Abstract: The state-of-the-art survey and review of theories and methods for analyzing and describing patch patterns and patch dynamics are provided n this paper.Quantitative ideas of patchiness, spatial indices and statistical, mathematical and system approaches toward patch patterns and patch dynamics are among the basic issues analyzed, especially including our recent studies on applications of integrated fractal analysis, chaos theory, cellular automata and self-erganized criticality. It is demonstrated that modelling patch patterns and patch dynamics will provide us a new possible way to study heterogeneous ecosystem development and evolution across different time and space scales.