Abstract Context Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes represent a major driver of global environmental transformation, posing significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. Objectives We evaluated the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 Network (NN2000) considering an ecological approach based on ecoregions, over a 31-year period (1987–2018) within Castile and León region (Spain). Methods Using CORINE Land Cover data, we analyzed LULC dynamics across five ecoregions, compar