Ecosystem Services–Based Spatial Prioritization of Uninhabited Island Forests in South Korea

This study aims to reconstruct the revised 2024 Forest Function Classification Map from the ecosystem services perspective and to develop a structured framework for prioritizing the management of uninhabited island forests. Although uninhabited islands provide critical ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation and disaster buffering, they have long been marginalized in forest management practices. This research proposes a prioritization approach that integrates forest ecosystem services and sustainability indicators. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Ranking Method (RM) were applied to a panel of 25 experts to identify key indicators, and qualitative refinement was conducted through Focus Group Interviews (FGI) with three selected experts. Spatial analysis was performed using 0.25-hectare grid cells across 444 uninhabited islands in South Korea, generating forest ecosystem service scores, sustainability scores, and a composite index. The results identified Daebichido, located in Imja-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, as a high-priority island due to its high ecological value and low socio-economic indicators. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying sustainability indicators to uninhabited islands using public data and presents a scientifically grounded, scalable forest management model by aligning a nationally developed classification system with the globally recognized ecosystem services framework.