Real-Life Math -- Solution
It's going to take some figuring to determine how differently
Sunita's garden will grow without the fence. Using the community similarity
coefficient (CSC), you'll be able to show this difference as a percentage.
You
begin by figuring out the coefficient: C = 2 x W / (A + B)
Set
A
- 30 basil
- 25 oregano
- 5 mint
- 14 sweet pea
- 3 parsley
Set B
- 25 basil
- 20 oregano
- 10 mint
- 5 sweet pea
- 16 parsley
- 16 parsley
- 5 dandelions
W = 25 basil + 20 oregano + 5 mint + 5 sweet pea + 3 parsley
W
= 58
A = 30 + 25 + 5 + 14 + 3
A = 77
B
= 25 + 20 + 10 + 5 + 16 + 5
B = 81
So:
C
= 2 x W / (A + B)
C = 2 x 58 / (77 + 81)
C = 116 / 158
C = 0.73
To
get the percentage, you multiply this coefficient by 100.
0.73
x 100 = 73 percent
Sunita's garden is now 73 percent
the same as it was before the fence came down. This was after only 3 months
of exposure to the lane.
If another 3 months goes by, her garden might
only be 73 percent the same as it is now. How different will that be from
the original garden?
0.73 x 0.73 = 0.53
That
means that in another 3 months, the garden might be only 53 percent the same
as it was originally. In another 3 months? (9 months from the day the fence
came down.)
0.73 x 0.53 = 0.39
That's barely
a 40 percent similarity!
Though you would need
a long-term study to know for sure how much her garden will change in the
future, you know that soon Sunita will have a completely different selection
for her cooking if she doesn't rebuild the fence. Fearing her ratatouille
might never be the same, you implore her to rebuild immediately.
"If
you don't have math, you won't succeed," warns Steven Towers, a
senior ecologist.