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The study of spatial distribution of vegetation often makes use of random sample

ID: 2908748 • Letter: T

Question

The study of spatial distribution of vegetation often makes use of random samples of quadrats. The number of plants of each type occurring within each quadrat is then counted. In a study, an investigator counted the number of white pine seedlings growing in eighty 10 m x 10 m quadrats to test whether the distribution of pine seedlings in the forest was random, clumped, or dispersed. He obtained the following counts:

Number of Seedlings

Number of Quadrats

0

47

1

6

2

5

3

8

4

6

5

6

6

2

?7

0

Total

80

If the null hypothesis of a random distribution of pine seedlings across the forest is correct, to what theoretical probability distribution should the observed frequencies of quadrats containing a given number of seedlings conform?

Number of Seedlings

Number of Quadrats

0

47

1

6

2

5

3

8

4

6

5

6

6

2

?7

0

Total

80

Explanation / Answer

The observed frequencies of quadrats containing a given number of seedlings should conform to a Poisson distribution, since we have been given counts of the number of seedlings occuring.

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