Planet WGSW-24010 User Manual page 104

Box 9 Audit pr ocedur e
1. At the start of the survey season a surveyor not involved with the primary surveys is
appointed as auditor (see 7.3.4). The auditor is provided with details of the planned
survey programmes, including anticipated dates and a copy of the survey site sketch
map and location description for each site. If the site has not been surveyed before
then the map and description can be forwarded to the auditor immediately upon
completion of the primary survey.
2. Before the survey programme begins, the auditor selects, at random, those surveys
to be audited. One survey is selected for each 'batch' of 10 consecutive surveys (or
part thereof), with a minimum of one survey audited per season for each primary
1.
surveyor/survey team
Level 1 protocol: the primary surveyor is not informed of the selection.
Level 2 protocol: the primary surveyor may be informed of the surveys selected.
3. Immediately upon completion of the primary survey, the surveyor(s) informs the
auditor that the survey has been completed and is available for audit. The auditor
must then undertake a re-survey of the site as soon as possible after the primary
survey, to reduce differences due to external factors (eg heavy rain, reduced flows,
management work such as weed cutting, seasonal changes in abundance, level of
identification possible due to presence or absence of flowers/fruiting bodies). If
conditions remain unchanged an audit survey may be done up to two weeks from
the time of the primary survey, although this may not be acceptable where floating
species are present. The most reliable results will be obtained if audit surveys are
done as soon as possible.
Level 1 protocol: the audit survey is undertaken without the knowledge of the
primary surveyor(s) and there is no conferring or discussion
about the site/survey until that batch of primary surveys is
completed.
Level 2 protocol: the primary surveyor is informed immediately after the audit
survey that the audit has taken place.
4. Audit survey results are compared with those of the primary survey and the
differences identified. Parameters to compare are: number of species, species
names, SCVs, MTR and overall percentage cover.
Level 1 protocol: this takes place immediately after the batch of surveys has been
completed, but not before.
Level 2 protocol: this takes place immediately after the audit survey, regardless of
whether the batch of surveys has been completed.
5. Differences between primary and audit surveys are deemed significant if any of the
following criteria are met:
i) 3 or more species missed, recorded or identified incorrectly
(or 4 or more missed, if 20 or more scoring species on the primary survey)
ii) 10% or more of the SCV values differ by 3 or more SCV units
iii) 20% or more of the SCV values differ by 2 or more SCV units
iv) difference of more than 15 percent points in overall percentage cover
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