Table 3.4 gives data on the mean number of seeds produced in a year by several common tree species and the mean weight (in milligrams) of the seeds produced. (Some species appear twice because their seeds were counted in two locations). We might expect that trees with heavy seeds produce fewer of them, but what is the form of the relationship?

(a) Make a scatterplot showing how the weight of tree seeds helps explain how many seeds the tree produces. Describe the form, direction, and strength of the relationship.

(b) When dealing with sizes and counts, the logarithms of the original data are often a better choice of variable. Use your calculator or software to obtain the logarithms of both the seed weights and the seed counts in table 3.4. Make a new scatterplot using these new variables. Now what are the form, direction, and strength of the relationship? Most software programs provide the option of using logarithm scales for the axes of scatterplots, allowing you to skip the conversion to logarithms of the original data.