Info Report Check
Submission incomplete:
Verification of sampling plan and its implementation is not consistent with the monitoring report
(a) On page 7 of the verification report (VR), the total number of sample plots are mentioned to be 35. On page 16 of the VR, it is mentioned that "the PP’s total sample plots calculated is 35 distributed in five strata.". However, on page 13 of the monitoring report (MR), in table 2, it is provided that a total of 77 sample plots were installed that were distributed over three strata. Thus, the number of plots and the number of strata mentioned in the VR are not consistent with these numbers mentioned in the MR.
(b) On page 43 of the VR, under the table CAR ID 13, it is mentioned at a few places that "the plot centre is moved because there were no trees in the original one", or that "the plot centre is moved without providing any justification". It is not clear how this CAR was closed. Since the inventory was based on "a stratified random sampling (SRS) estimator", moving of a randomly placed sample plot for the reason of containing "no tree" would lead to bias and invalidate the inventory. Moving the plot centre because of any other reason makes the inventory susceptible to bias unless the reason for doing so is known and justified. Therefore, the DOE should describe in the VR how they arrived at a conclusion to close this CAR.