The European red squirrel is a small mammal that lives in woodlands.
Red squirrels eat plants (seeds, nuts, and pine cones).
Pine martens, owls, and wildcats are predators that eat red squirrels.
Use this information to draw a food web.
Give the term used to describe animals that eat plants.
Scientists want to find out which forest habitat type red squirrels prefer.
They use quadrats to sample six habitats, each dominated by a different tree species.
They calculate the percentage of quadrats in each habitat where red squirrel feeding signs (chewed cones or nut shells) are found.
The graph shows the results.
Name the type of forest habitat that the red squirrels prefer most.
Suggest three reasons why red squirrels may prefer to feed in some forest habitats rather than other habitats.
The scientists search 800 quadrats in one specific forest habitat and find that 280 quadrats contain red squirrel feeding signs.
Calculate the percentage of quadrats containing red squirrel feeding signs in this habitat. Show your working.
Name the type of forest habitat where the scientists collected these results.
The scientists use a large number of quadrats to ensure that their data is reliable. Describe one way they can ensure that the data collected using quadrats is valid.
