Shale gas development and production has potential ecological effects on water resources and quality, land use, vegetation cover, soil erosion, and soil quality. However, the ecological effects of shale gas development and production on vegetation cover and soil erosion have not been reviewed globally. In this paper, the ecological effects during shale gas development and production, including changes of land use and vegetation cover, landscape fragmentation, soil erosion, and soil quality were assessed. Crop, pasture, and forest lands were occupied by well pads, transportation roads, and pipelines and resulted in landscape fragmentation, whereas shale gas development has increased the risks of soil erosion and deposition in slope land. Until the end of 2015, about 55.8% (146.56 km²) of the region was classified as sensitive to soil erosion and Karst rocky desertification in the Fuling Jiaoshiba region, Chongqing, China. In the Chinese shale gas development area, the solidification treatment technology of water-based drilling cuttings in shale gas wells did not pollute nearby soils. We suggested that plans for shale gas development should consider land occupation and landscape fragmentation. Furthermore, temporary occupied land by shale gas development should be reclaimed promptly.