A student was investigating the populations of organisms in a garden - Edexcel - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 5 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 5
A student was investigating the populations of organisms in a garden.
Figure 9 shows the estimates of the number and biomass of some of the organisms in the garden.... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student was investigating the populations of organisms in a garden - Edexcel - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 5 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
Calculate the biomass of the population of earthworms in the garden.
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Answer
To calculate the biomass of the earthworms, we use the formula:
Therefore, the biomass of the population of earthworms in the garden is 2108 grams.
Step 2
Explain how killing the slugs would affect the population of earthworms in this garden.
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Answer
Killing the slugs would likely increase the population of earthworms in the garden. This is because hedgehogs, which eat both slugs and earthworms, would have a reduced food source if the slugs are removed.
With fewer hedgehogs consuming earthworms due to the decline in slug population, the earthworm population would face less predation. As a result, the earthworm population would have the opportunity to grow and potentially thrive in the garden's ecosystem.
