A brief natural history is given in this paper. It is followed by a quantitative description and interpretation of geomorphology and landscape ecology of Taiwan Island, based upon field observation, data of weather records, geological surveys, hydro-station records, and literature reviews of relevant researches. Four characters of the mountain area in Taiwan Island are proposed: firstly, the severe tectonic movement and weather variation, and their significant area differentiation; secondly, the tremendous impact of floods and sediment transportation with significant variations in both time and space; thirdly, a distinctive vertical distribution on landscape ecology and their area differentiation; fourthly, the serious environmental impact of human activities and land uses and conflicts between different utilities. It is followed with a geomorphic analysis to evaluate the landscape ecology of Taiwan Island. A new paradigm of governance on the mountain area is explored with a discussion on guidelines for environmental management.