A-LevelBiologyBiodiversity and conservation9700/43 · May/June 2020 · Q87 Marks
Sampling can be used to find the distribution and abundance of species in an area. Students sampled a rocky shore from a high tide area to a low tide area. They decided to use a belt transect. Describe how you would carry out a belt transect to assess the distribution and abundance of organisms in an area.
- (a)Sampling can be used to find the distribution and abundance of species in an area. Students sampled a rocky shore from a high tide area to a low tide area. They decided to use a belt transect. Describe how you would carry out a belt transect to assess the distribution and abundance of organisms in an area.[5]
- (b)(i)The results of an ecological investigation may suggest that there is a relationship between two variables, for example the abundance of a plant species and light intensity. Scattergraphs can be drawn between the two variables. Fig. 8.1 shows three scattergraphs, A, B and C. [Figure 8.1] State which scattergraphs show a relationship between the two variables, x and y.[1]
- (b)(ii)Name a statistical test you would carry out to assess the strength of any relationship between two variables.[1]
This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.
Mark scheme
Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.
- [5] any five from:
- 1 lay out a, line / tape ;
- 2 (line / tape) runs from low tide area to high tide area ;
- 3 ref. to use of quadrats ;
- 4 ref. to interrupted belt transect ;
- 5 place quadrats at regular intervals ;
- 6 measure species frequency ;
- 7 use of key or Braun Blanquet / other named, scale;
- 8 repeat sampling;
- [1] B and C ;
- [1] Pearson's linear correlation / Spearman's Rank ;
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