Abstract: Some shortcomings existed in present vegetation pattern analysis, fractal geometry is considered to be an useful tool to deal with those problems. Selected researches on different levels ,that is ,from branching to landscape, were introduced first, the application of scale, self-similarity and fractal dimension in vegetation pattern analysis were then explained, and the fitness and challenges of applying fractal model in vegetation pattern analysis were pointed out at last. On the basis of the above discussions, the fractal mechanisms of vegetation pattren was declared, which means vegetation pattern can be regarded as a fractal with self-organizing properties. The fractal model of vegetation pattern was evaluated and prospected, some problems need to be cared about in research were put forward ,and some future developing directions were predicted at the end of the paper.

Key words: Vegetation pattern, Scale, Self-similarity, Fractal dimension, Fractal mechanism