本研究旨在建立六龜試驗林之生態系分類方法，供全國性生態系分類和生態系經營之參考。研究過程包括生態單元之粹取和階層式生態系分類架構之建立。數值地形模型、地理資訊系統和多變值統計分析等技術均被應用來達成此目的，其中數值地形模型除用來產生地形參數之外，並供自動粹取集水區作為生態單元之用，而地理資訊系統和多變值統計分析則被用來建立階層式的生態系分類架構。研究結果顯示，應用數值地形模型和自行研發之集水區粹取程式，因可自動、快速及有效地粹取集水區並供作生態單元之用，為一適宜可行的方法。至於地理資訊系統和多變值統計分析應用於建立階層式生態系分類架構之結果，由於所得到之三階層式分類架構頗符合地形連續體之特性，其結果亦甚滿意。因此，本研究有關六龜試驗林粹取生態單元的準則和所建立的階層式生態系分類方法，可供全國性生態系分類和生態系經營之參考。
This study focuses on developing a hierarchical ecosystem classification system for island-wide ecosystem classification and ecosystem management for Taiwan. The process includes the delineation of ecosystem units and the development of a hierarchical ecosystem classification system. Several techniques, such as the digital terrain model, geographic information system, and multivariate statistical analysis, were applied to achieve these objectives. A digital terrain model was used to extract some terrain parameters and to automatically delineate watersheds, which were treated as basic ecosystem units. Multivariate statistical analysis and geographic information system were then implemented to form ecosystems at various scales required for hierarchical ecosystem classification. The results indicate that the extracted watersheds based on the digital terrain model and the proposed software are suitable for use as the basis for ecosystem delineation because the automatic extraction is a fast, easy, and feasible process. As for the development of a hierarchical ecosystem classification using a geographic information system and multivariate statistical analysis, the result is quite satisfactory because the 3-scale scheme of grouping smaller ecosystems into larger ecosystems coincides with the terrain characteristics along a continuum. Therefore, the criteria of delineating ecosystems and the scheme of ecosystem classification obtained from this study can be extended to island-wide ecosystem classification in Taiwan.
