Measure variation and distinguish population and sample denominators.
Skills resources are shared. Check your qualification page for its specific assessment conditions.
Standard deviation
Treat these five cells as the entire plot population. Population standard deviation uses Σ(x − mean)² ÷ n before taking the square root; sample standard deviation instead divides by n − 1.
Cell
Vegetation cover (%)
1
22
2
23
3
24
4
25
5
26
All five cells in a fictional plot All values are synthetic.
Resource description
All five cells in a fictional plot
Use the resource carefully
State the unit and the part of the resource you used. A pattern in a fictional dataset is evidence for that exercise; it does not establish a fact about a real place.
Check whether an explanation is supported by the data or needs additional geographical knowledge. For statistical tasks, a calculated result does not establish causation or significance by itself.