A Researcher Is Asked to Determine the Population Size of Redwood

question 24

Essay

A researcher is asked to determine the population size of redwood trees after a fire. They randomly take 5 aerial photos, each of which represents 1 km². The total area burned by the fire was 200 km². The researcher identifies 30, 2, 42, 22, and 104 redwood trees in the photos.Answer the following questions:
(a) What is the population size of redwood trees in the burn area?
(b) When looking at the data, there is one high and one low outlier. What could cause the numbers to be so different in these two photos?
(c) How could you confirm that your estimated population size is accurate?

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Definitions:

Moral Development

The process through which individuals develop proper attitudes and behaviors toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, laws, and personal beliefs.

Concrete Operational

A stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development where children aged 7-12 years begin to think logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.

Formal Operational

The final stage of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, starting at age 12, where individuals develop the ability to think abstractly and reason logically.

Sensorimotor

The developmental stage in early childhood where learning is achieved through physical interactions and experiences with the environment.