Forest expansion in mountain protected areas: Trends and consequences for the landscape

Mountain regions in Western Europe have gone through a massive rural–urban migration and the collapse of their traditional socioeconomic system. As result, forest has occupied many old pastures croplands. In protected areas – such as National Parks changes landscape can affect biodiversity other services, including values that motivated declaration. Any policy decision these requires quantifying extent impact land-cover consequences on structure functioning. this study we analyze patterns change cover during six decades three mountain Spain. Our aim is to quantify those patterns, effects landscape, discuss potential for main natural services. We assessed reclassification aerial ortophotographs taken 1956–57 (past images) 2016–17 (recent images). The show relatively low total area (+5–10%), much larger increase dense (+20–30%), with an important effect land-use legacies, similar homogenization. There were fewer but patches 2016 than 1956, most gain occurred core (+20%), while transition edges, bridges or loops decreased between 30 55%. Given configuration should be explicitly considered when designing sustainable management abandoned landscapes areas.