Land‐use change: incorporating the frequency, sequence, time span, and magnitude of changes into ecological research

The frequency and extent of human-induced land-cover changes is escalating worldwide. Recurrent turnover of land-cover types will affect ecosystems over and above major, one-time changes (eg deforestation). Here, we show how a deeper appreciation of the temporal dynamics of land-cover change is needed to understand its effects on ecosystems. We distinguish between four key components of land-change regimes: (1) frequency of land-cover changes over a period of time, (2) the sequence of land-cover types, (3) the time span over which each land-cover type extends, and (4) the magnitude of difference between land-cover types. We synthesize the impacts of these four components on ecological communities, showing that frequent land-cover changes are likely to favor species that are habitat and dietary generalists. Greater attention to the complex dynamics of land-cover changes is critical for a better understanding of the future impacts that human-generated land-use changes will have on global biodiversity.