天然的森林或植物群落，以其外貌形相可作簡易的分類，但要展現植物的多樣性，必須根據其所含之物種組成加以調查、分類及命名，同時要將不同研究人員的成果整合為一標準化之植群分類系統，才能符合生物多樣性經營之需求。一般生態學者評估達成上列目標之方法，以歐洲法瑞學派之植相社會學分類法最具潛力，然有關本學派詳細理論與方法之文獻甚少，國內之探討文獻更付之關如。本文收集國外參考資料，說明其理論與方法，針對植群之取樣、分析步驟、分類技術與系統整合方式予以評論，并對其原理在台灣之應用性加以探討，期能有助於目前正推行之森林植群分類系統整合工作。

This article deals with the principles and procedures of vegetation analysis developed by Zurich-Montpellier school in Europe. The method aims to achieve a standard and formal classification system of plant communities, which is essential to the management of biodiversity. Discussions are made with respect to the history of development, principle of floristic-sociology, sampling technique, procedures of synthetic and syntaxonomical research. Application of this approach in the forest vegetation of Taiwan is reviewed and evaluated.