This paper, based on Shanxi’s 1978-2001 ecological footprint, capacity and deficit per capital, analyzes their counts, structure and dynamic changes and causes in three indexes, which shows an average ecological footprint of 2.075 hm2, over the global threshold 2.0 hm2, an average capacity of 0.877 hm2, far below the global standard of 1.6hm2, and an average of ecological deficit 1.38 times of capacity, unsustainable and expanding. The causes lie in rising population, decreasing farmlands, fastconsuming energy, long-term, large scale mining of coal, and fast-developing power industry, and in poor quality of farmland, low productivity, large unused area. The paper presents approaches to sustainable development in reconstructing low productive farmlands and intensifying ecological construction with a focus on forestation.
