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On a school field: one area of the soil was usually wet - AQA - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 2
Question 3
On a school field: one area of the soil was usually wet. another area of the soil was usually dry. Students investigated the effect of water in the soil on the numb... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:On a school field: one area of the soil was usually wet - AQA - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 2
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03.2 Describe a method to investigate if the amount of water in the soil affects the number of buttercups in the field.
Answer
To investigate the effect of soil moisture on the number of buttercups, follow these steps:
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Mark out areas: Identify and mark out (grid) areas in both the wet and dry sections of the field.
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Use Quadrats: Use a quadrat to count the number of buttercup plants in each marked area. Place at least 5 quadrats randomly across both areas to ensure a fair sample.
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Soil Moisture Measurement: In each quadrat, use a suitable instrument, such as a soil moisture meter, to measure the soil moisture levels in both the wet and dry areas.
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Record Data: Count and record the number of buttercups found in each quadrat, noting the corresponding soil moisture readings.
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Calculate Mean: After collecting data from all quadrats, calculate the mean number of buttercups for each area, dividing the total number of buttercups counted by the number of quadrats sampled.
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Compare Results: Compare the mean number of buttercups and the soil moisture levels between the wet and dry areas to determine any correlations.