A quantitative method is developed to assess the effectiveness of an ecological indicator system (EIS).
Linkage, coverage and representation degrees were applied to compare a practical EIS with the ideal one.
Case study on the Ecological Province Construction Indicators (EPCI) proved that our conceptual method is useful to assess the effectiveness of a practical EIS.
The EPCI indicator system has a high degree of linkage and coverage but biased representation in Fujian province.