articleEcologyOct 1, 2004Closed access

MEASURING PLANT INTERACTIONS: A NEW COMPARATIVE INDEX

CACristina ArmasRORamón OrdialesFIFrancisco I. Pugnaire

Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas · Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

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Abstract

We propose an index to measure the relative interaction intensity in plants (RII) with strong mathematical and statistical properties which overcome problems shown by other frequently used indices. RII has defined limits [−1, +1]; is symmetrical around zero, with identical absolute values for competition and facilitation; is linear; and does not have discontinuities in its range. It is therefore safe to use in statistical and mathematical operations. RII distribution is approximately normal, with means equal to the true population index and a sampling variance that can be derived. Its strong statistical properties make RII proper for use in parametric meta-analyses. It can be applied to any kind of interaction…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Statistics
  • Index (typography)
  • Mathematics
  • Range (aeronautics)
  • Measure (data warehouse)
  • Classification of discontinuities
  • Variance (accounting)
  • Ecology
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Reduced inequalities
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