High conservation value forest(HCVF) theory has aroused wide concerns among related forestry sectors in China,but the zoning and identification of HCVF only have been implemented in a few forest management units(FMUs). As there is no quantitative indicator for identifying and zoning HCVF in China,most FMUs are unable to have an exact zoning result. This paper introduced the concepts of HCVF and ecological forest,and compared their similarities and differences in terms of identification criteria,zoning methods and application scope. With four Chinese FMUs as case studies,some suggestions were proposed for establishing a zoning scheme of HCVF so as to promote the development of HCVF in China.