European National Parks protect their surroundings but not everywhere: A study using land use/land cover dynamics derived from CORINE Land Cover data

Protected areas are threatened by an unprecedented intensification of land use. The effectiveness of protected areas depends on their ability to stop habitat loss not only within their boundaries but also in their surroundings. Based on the CORINE Land Cover data, we describe the land use-land cover changes in European National Parks, both inside and at distant surrounding areas (1, 5, 20 km), and examine if the detected pattern is homogeneous across Europe. We analysed 192 parks from 25 European countries using five temporal scenarios between 1986 and 2018. Our results indicate that the designation of a protected area is a process that can increase it’s the area’s natural condition in a few years, thus providing a beneficial effect on its surrounding environment. However, this effect depends on the distance and when the protected area was declared. The naturalization effect is more visible at the nearest buffer distances in reserves that have been protected for the longest time. Furthermore, the role played by protected areas shows a spatially heterogeneous distribution, with clear notable latitudinal differences. In essence, these results are fundamental for developing effective adaptation strategies and proposing better policies to protect European NPs.