Planet WGSW-24010 User Manual page 64

excessive blanketing algae or floating vegetation growth obscuring the view or
smothering other vegetation.
Note that confidence in the results of a survey may be restricted by either one or both of the
above factors.
Surveyors should score on a scale of A to C the degree to which the above may have distorted
their findings:
· A -
data not affected or any effect limited to less than 25% of the site
· B -
the accuracy of records in 25–50% of the site influenced to a considerable
degree
· C -
the accuracy of records in >50% of the site influenced to a considerable degree
This should be recorded on the record sheet (see Appendix 5). The factors which potentially
distorted the accuracy of the survey should be identified in the 'Comments' section.
The importance of objective interpretation cannot be over-emphasised here. Decisions are
based on an individual's interpretation of what are typical conditions, to what extent those
conditions have been deviated from and whether this has had an effect.
It is strongly recommended that surveys with a suffix of confidence of 'C' should not be used for
interpretation of trophic status, ie there is sufficient cause for concern that the MTR results do
not represent the prevailing trophic status at the site.
R&D Technical Report E38 50