生态用地对于维持城市自身生态系统健康，改善城市居民生活质量和保障城市可持续发展有着重要意义。笔者以生态系统服务功能价值评估方法为基础，提出了有效生态用地的概念及测算方法。结果表明：2005年环太湖地区有效生态用地总面积为826127.85 hm2，占区域土地总面积的29.97%。从生态用地类型来看，水域占比由原来的21.82%上升为51.14%；耕地占比由原来的62.16%下降为25.38%。从各市的情况看，差异比较明显，苏州市有效生态用地面积比例最高，达40.77%，嘉兴市有效生态用地面积比例最低，仅为16.77%。在编制土地利用总体规划时，可以将有效生态用地所占面积比例作为重要的规划指标。

In the process of rapid urbanization, it is quite necessary to protect a number of ecological land to maintain the ecosystem health, improve living quality and guarantee sustainable development of the region. The author put forward the concept and calculation method of effective ecological land based on the theory of ecosystem services. The results showed that: the effective ecological land around the Taihu Lake was 826127.85 hm2 in 2005, which counted for 29.97% of the total area. From the perspective of ecological land types, the proportion of water area has increased from 21.82% to 51.14%; the proportion of cultivated land had dropped from 62.16% to 25.38%. Between different cities, the difference was obvious. The proportion of the effective ecological land in Suzhou was highest among the 5 cities, reaching 40.77% in 2005. The proportion of the effective ecological land in Jiaxing was lowest, only 16.77%. The proportion of the effective ecological land can be a effective planning index to indicate the level of ecological construction.