高山草本植物社會的研究包括植群型分類及其與環境的關係。台灣的高山草本植群因高山地勢與氣候的因素，過去的研究並不多。因此本研究以歐陸學派的方法來建立高山草本植群分型，並整合過往研究的高山草本植群資料。
於中央山脈、雪山山脈、玉山山脈各群峰之樹線以上的草本植物社會進行取樣，記錄物種及其覆蓋度與環境因子，再依此進行植群分類。所得之樣區資料以二階段分析的方法進行，首先利用雙向指標種分析及列表比較法將樣區合併為組合樣區，再以矩陣群團分析將組合樣區分類，並以判別分析、降趨對應分析、典型對應分析來確認植群型的分類與位階。經過分析及統整後一共得到7個植群型及6個亞植群型，分別為玉柏植群型、油薹植群型、球穗薹植群型、聚生穗序薹植群型、高山毛蓮菜植群型、馬先蒿植群型、玉山金梅植群型，其中玉柏植群型可再分為玉山龍膽亞植群型、短莖宿柱薹亞植群型、石松亞植群型、臺灣藜蘆亞植群型、假繡線菊亞植群型、玉山抱莖籟簫亞植群型。
與過去高山的植群研究相比較，顯示現階段的分類具有普遍使用的價值。首先依照本研究植群型及亞植群型之鑑別種群，將過去同樣以歐陸學派方式取樣且可取得原始資料的樣區歸類，透過判別分析檢視是否能與本研究吻合。僅非常少數可取得原始資料的樣區，不能與本研究之系統對應，原因可能起源於分析工具學理上的不同，顯示本研究的植群型及亞植群型有良好的分類效果，可應用於台灣高山所有地區。而非以歐陸學派方式進行分類、無樣區原始資料、時間久遠之文獻所分得之植群型，則根據作者文章所描述之植群型鑑別種與本研究之植群型對應，以查看過去的植群型是否能以本研究之植群型解釋。絕大多數的歷史植群型與現在的分類可以對應，僅少數過去已分得的植群型難以與本研究之植群型對應，推測可能的原因在於過去的作者並非在均質的地區上取樣，或是高山地區大環境的改變所造成，亦或是本研究之取樣上可能略過稀少的特殊微棲地所致。

Alpine vegetation studies typically include vegetation classification and its relation to environment. In Taiwan, there were very few such studies because of the dangerous terrain and the harsh climate, so the aim of this study is to build a classification for Taiwan alpine vegetation from field survey and literature data.
My study took place in the alpine vegetation areas above the treeline of the Zhongyang Range, the Xueshan Range and the Yushan Range. Relevé data, including species cover and environmental information, were collected following the Braun-Blanquet methods. The collected data were analyzed in two steps. All the relevés were first grouped into composite samples by means of two-way indicator species analysis and tabular comparison method. Second, the composite samples were classified into vegetation groups by cluster analysis. Then, these vegetation groups were combined and ranked by means of discriminant analysis, detrended correspondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis. The vegetation types classified were Lycopodium obscurum vegetation type, Carex satzumensis vegetation type, Carex oxyandra vegetation type, Carex nubigena vegetation type, Picris hieracioides subsp. ohwiana vegetation type, Pedicularis verticillata vegetation type, and Potentilla leuconota vegetation type. The Lycopodium obscurum vegetation type were further divided into Gentiana scabrida var. scabrida subvegetation type, Carex breviculmis subvegetation type, Lycopodium clavatum subvegetation type, Veratrum formosanum subvegetation type, Spiraea hayatana subvegetation type, and Anaphalis morrisonicola subvegetation type.
The vegetation research results from the past can be incorporated into the current classification very well. When the original Braun-Blanquet data is available, the diagnostic species were used to determine the vegetation type. The discriminant analysis then used to check the correct classified percentage. Only very few vegetation releves were misclassified, resulted from the different data used in the table comparision method and the discriminant analysis. This indicated the classification in this study may be applied to all Taiwan alpine area. When the original Braun-Blanquet data is not available, the diagnostic species listed are used to determine the possible vegetation type. There were also a very few vegetation types from the literature cannot be found its proper position in the system. These may be resulted from different sampling methods, vegetation changed or microhabitat not surveyed in the current study

論文審定書..........................................................................................................i
致謝...................................................................................................................ii
中文摘要............................................................................................................iii
英文摘要............................................................................................................iv
目錄...................................................................................................................v
圖目錄...............................................................................................................vi
表目錄..............................................................................................................viii

壹、前言.............................................................................................................1
貳、材料與方法...................................................................................................4
一、取樣調查及建立植群型分類............................................................................4
二、以判別分析確認鑑別種群的可應用性.............................................................10
三、歷史植群型對應..........................................................................................11
參、結果..........................................................................................................12
一、取樣樣區之第一階段分類..............................................................................13
二、取樣樣區之第二階段分類..............................................................................16
三、決定植群型階層並描述其物種與環境.............................................................18
四、以歷史樣區確認鑑別種群可應用程度結果.......................................................26
五、歷史植群型對應結果....................................................................................26
肆、討論...........................................................................................................34
一、判別分析誤判的情況與可能原因.....................................................................34
二、無特徵種歷史樣區存在的可能原因及歸類........................................................36
三、歷史植群型對應的其他可能解釋.....................................................................36
四、對於高山草本植物社會的其他觀察及未來可能的趨勢........................................38
伍、結論.............................................................................................................40
陸、參考文獻......................................................................................................43

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