A plant's seeds are dispersed by birds into two clearings in a nature reserve. Both clearings have suitable soil moisture, soil pH and mineral content. Removing overhanging branches above a clearing increases the light intensity there.
| Clearing | Relative light intensity / % | Seeds deposited | Seedlings surviving after 8 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 14 | 80 | 6 |
| D | 82 | 7 | 6 |
Reserve managers remove the overhanging branches above both clearings.
Which prediction is best supported by the results?
More seedlings survive in both clearings, because light intensity limits photosynthesis in both clearings
More seedlings survive in clearing C, but numbers in D stay low because few seeds are deposited there
Seedling numbers stay the same in both clearings, because six seedlings survived in each clearing
More seedlings survive in clearing D only, because its light intensity rises even higher than 82%
82 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Biology 7.1 Adaptations, interdependence and competition, covering 7.1.1 Communities, 7.1.2 Abiotic factors, 7.1.3 Biotic factors, and 7.1.4 Adaptations. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.