Abstract:The ecological vulnerability of the western Hainan Island was assessed using a combined landscape pattern and ecosystem sensitivity approach. Models were developed by considering the following five factors: (1) reciprocal of fractal dimension (FD), (2) isolation (FI), (3) fragmentation (FN), (4) sensitivity of land desertification (SD), and (5) sensitivity of soil erosion (SW). The major findings of this study include: (1) The vulnerability of various landscape types was in the following decreasing order: farmland > forest land > water area. This suggests that the ecosystems of farmland and forest land are unstable and therefore sensitive to external disturbances; (2) Significantly positive relationships were found between VI（vulnerability of landscape types）and SD, VI and FN, FN and SD, FN and EVI (regional eco-environment vulnerability). This suggests that FN and SD have great impacts on VI and EVI in the western Hainan Island; (3) There is a good agreement between the predicted and actual distribution of EVI zones. EVI value tends to decrease with increasing distance from the coastline and increase with increasing altitude. (4) The landscape pattern and regional ecological vulnerability in the western Hainan Island is predominantly controlled by human activities though physical factors such as topography and ocean influences also play roles in the process; and (5) The establishment of relationships between landscape information and the regional ecological responses will offer a better way to analyze and assess regional eco-environment issues and therefore better guide the ecological construction in the region.