A wildlife conservation centre uses remote sensors to monitor animal habitats. (a) Complete the table by identifying a suitable sensor for each measurement....
Question 1 Report
A wildlife conservation centre uses remote sensors to monitor animal habitats.
(a) Complete the table by identifying a suitable sensor for each measurement.
| Measurement | Suitable sensor |
|---|---|
| Water level in a pond | |
| Light intensity in a forest | |
| Moisture content of soil |
[3]
(b) Explain why sensors are used rather than human observers for this monitoring. [2]
(c) Describe one limitation of using sensors in remote outdoor environments. [2]
Answer Details
(a)
| Measurement | Suitable sensor |
|---|---|
| Water level in a pond | Level sensor or pressure sensor. [1] A pressure sensor at the bottom of the pond measures the water pressure, which is proportional to the depth of water above it. |
| Light intensity in a forest | Light sensor (light-dependent resistor / LDR). [1] It measures the amount of light reaching the sensor, which changes with canopy cover and time of day. |
| Moisture content of soil | Moisture sensor (soil humidity sensor). [1] It measures the water content of the soil by detecting electrical conductivity, which increases with moisture. |
(b) Sensors are used rather than human observers for two reasons:
- Sensors can take continuous, round-the-clock measurements without breaks, covering periods when it would be impractical for a person to be present (such as overnight or during extreme weather). [1]
- Using sensors avoids the physical presence of humans, which could disturb the wildlife being studied. [1] Animals may change their behaviour when people are nearby.
(c) One limitation of using sensors in remote outdoor environments:
Sensors may be damaged by extreme weather conditions such as storms, flooding or freezing temperatures. [1] Additionally, batteries may run out in remote locations where mains power is unavailable, causing gaps in the data collection until the batteries are replaced. [1]
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