A student records the soil pH and percentage cover of one plant species at sampling points in open rooftop gardens and sheltered courtyards.
| Habitat | Sampling point | Soil pH | Percentage cover of the plant species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open rooftop garden | 1 | 4.5 | 12 |
| Open rooftop garden | 2 | 5.0 | 24 |
| Open rooftop garden | 3 | 5.5 | 40 |
| Open rooftop garden | 4 | 6.0 | 55 |
| Sheltered courtyard | 1 | 4.5 | 48 |
| Sheltered courtyard | 2 | 5.0 | 43 |
| Sheltered courtyard | 3 | 5.5 | 32 |
| Sheltered courtyard | 4 | 6.0 | 20 |
The student concludes that soil pH alone determines the percentage cover of this plant species.
Evaluate the student's conclusion using the data.
109 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment, covering 6.1.1 Field investigation of distribution and abundance, 6.1.2 Human interactions and biodiversity, 6.1.3 Maintaining biodiversity, and 6.1.4 Environmental change and distribution of organisms. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.