In the context of continuum methodology, an overview of the history and current state of the basic concepts of vegetation science is given. The concepts of autecology (identification of ecological groups, life forms, types of strategies), population ecology (vital, ontogenetic and genetic structure of populations), phytocenology (models of organization, composition and structure, classification, dynamics and evolution of plant communities) and phenomena of the infracenotic level (flora, topographic continuums and territorial units of vegetation) are considered.