Spatial matching of ecosystem service supply and stakeholder preferences insights for regional management in the Shennongjia forest region, China

The persistent mismatch between the supply of ecosystem services (ES) and stakeholder demand remains a critical obstacle to effective ecosystem management. Previous studies have often failed to integrate the objective supply of ES with subjective stakeholder preferences within a unified spatial framework. In this study, we addressed this gap using the Shennongjia Forest Region (SNJFR) in China as a case study. We quantified the spatial supply of five key ESs (carbon sequestration, water yield, soil conservation, habitat quality, and leisure tourism) and evaluated the preferences for 23 ES types among four principal stakeholder groups (community residents, individual operators, government officials, and tourists; n = 120) using Q-methodology. A composite index based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was then constructed to assess the spatial alignment between supply and demand. Our results revealed a distinct spatial gradient in the SNJFR, where the supply of the five key ESs was concentrated in the central region, diminishing toward the periphery. Conversely, stakeholder preferences clustered around four thematic perspectives: tourism culture, liveability, production-living, and ecological conservation. Notably, the tourism culture perspective received the strongest support (45.92%), indicating that cultural services are highly prioritized by stakeholders compared to regulating and supporting services. Crucially, the spatial matching analysis highlighted discrepancies between high-preference areas and actual service provision. Based on the MCDA, we delineated the region into three functional zones: comprehensive urban development, ecotourism-dominated, and ecological barrier protection. Our findings reveal divergent stakeholder feedback on zoning and development priorities. Decision-makers must reconcile these disparities during the zoning process to foster sustainable management, particularly in resource-rich and spatially heterogeneous regions.