Ecosystem restoration aims to maximum the ecosystem services on the basis of increasing vegetation coverage, scientific identification of priority areas for ecological restoration is of great significance to accurately implement ecological restoration projects. Based on the forest restoration in Shenyang, identification of potential forest ecological restoration areas based on ecosystem quality and regional natural properties, the coupling relationship between ecological restoration benefits and potential ecological restoration areas was analyzed, and then the priority areas for ecological restoration were determined. The results showed that: (1) The reference values of ecosystem quality varied greatly under different site conditions. The ecology zoning method which considered the climate factors and soil fertility, combined with the net primary productivity index of vegetation, could accurately characterize and quantify the reference values and status of ecosystem quality in different regions; (2) By comparing the ecosystem quality with the ideal reference value, the recovery potential of forest ecosystem ecological quality was accurately reflected, and then a more suitable ecological restoration method was selected; (3) In the process of identifying priority areas for ecological restoration, there were significant differences in whether to consider the trade-off relationship of ecological restoration benefits in spatial identification of priority areas for ecological restoration, and the method based on the coupling of potential restoration areas and windbreak and sand fixation benefits was suitable for the areas with sandy land management needs. The identification of ecological restoration priority areas based on the coupling of potential ecological restoration areas and wind and sand prevention benefits was suitable for regions with sandy land management needs. In this paper, a method of identifying priority areas for ecological restoration in areas requiring sandy land management is proposed, which includes "construction of ideal reference system-assessment of ecological quality-identification of potential ecological restoration areas-trade-off of ecosystem restoration benefits- priority of high-benefit and low-cost areas", can be widely used in the formulation of forest ecosystem restoration policy-making.