泥火山是一種時空尺度較為單純短小的地形系統。泥火山的物質與能量均源自地下深處，屬內營力作用；泥火山受內營力與外營力的交互作用形成錐狀、盾狀、盆狀、池狀與噴泥洞等不同的地景。泥火山地景在空間與時間上的特性是隨其敏感性和回復能力而有所不同。以臺灣西南部旗山斷層沿線的泥火山群為例，泥火山隨其出露位置與旗山斷層的關係而有不同的地景，因為斷層的作用決定泥火山地景的回復能力。而泥火山的規模、活動程度與環境背景決定泥火山地景被侵蝕的程度。回復力對泥火山系統是建設性的，侵蝕力則是破壞性的。本研究嘗試將上述兩種作用力加總形成評估泥火山地景的敏感性指標。因為尚有許多系統變數無法具體量測，因此欲建立一個可操作的泥火山地景敏感性評估指標仍待努力。

Mud volcano is a relatively simple and small geomorphic system in terms of spatial and temporal scale. The source of material and energy of eruption of mud volcanoes are of endogenic processes. Landscapes of mud volcanoes, such as mud cone, mud shield, mud marr, mud basin, and mud hole, are the products of interactions between endogenic processes and exogenic processes. Landscapes of mud volcanoes vary spatially and temporally with their sensitivity and recovery ability. Take for examples mud volcanoes along the Chihshan Fault, southwestern Taiwan., The landscape of a mud volcano varies with its occurrence relative to the trace of Chihshan Fault, because the fault activity supports the recovery ability of the landscape. And the size, degree of activity and the surroundings of mud volcanoes determine the erosivity of the landscape of mud volcanoes. The recovery process is constructive to the mud volcano system, while the erosive process is destructive to the system. This study attempts to incorporate the above two processes to conceptually assess the landscape sensitivity of mud volcanoes along the Chihshan Fault. However, workable assessment of landscape sensitivity remains to be established because many system variables are yet to be measured and evaluated.