Abstract: Landscape ecology was a holistic concept when it was firstly advanced by C. Troll in1938 and it had been neglected for about 30 years. Three factors promoted its revive in early 70s: 1) techniques of remote sensing, 2) the deepen and popularize of ecology, 3) the tendency of multi-dimesional study. With the characteristics of two research direc tions, horizonal and vertical direction, it obsseses the advantages to carry out study of integration, and is being payed more attentions by many ecologists and geologists. They found it a useful way to resolve reginal problems. Landscape ecology is considered as a new branch of ecology by more and more scientists, some even think it as a new science to face the future. In our opinion, landscape ecology is at its very beginning, and will have a long way to be a new science. Its research scope should cover from basic ecolo gical system to a region.

Key words: Landscape ecology, Landscape element, Horizonal study, Vertical study, Holistic concept