Ecologists want to estimate the number of primrose plants in a woodland clearing. They test two sampling plans.
| Sampling plan | How quadrat positions are selected | Mean number of primrose plants per quadrat |
|---|---|---|
| A | A random number generator selects coordinate pairs from a grid covering the whole clearing | 4.3 |
| B | Quadrats are placed beside the path where primrose plants are easiest to see | 8.1 |
Explain which sampling plan should be used to estimate the number of primrose plants in the whole clearing. Suggest how using the other sampling plan would affect the population estimate.
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.