The Importance Value Index (IVI) in Ecology is the quantitative measure of how dominant a species is in a given ecosystem. It combines multiple parameters to reflect a species' overall dominance, helping to describe the structure and composition of ecosystems.[1]
The IVI is calculated by summing three relative measures for each species in a given area:
Relative density – the number of individuals of a species divided by the total number of individuals of all species.
Relative frequency – the frequency of a species (i.e., the proportion of plots in which it occurs) relative to the sum of frequencies for all species.
Relative dominance – typically based on basal area (for trees) or canopy cover, representing the area occupied by a species compared to the total.
IVI = Relative Density + Relative Frequency + Relative Dominance
Each of these components is expressed as a percentage, so the IVI ranges from 0 to 300.[2]
Applications
IVI is commonly used in vegetation analysis and forest ecology to:
Identify dominant and co-dominant species.
Understand successional stages in ecological communities.
Guide conservation efforts and habitat management.
It offers insight into species' ecological roles beyond simple abundance by incorporating spatial and distributional data.[3]
Example
In a forest plot, three tree species are sampled. If Species A has high abundance, occurs frequently across plots, and occupies a large basal area, its IVI would be significantly higher than that of a rare, spatially restricted, or small-canopy species. Researchers often present IVI rankings to show the ecological dominance hierarchy within a study area.[4]
Limitations
Although useful, the IVI has some limitations:
It is scale-dependent and can vary with sampling methods and plot size.
It gives equal weight to density, frequency, and dominance, which may not always reflect ecological significance.
It may not be directly comparable across different ecosystem types.[3]
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