometer using a magnet (3mks)

(iii) State three advantages of studying the weather through
fieldwork

It enables students collects first hand information
Students develop skills of weather observation
Students are able to make their own records of weather
Students are able to apply knowledge learned from books/ classrooms in the field
They’ll appreciate the usefulness of weather instruments

Related Searches

Describe the climate conditions experienced in the Kenya highlands

22/1/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 1997 Section B Question 7.

a) Draw sketch map of Kenya on it, mark and name the

(i) Lake Turkana (1mk)
(ii) River Athi (1mk)
(iii) Mount Kenya (1mk)
(iv) The equator (1mk)

Draw sketch map of Kenya on it

Study the map provided (Kericho 1:50,000 sheet 117/4) and answer the following questions.

21/1/2021

KCSE Geography Paper 1 1997 Section B Question 6.

This map is available in a secondary school near you.

Study the map provided (Kericho 1:50,000 sheet 117/4) and answer the following questions.

a)
(i) What feature is found at grid reference 691700? (2mks)

Peak of a hill / trigonometric station

(ii) Name two man-made features found in Grid square 6269. (2mks)

A school
Main tracks / motorable track / foot path

(iii) Measure the length of the dry weather road E222 from the junction at Kipchimchim (grid reference 530640) to the junction with all weather road in the grid square 5863, Give your answer in kilometers (2mks)

6.25km 0.1 (6.15 – 6.35)

b) Using a scale of 1cm to represent 50m, draw a cross-section form grid reference 570670 to grid reference 620670 and name the following:
(i) A river
(ii) A motorable track
(ii) Houses (6mks)

Cross – section from 570670 to 620670

Cross – section from 570670 to 620670

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