Table 2.

Statistical comparison of vegetation coverage and composition along a transect in a goose-grazed marsh in the Draba Sibirica area (Area C), 1984 vs. 2008

	Difference 1984–2008 V	Trend 1984 τ	Trend 2008 τ
No/dead vegetation	11*	−0.576*	0.06n.s.
Moss	42n.s.	0.758**	−0.606**
C. subspathacea	72**	−0.485*	−0.382n.s.
Poa spp.	78**	0.091n.s.	0.095n.s.
Eriophorum scheuzeri	16n.s.	−0.224n.s.	0.688**
C. rariflora	4n.s.	0.759**	0.776**

Trends in coverage are from the lake shore to 165 m inland. Difference in coverage between 1984 and 2008 was tested using a paired Wilcoxon signed rank test (V-value) (non-parametric equivalent of a paired t-test). Trends are expressed by a Mann–Kendall test for a mononic trend (τ-value)

* p < 0.05 (two-sided); ** p < 0.01 (two-sided); ^n.s. not significant