The relatively stable spatial pattern of patch vegetation attributes to its adaptation to the arid desert environment, as well as the vegetation appears the main form in arid areas. In the arid desert area, the protective functions of vegetation on soil wind erosion not only relate with vegetation coverage and height, but also relate with the spatial pattern of vegetation. In the previous study put emphasis on the effect of vegetation coverage and height on protective functions of land surface, but the research that the impacts of vegetation pattern on sand break effect is relatively weak. It is always a major issue in the studies of sandy desertification combating works whether and how this kind of vegetation spatial pattern is effective in preventing sand. The results of the present study indicate that patch vegetation in arid area plays an important role in fixed sand dune, resisting hazards of wind-blown sand and protecting the oasis. This article gives review of the research of patch vegetation, including its evolution mechanism and evolution process, spatial pattern characteristics of population, impact factors of dynamic changes, differentiation between patches and patch gaps, spatial heterogeneity and effect of sand-fixation. Besides, the weakness in the present research is also pointed out. Moreover, it is strongly suggested that the 3S technology and simulation method should be used in the future study, especially in the research of impact factors in patch vegetation dynamics, feedback relationship between spatial pattern of patch vegetation and process of wind erosion and deposition, and scale effect of patch vegetation on sand-binding. These research results provide the theoretical basis and practice instruction for plant species choice and spatial pattern allocation in large scale ecological vegetation construction of arid desert area.