Our site area includes a variety of species of plants (including native and adapted) as well as turf, and there are overlaps. We were advised to remove the turf areas from the area calculation.

My query:
How do we deal with this overlaps - in order to properly segregate the area valid for obtaining points for this category (of native and adapted plants) from the area that should be excluded (turf, non-native/non-adapted if any)?

For instance, if a native/adapted plant - shrub or tree has sufficient spread or branch cover and below it is turf. Do we measure it from 'top view' to include the shaded portion of the native/adapted plant eliminating the turf area below it for computation or not?