陕北地区长期以来干旱与水土流失并存，生态环境脆弱，是我国生态建设的重点地区之一。也是自1999年以来国家实施退耕还林(草)等一系列的生态恢复工程的重点实施地区。本文以陕西省安塞县马家沟流域为例，采用生态足迹方法，定量研究实施退耕还林(草)等生态恢复工程后1999年～2007年该流域生态承载力变化，旨在评价陕北生态脆弱带实施退耕还林(草)等生态恢复措施对流域生态环境的影响程度，同时结合“虚拟水”的新概念，试图对生态足迹方法在同类地区生态评价中的应用进行改进。研究结果显示： (1) 采用传统的生态足迹计算方法，1999~2007年马家沟流域的生态足迹整体呈下降趋势，承载力逐渐增加，马家沟流域生态承载力状态于2002年开始由生态赤字转为生态盈余； (2) 1999~2007年农作物和畜产品的单位质量虚拟水含量逐年下降，虚拟水总消耗量逐年减少； (3) 将水足迹账户加入生态足迹账户，应用生态足迹改进方法计算马家沟流域生态承载力，结果发生较大改变：1999年到2007年间马家沟流域均处于生态赤字状态，但由于退耕还林(草)等生态工程的实施，生态赤字逐渐趋于减少； (4) 基于改进的生态足迹方法的计算结果，采用SPSS软件以时间序列预测分析马家沟流域2008年~2013年的生态足迹和承载力，结果发现，在现有发展水平下，生态足迹将呈现下降趋势，而承载力则将逐渐增加，生态赤字的状态将逐步得到改善，并逐渐趋向于生态盈余。 　　上述研究结果表明，应用修改后的生态足迹方法，在总账户中加入水资源账户，能够更加真实的反应出马家沟流域的生态承载力状况，更加确切的揭示出人类为了满足自身需要而对自然资源的需求量与自然的供给量之间的关系；各种方法的研究结果也均证明，退耕还林(草)等生态恢复工程给地处黄土丘陵区的马家沟流域的自然环境带来了明显改善，土地生产力得到提高，人类生产和消费带给环境的压力有所减小，生态恢复工程初步显现了规划目标。 　　但是研究中也发现了当地仍然存在的一些问题，例如用于碳固存(能源足迹)的林草地面积不足，水资源过度消耗，水资源赤字严重等，这些都对当地的经济资源可持续发展造成了不利影响，需要采取相关措施来改善。

For a long time, drought, soil erosion and fragile ecological environment are challenges in Northern Shaanxi, where is one of the key areas of China ecological restoration. From 1999 china has implemented several ecological restoration programs such as Grain for Green Programs (GGP) to improve the eco-environment of the ecologically fragile area. Northern Shaanxi became a targeted region. In this paper, taking the Majiagou catchments of Ansai country, Shaanxi province as a case study, the changes in eco-environmental aspects were examined in the typical loess hilly and gully region over the period from 1999(the year starting the GGP) to 2007. Using Ecological Footprint Accounting and its revision, the ecological carrying capacity of the case study were assessed. 　　The result showed as follows: 　　(1) 1999 to 2007, the ecological footprint of the Majiagou catchments declined, while ecological carrying capacity gradually increased, the ecological footprint accounts began to appear surplus in 2002; (2) 1999 ~ 2007 the virtual water content per unit mass in main crops and livestock products of the Majiagou catchments decreased year by year, gradually reduced the total consumption of virtual water and improved the local water crisis; (3) The revised ecological footprint accounting showed that, from 1999 to 2007 the Majiagou catchments was always in a ecological deficit state, but ecological deficit of the state was gradually being improved under the implementation of ecological programs such as GGP, etc ; 　　(4) Based on the result of the revised Ecological Footprint Method, adopting SPSS to forecast 2008~2013 ecological footprint and biocapacity of the Majiagou catchments, found that under current developing lever, the ecological footprint will keep reducing and the biocapacity will keep rising, and the eco-deficit will get improved gradually, tending to eco-surplus. 　　The presentation of results show that the ecological restoration projects has brought significant improvements to the basin's natural environment and the local land productivity of the Majiagou catchments located in the Loess Plateau, the environment pressure of human producing and consuming has been reduced, the goals and objectives of the eco-engineering preliminarily appeared.? But in this study some issues were also found, such as the carbon sequestration land (fossil fuels footprint) was inadequate, excessive consumption of water resources brought on serious water resources deficit etc., which had a negative impact on the sustainable development of the local eco-economy. It’s necessary to take relevant measures to improve the local status quo.