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Percentage of total cover by each species shall be evaluated by visual estimation to <br />the nearest 1 percent. Cover estimates for each species shall represent absolute cover <br />(percentage of space within the sample plot), not relative cover (percentage of vegetated <br />ground only). <br />In addition to cover estimates, the following data shall be collected in each of the <br />sample vernal pools: <br />o species present in the pool but not counted in any of the sample plots; <br />o percentage of bare ground; <br />0 overall assessment of plant vigor (e.g., poor, fair, good, or very good); <br />o physical factors that appear to be affecting vegetation growth (e.g., <br />sedimentation, erosion, disturbance, etc.), and <br />o photographic record of each vernal pool and sample plot. <br />The percentage of vegetation cover shall be calculated for native vernal pool species <br />and non-native species in each sample plot. The arithmetic mean, range, standard deviation, <br />and standard error shall be calculated for native and non-native species in each set of five <br />randomized sample plots for each pool. Statistics shall also be calculated for larger groups <br />of data, including all created berm -type, excavation -type, protected, and unprotected vernal <br />pools onsite. Cover data from different groups of pools and data from different years shall <br />be tested for significant differences using a nonparametric t-test (Sokal and Rohlf 1981). <br />The number of species and vigor of the vegetation shall be tabulated and graphed <br />over the period of the monitoring study to evaluate trends in species composition or <br />numbers resulting from the NCSL project or from natural factors. <br />Wetland Swales. Vegetation monitoring shall take place in the following wetland <br />Swales: <br />o all created wetland swales (Swales 47-52), <br />0 all protected ephemerally wet swales (Swale FF), and <br />o selected unprotected ephemerally wet swales (Swales RR and SS). <br />The locations of the created wetland swales and protected ephemerally wet swales are <br />shown in Figure 6; the location of the unprotected swales are shown in Figure 2. A total <br />of 10 samples will be taken from six created wetland swales, 20 samples from one protected <br />54 <br />