Abstract: This study aims at learning the relationship between modern vegetation compositions, phytolith indices and physicochemical indicators, in order to learn the environmental significance of phytolith in the surface soils of Dajiuhu Wetland. Dajiuhu Wetland(31°24'~31°33'N, 109°56'~110°11'E; ca.1760ma.s.l.)is located in the northwest part of Shennongjia forest region, Hubei Province. Original peats, which can provide continuous records of the subtropical alpine wetland climate, are conserved here. Phytolith analysis in the surface soils is the basis of palaeoenvironment reconstruction.47 sites of Dajiuhu Wetland are classified into 6 vegetation types by the features of plant species composition and habitat soil, including wet peat bogs, wet herbaceous swamp, degraded semi-wet swamp, wet-moderate meadow, moderate-xeric meadow, and xeric meadow. 10951 phytolith fossils from the samples(collected from 0~5cm of the sediments)of this sits are extracted, identified and counted under the microscope, mainly of which are from grasses. The 47 sampling sites are classified into 6 zones(Zone Ⅰ~Ⅵ)according to phytolith assemblages, which is similar to the classification by the features of plant species composition. Rondels, square saddles, oblong concave saddles, plateaued saddles, crosses, bilobates, trapeze form polylobates, elongates smooth, elongates protuberant, elongates echinate, parallelepipedal bulliform cells(including square-shaped and rectangular-shaped), cuneiform bulliform cells(fan-shaped), unciform hair cell(point-shaped)and siliconpapilla(Cyperaceae) are found in the surface soils, which are from herbaceous plants and ferns. Rare phytoliths are from gymnosperms and woody plants. Two phytolith indices are calculated :(1)drought index (%)=saddle/ (cross＋bilobate＋saddle)] and (2) water stress index (sum of all phytoliths-elongate)]. Total organic carbon(TOC)and magnetic susceptibility are also measured as physicochemical indicators.The results show that wet communities have lower Iph, lower Fs, higher TOC and lower magnetic susceptibility than dry communities. Iph and Fs show a rising tendency with the community habitats ranging from wet to dry, which is consistent with the change of environmental indicators by TOC and magnetic susceptibility.This study demonstrates that we can rely on the phytolith indices(Iph and Fs)to distinguish different habitats in wetlands. Physicochemical indicators can respond to the habitats in other mechanisms. Both of them can indicate the same changes of environments and their relationships might be our further research interests. As phytolith assemblages and relative indices are indicative of the community habitat of Dajiuhu Wetland reliably, this can be an important tool of reconstructing palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate.