Table 1 The SACFOR abundance scales for cover and counts observations (Hiscock, 1990). SACFOR codes are: S Superabundant, A Abundant, C Common, F Frequent, O Occasional, R Rare, and L Less than rare indicated by extrapolation (which is no longer used in the modern SACFOR scale)
From: Converting SACFOR data for statistical analysis: validation, demonstration and further possibilities
SACFOR cover scale | SACFOR counts scale | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Percentage cover | Growth form | Counts (various spatial unit) | Minimum density at 1000 m2 | Size of individuals or colonies | ||||
Crust/Meadow | Massive/Turf | < 1 cm | 1–3 cm | 3–15 cm | > 15 cm | |||
>  80% | S |  | >  1 / 0.001 m2 (1 × 1 cm) | 10,000,000 | S |  |  |  |
40–79% | A | S | 1–9 / 0.001 m2 | 1,000,000 | A | S |  |  |
20–39% | C | A | 1–9 / 0.01 m2 (10 × 10 cm) | 100,000 | C | A | S |  |
10–19% | F | C | 1–9 / 0.1 m2 | 10,000 | F | C | A | S |
5–9% | O | F | 1–9 / m2 | 1000 | O | F | C | A |
1–5% | R | O | 1–9 / 10 m2 (3.16 × 3.16 m) | 100 | R | O | F | C |
<  1% | L | R | 1–9 / 100 m2 (10 × 10 m) | 10 | L | R | O | F |
|  |  | L | 1–9 / 1000 m2 (31.6 × 31.6 m) | 1 |  | L | R | O |
|  |  |  | < 1 / 1000 m2 (100 × 100 m) | 0.1 |  |  | L | R |
|  |  |  | < 1 / 10,000 m2 (1 km2) | 0.01 |  |  |  | L |
Example taxa | Halichondria | Pachymatisma | Â | Â | Spirorbis | Grantia | Chaetopterus | Eunicella |
Corynactis | Alcyonium | Â | Â | Nucula | Nephtys | Arenicola | Funiculina | |
Fucoids | Foliose algae | Â | Â | Amphipods | Pomatoceros | Sabella | Pachycerianthus | |
Kelp | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Zostera | Nephrops | |