Key message Recent afforestation in Europe might involve deep changes on landscape composition and configuration. We show that afforestation promotes defragmentation of pre-existing forests and new patch proliferation, in forest-dominated and non-forest-dominated landscapes respectively, while it is not associated to decreasing landscape diversity. These processes are modulated by geographic factors and might affect functional connectivity and biodiversity conservation in newly forested landscapes. Context A recent forest increase in Europe might drive changes in the landscape pattern, with increasing forest defragmentation and connectivity but decreasing land cover diversity that, in turn, might affect biodiversity conservation. However, little is known about these patterns of change and their association with the environmental context. Aims To explore the association of forest cover increase with changes in the spatial pattern of European landscapes, while considering their original landscape composition, geographical position and elevation. Methods We obtained data from ESA and GFC land cover maps and other GIS layers and performed a set of GLM on randomly selected 752 landscapes with recent (1990–2012) forest increase. Results A decrease in landscape diversity in the last decades was not associated to forest increase but to high cropland and low scrub-grassland cover. A forest increase promoted the defragmentation of already-existing forests and new patch proliferation in forest-dominated and non-dominated landscapes, respectively. These processes also depend on elevation and geographical position, with forest defragmentation concentrated in Northern and Eastern Europe and new patch proliferation in southern and western regions, and in mid-elevation areas. Conclusion Changes in afforested landscapes are more complex than expected and cannot be solely attributable to forest increase, but also to landscape composition and location across elevation and geographical gradients across Europe.

中文翻译：

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欧洲近期植树造林（1990-2012）导致的森林景观格局变化：原有森林的碎片化与新斑块的增殖

关键信息 欧洲最近的植树造林可能涉及景观构成和配置的深刻变化。我们表明，在森林主导和非森林主导的景观中，植树造林分别促进了现有森林的碎片整理和新斑块的增殖，而与减少景观多样性无关。这些过程受地理因素的调节，可能会影响新森林景观的功能连通性和生物多样性保护。背景 欧洲最近的森林增加可能会推动景观格局的变化，森林碎片化和连通性增加，但土地覆盖多样性减少，这反过来可能影响生物多样性保护。然而，人们对这些变化模式及其与环境背景的关联知之甚少。目的 探讨森林覆盖率增加与欧洲景观空间格局变化的关联，同时考虑欧洲景观的原始景观构成、地理位置和海拔。方法我们从 ESA 和 GFC 土地覆盖图和其他 GIS 图层中获取数据，并对随机选择的 752 个最近（1990-2012 年）森林增加的景观执行一组 GLM。结果 过去几十年景观多样性的减少与森林增加无关，而是与高耕地和低灌木草地覆盖率有关。森林的增加分别促进了现有森林的碎片化和森林主导和非主导景观中新斑块的增殖。这些过程还取决于海拔和地理位置，森林碎片化集中在北欧和东欧，新的斑块在南部和西部地区以及中海拔地区扩散。结论 绿化景观的变化比预期的更复杂，不能完全归因于森林的增加，还可以归因于欧洲海拔和地理梯度的景观构成和位置。