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Regional land use and land-use intensity effects on vertebrate biodiversity across Europe identified using species
Sophie Jane Tudge1,2,3,4, Adrienne Etard1, Zoe M Harris2,3
1Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation Research Group, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Schlossplatz 1, AT 2361 Laxenburg, Austria.
Context:
Land-use change and intensification are major drivers of biodiversity loss. However, estimates of the effects of land use and land-use intensity on biodiversity on broad spatial scales rarely account for species-specific responses across large areas, instead averaging effects on local assemblages. Current understanding of biodiversity effects on broad spatial scales is therefore limited.
Objective:
To investigate the broad-scale effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability for cropland and forest vertebrates throughout their contemporary ranges in Europe. To summarise regional-scale effects on vertebrate biodiversity patterns in Europe by synthesising the effects on range-wide habitat suitability for individual species.
Methods:
Cropland and forest vertebrate occurrence records and geographic range estimates were combined with a European land-systems map. Species distribution models (SDMs) were used to estimate the effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability on a landscape scale throughout species' ranges. Linear coefficients were specified to keep models interpretable, avoid overfitting and facilitate the use of priors based on expert knowledge. Regional-scale effects were explored for species groups based on habitat preferences, taxonomic groups and range sizes.
Results:
Land use and land-use intensity significantly affected cropland and forest vertebrate habitat suitability on a landscape scale across Europe. The effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability varied among species groups. Land‑use intensification and urbanisation disproportionately favoured more widespread species.
Conclusions:
Landscape-scale land use and land-use intensity help shape regional biodiversity patterns across Europe via their influence on habitat suitability throughout species' contemporary ranges.
Supplementary Information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-026-02379-y.
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