Land use changes, landscape ecology and their socioeconomic driving forces in the Spanish Mediterranean coast (El Maresme County, 1850-2005)

► We study landscape evolution by means of land-use changes and landscape metrics. ► We assess the environmental impacts by using ecological connectivity indices. ► We carry out a statistical analysis of redundancy to identify the main driving forces behind these changes. ► There has been a dramatic environmental deterioration from 1950 to 2005. ► Urban sprawl and agricultural abandonment are the main cause of landscape degradation.