QUESTION 125 (4 marks)
Before logging, the tallest vegetation stratum consists of 36 m trees with 55% foliage projective cover. After logging, the remaining tallest trees are 8 m high with 40% cover. A 3 m shrub layer has 85% cover. Use the supplied Specht excerpt; all cover values lie away from boundaries.
| Tallest tree height | Cover >70% | Cover 30–70% | Cover 10–<30% |
|---|---|---|---|
| >30 m | Tall closed-forest | Tall open-forest | Tall woodland |
| 10–30 m | Closed-forest | Open-forest | Woodland |
| 5–<10 m | Low closed-forest | Low open-forest | Low woodland |
a) Classify the vegetation before and after logging. [2 marks]
b) Explain why a student cannot use the 85% shrub cover to call the post-logging community closed-scrub. [2 marks]
Practice marking scheme
Answer
Before: tall open-forest. After: low open-forest. The 85% shrub cover does not replace the tallest tree stratum in the classification.
Working
The pre-logging stratum falls in the >30 m row and 30–70% cover column. The remaining 8 m trees fall in the 5–10 m row and the same cover column. Specht classification uses height, form and foliage cover of the tallest stratum; high cover in a lower layer is a different measurement.
Marking criteria
- States tall open-forest before logging. [1 mark]
- States low open-forest after logging. [1 mark]
- Identifies trees as the tallest remaining stratum. [1 mark]
- Explains that lower-layer shrub cover cannot substitute for tree cover in this classification. [1 mark]
Practice question aligned to the current QCAA syllabus; review the worked solution and marking criteria.
View the QCAA syllabusCompare your working with the guide above.