埤塘做為一種文化景觀(非屬自然景觀)，是區域之人群、生活方式與技術、社會組織以及自然環境等因素相互作用的結果，亦即各因素間機能性的關係，以一動態過程相互作用形成物質構造物(埤塘)，在不同時期以不同型態分布表現於地表空間，成為塑造區域屬性的文化景觀。本研究嘗試以景觀形態及系統功能的概念，來探討桃園台地的特殊景觀--埤塘，解釋其在地表的形態分布與功能運作的影響因素，所得結果如下：(一)私有埤圳期 1928年桃園大圳完工以前，本區由於特殊自然環境及稻作灌溉的需要，埤塘隨著土地拓墾的過程散布在整個台地上。由於此時期築造埤圳的社會組織僅以小型血緣性或地緣性的小單位為基礎，加上以人力、獸力為主的水利工程技術內容的影響下，所築埤塘僅能在台地範圍內利用局部地形坡度引溪流泉水貯蓄灌溉，因而最終形成為數眾多的私有小型埤塘灌溉系統。而其在地表區域上的規模、形狀及空間分布，則在農民考慮埤塘蓄水來源豐欠、構築工本以及土地使用效率等因素的的影響下，主要受雨量、地形地勢等因子所形成的集水環境的制約，而與局部地區自然環境因子呈現密切相關的情況。(二)公有埤圳期 1928年的桃園大圳的完成，以及1964年石門水庫、石門大圳的完工通水，由於來自台地外穩定的水源供應以及政府力量介入灌溉組織的影響，區內的埤塘的灌溉運作及規模分布突破了以往僅依賴地形坡度集水的限制，其規模組織趨向大型化、公共化，且個別埤塘在獲得大圳水源的供應後，可不受集水環境的限制而平均散布在區域上，俾使整個大圳-埤塘灌溉系統涵蓋最大的灌溉範圍。然而因各時期工程技術內容以及社會組織環境的差異，使得本區埤塘型態的轉變極具階段性及區域差異性，其規模的空間分布仍為自私有埤圳期以來自沿海向內陸近山處遞減的分布，呈現自然環境對人文景觀型態的影響。 綜上所述，桃園台地的埤塘景觀，是區域人口、社會組織、科技與自然環境等因素機能關係作用的結果，而在地表上呈現物質構造物，成為塑造區域屬性的文化景觀--埤塘。所以機能關係的變化，可自其投影於地表的結果，辨認其形態與分布，而形態分布的變化也含有機能關係變化的內涵。

Existence of irrigation ponds exhibits a cultural but not a natural landscape on Taoyuan Plateau. This particular landscape is resulted from the interaction between the factors of living style, social organization, technology, and the natural environment in the area. In other words, it is a functional relationship of these factors that might consture the landscape of irrigation ponds on the Plateau. This research attempts to probe into the spocial landscape of irrigation ponds on the Plateau through the concept of landscape confeguration and system function to find out the major factors that affect the distribution of irrigation ponds as well as their functional operation. The findings are as follows: 1. Period of private irrigation ponds Owing to the special natural environment and to the needs of irrigation water for rice paid, the spread of irrigation ponds reflected the process of land reclamation before the completion of Taoyuan Canal. In this period, because of the old social organization and of lacking advanced engineering techniques, the private ponds usually built on the slope area for saving rain water are numerous and small. General speaking, the dimension and the distribution of the ponds are primarily governed by the rainfall and the slope terrain of the natural enveronment. 2. Period of public irrigation ponds After the completion of Taoyuan Canal in 1928 and the built of Shimen Canal in 1964, operational irrigation ponds are no longer limited to the slope area for collecting rain water. Consequently, the type of the ponds becomes public and larger as opposite to private and small in the past. However, due to the advancement of engineering techniques and the change of social organization, the number of irrigation ponds decreases as it shifts from sea-shore toward inland. To sum up, the landscape of irrigation ponds on Taoyuan Plateau is the result of the interacting factors between the living style, social organization, technology and the natural environment. The changes in functional relationship could be recognized by the types and the distribution of ponds, on the opposite, the changes of their types and distribution might represent the changes in functional relationship as well as the change of culture landscape in the studied region.keywords: irrigation ponds , cultural landscape , functional relationship , configuration and distribution , functional operation