Although Darwin did not realize it, the variation he observed among individuals of a population of the finches was caused by what?

i'm thinking (a) to keep sand in place; ////////////

explanation: a sand fence or sandbreak, like a snow fence, is used to force windblown, drifting sand to accumulate in a desired place. sand fences are employed to control erosion, sand dune stabilization, keep sand off roadways, and to recruit new material in desert areas.

allowed for the prediction of the properties of missing elements.

primary succession occurs in essentially lifeless areas regions in which the soil is incapable of sustaining life as a result of such factors as lava flows, newly formed sand dunes, or rocks left from a retreating glacier. secondary succession occurs

measuring light intensity

light meters can be used to measure light intensity. the meter is held at the soil surface and pointed in the direction of the maximum light intensity, and then the meter is read.

errors can be made when measuring light intensity by accidentally shading the light meter. the reliability of the results can be checked by taking many samples.