台灣擁有豐富的山地地形，從海平面延伸至近4,000公尺的高山。劇烈的海拔變化形成了多樣且迷人的森林景觀，對於這塊土地的居民來說是再熟悉不過。也許你曾經注意到不同高山區域的植物略有不同，但具體的區別是什麼呢？生態學家們出於同樣的好奇心，在廣泛研究後提出了山地植群帶的概念。在即將推出的文章中，我們將介紹山地植群帶的概念，並探索不同海拔下森林的獨特特色。
Taiwan, with its rich mountainous terrain, offers a landscape that spans from sea level to nearly 4,000 meters in altitude. The drastic changes in elevation create a diverse and captivating array of forests, familiar to the residents of this island. Perhaps you've noticed that plants in different areas seem a bit different, but what are the specific distinctions? Ecologists shared the same curiosity, leading to the concept of altitudinal vegetation zone after extensive research. In the upcoming series of articles, we'll introduce the concept of altitudinal vegetation zone and explore the unique characteristics of forests at various altitudes.
由臺灣生態學家蘇鴻傑於1984年提出山地植群帶的概念。根據溫量指數、年均溫和海拔將臺灣的山地區劃分為6個植群帶，每個帶的名稱都是以該海拔區間內代表性的植物種類命名。
The concept of Mountain Vegetation Zones was introduced by Taiwan's notable ecologist, Su, Horng-Jye, in 1984. He categorized Taiwan's mountainous regions into 6 vegetation zones based on warmth index, annual average temperatures, and altitude, naming each zone after the representative plant species within that altitude range.
儘管最初的概念是基於對臺灣中部山區的研究結果提出的，可能未充分考慮到區域差異，但站在一個初學者認識台灣森林的角度上來看，這套系統是相當適合入門的起點。即使你對植物知之甚少，也能從海拔的變化中感受到這些植群帶的變化。
While the initial concept was derived from research in the central region of Taiwan and may not fully capture regional differences, it serves as a beginner-friendly starting point for those wanting to understand Taiwan's forests. Even if you're not a plant expert, you can appreciate the changes in vegetation zones based on altitude.
如果你對臺灣的森林感到興趣，卻對不同海拔高度的森林有所困惑，透過我們接下來的文章，你將能夠輕鬆了解臺灣森林的結構，讓你在爬山的過程中，更能夠欣賞不同海拔森林所呈現的差異與特色。
In essence, if you're interested in Taiwan's forests but unsure about the differences in forests at various altitudes, our series of articles will provide a simplified understanding of the overall structure. This knowledge will enhance your mountain-climbing experience, allowing you to appreciate the differences and unique features of forests at different altitudes.
參考文獻：Su, H.J. 1984. Studies on the climate and vegetation types of the natural forests in Taiwan (II)- altitudinal vegetation zones in relation to temperature gradient.