A Participatory and Spatial Multicriteria Decision Approach to Prioritize the Allocation of Ecosystem Services to Management Units

Forest management planning can be challenging when allocating multiple ecosystem services (ESs) to units (MUs), given the potentially conflicting priorities of actors. We developed a methodology spatially allocate ESs MUs, according objectives four interest groups—civil society, forest owners, market agents, and public administration. applied Group Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System approach, combining (a) Analysis weight decision models; (b) focus group multicriteria Pareto frontier method negotiate consensual solution for seven ESs; (c) Ecosystem Management (EMDS) system prioritize allocation MUs. report findings from an application joint collaborative area (ZIF Vale do Sousa) in northwestern Portugal. The owners selected wood production as first ES priority, with lower other ESs. In opposition, civil society assigned highest biodiversity, cork, carbon stock, lowest priority being production. had mean rank scores. found significant differences scores between three groups, highlighting agents most discordant groups. evaluated potential conflicts among priorities. suggest that this approach helpful makers, increasing effectiveness plan implementation.