In many places of the world, rural and agricultural land is becoming abandoned. However, what are the effects of land abandonment on biodiversity and local communities? A new systematic literature review advances to answer those questions. — Fractured old stone ruins, overgrown with plants and trees, the remains of residential buildings and agricultural infrastructure, and old uncultivated terraced landscapes— when traveling in Southern Spain, one can easily follow the gradient from densely settled, lively urban areas towards the more rural environments, in which land is becoming more…