This study was aimed to develop and assess the application of the priorities mapping using landscape perspective in order to develop spatial decision support system for conservational forest management unit (FMU). The study was conducted in Sultan Adam Forest Park, Indonesia. It follows series of steps, i.e., formulating the prioritization framework, preparing the biophysical condition data and assessing their spatial and temporal changes, assessing the spatial and temporal patterns of the resultant preservation on each management task, formulating the proposed contribution of the forest landscape prioritization for forest zonation, and assessing the optimum proportion for conservation priority. The two identified conservation tasks, namely preservation and rehabilitation, were used as the main prioritization goals in a GIS-based multi-criteria analysis. The framework for conservation prioritization of the forest landscape was developed. It has multi-criteria of tasks, components, sub-components, and parameters. Management preference was accommodated by weighting techniques using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Further analyses were carried out, i.e., spatial and temporal analysis in relating parameters with the biophysical conditions (vegetation, forest fragmentation, species’ status, settlement, accessibility, forest fire, soil erosion, topography, and land management). The study has shown a successful development and application of prioritization in the forest landscape with the introduction of new conservation concept, redefined criteria/component identification, and landscape approach. Spatial and temporal patterns of the biophysical conditions affect the spatial and temporal patterns of prioritization in both preservation and rehabilitation tasks. The incorporation of the threat component into preservation prioritization significantly changes the resultant priority area. In addition, the incorporation of the recoverability component into the rehabilitation prioritization also significantly changes the resultant rehabilitation priority area. Therefore, redefined criteria identification into value/importance and threat/urgency is crucial in prioritization. Priority area changed spatially and temporally. The acknowledgment on their patterns is indispensable for forestry planning. The concept that considers preservation and rehabilitation as the two main conservation tasks shows its usable application for prioritization. This study is valuable in providing a spatial decision support system in existing conservational area. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2017.
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