Vegetation　monitoring　with　spectral　vegetation　index　(VI)　has　made　great　advances　over　the　last　several　decades,　and　numerous　vegetation　indexes　have　been　developed　as　well.　However,　the　monitoring　accuracy　with　conventional　VI　in　rugged　mountains　is　disturbed　some　extent　by　topographic　effects.　This　paper　presents　one　novel　topography　-　adjusted　vegetation　index　(TAVI)　to　obtain　correct　vegetation　information　in　rugged　area,　which　is　only　based　on　near　infrared　and　red　wavebands　data　of　optical　remote　sensing　image,　without　the　digital　elevation　model　(DEM)　data.　The　validation　with　Landsat　TM　image　shows　that　the　slope　of　linear　regression　equation　(k)　of　TAVI　and　the　solar　incidence　cosine　and　the　correlation　coefficient　(r)　between　them　are　similar　to　those　from　NDVIac-tc　(normalized　difference　vegetation　index　after　atmospheric　correction　and　topographic　correction).　TAVI　achieves　good　results　in　rugged　mountain　vegetation　monitoring,　especially　in　resistance　to　topographic　effect　in　rugged　terrain　and　works　well　without　the　support　of　DEM　data,　which　greatly　extends　its　potentially　applicable　scope.　©2010　IEEE.