Abstract: The sustainable development of island resources is an important issue in marine development and management. In order to optimize the allocation of island resources and promote the coordinated development as well as ecological environment protection of island, in view of the particularity of island ecosystem, and based on the related researches, the concept, connotation and characteristics of island ecosystem vulnerability(IEV) were describes. The islands in Liaoning were paid more emphasis on, and a large number of typical cases of islands were analyzed to establish the impact mechanism framework and analyze the causes and manifestations of IEV. On this basis, the assessment system and methods of IEV were discussed. Finally, the research prospect was put forward. The study shows that the IEV is the sensitive response and self-recovery ability of island ecosystem when the island is interacted with the natural environment and in the process of island development under the background of certain natural factors and human factors. The IEV is objective, sensitive and difficult to recover. It has the characteristics of long-term, difference and controllability. The IEV varies with different types and degrees of natural disturbance and human disturbance, and the establishment of its driving mechanism and evaluation system can provide ideas for further research. The results of the study can provide scientific basis for island ecological environment protection and have important practical significance for promoting sustainable development of the island.

Key words: island, ecosystem vulnerability, impact mechanism, assessment system, Liaoning