A student used a belt transect to investigate how the percentage cover of grass changes with distance from the trunk of a large tree.
The Figure shows the results.
Figure
The student also measured the light intensity at each distance.
The Table shows these results.
Table
| Distance from tree trunk in m\text{m}m | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light intensity in arbitrary units | 10 | 15 | 30 | 60 | 90 | 95 |
Describe how the student would have used a belt transect to collect these results.
Give the percentage cover of grass 6 m from the tree trunk.
Calculate how many times greater the percentage cover of grass is at 10 m than at 2 m.
Explain the change in the percentage cover of grass with distance from the tree trunk.
Use information from the Table in your answer.
Suggest one other factor, apart from light, that could cause the percentage cover of grass to be lower close to the tree.
39 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 9.1 Ecosystems and interdependence, covering 9.1.1 Levels of organisation in ecosystems, 9.1.2 Abiotic and biotic factors, 9.1.3 Importance of interdependence, 9.1.4 Parasitism and mutualism, and 9.1.5 Determining number of organisms in an area. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.