We sampled the aquatic plants using 1 m × 1 m plots (1 m2). Wepositioned 70 paired plots on the edge of the lagoon, which weredistributed along five sampling areas around the lagoon. Thirty-fiveof the plots were placed near the edge, in the water (submergedplots), and another 35 were placed on the other side of the edge, onland (emerged plots), to sample amphibious aquatic plants (Fig. 2).For each plot we recorded the number of species and the numberof individuals per species. Since plants are modular organisms, andare often capable of vegetative reproduction (a common featureamong aquatic macrophytes), we used the concept of a ramet, or anindependent and isolated reproductive unit, to define an individual(Harper, 1977). For rooted plants we considered each tussock asone individual, independently of whether or not each tussock wasconnected to neighbor tussocks. For floating species we consideredeach isolate floating mat as an individual.