Legacy effects of land use land cover change on species distribution dynamics: evidence from a landscape of diverse biogeographic crossroads

Abstract Context Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a key driver of biodiversity distribution, yet species responses vary among taxa, habitats, and regions. Because species responses are context-dependent, understanding how ecological characteristics and landscape history influence biodiversity distribution is essential for conservation planning. Objectives We evaluated how nearly two centuries of LULC change have influenced vertebrate distribution dynamics across Texas, USA, a landscape of biogeographic crossroads. We tested whether habitat specialization, taxonomic identity, conservation status, and ecoregional context better explain range expansion, contraction, and redistribution than landscape change metrics alone. Methods We compared historical and contemporary distributions of 100 native vertebrate species (mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians). Multi-temporal LULC datasets (1850–2023) were integrated with species occurrences, habitat associations, and ecoregional data to identify drivers of distribution range change. Results LULC change was spatially heterogeneous, driven by agricultural expansion, cropland abandonment, shrubland encroachment, and urbanization. Most species shifted ranges, with responses varying by habitat, taxon, and ecoregion. Habitat specialists, reptiles, and amphibians showed the greatest contractions, whereas birds were comparably stable or expanding, with responses differing among ecoregions. Habitat affinity, vertebrate class, and ecoregional identity were stronger predictors of range change than landscape transformation metrics alone. Conclusions LULC legacies set the environmental template and influence species distributions indirectly through ecological filtering, species-specific traits, and regional context rather than change magnitude alone. By linking historical landscape trajectories with contemporary biodiversity patterns, this study provides a useful template for understanding land use legacies, species redistribution, and community reassembly in diverse landscapes, emphasizing adaptive capacity and connectivity for conservation planning.