Context <p>Land-use change and intensification are major drivers of biodiversity loss. However, estimates of the effects of land use and land-use intensity on biodiversity on broad spatial scales rarely account for species-specific responses across large areas, instead averaging effects on local assemblages. Current understanding of biodiversity effects on broad spatial scales is therefore limited.</p> Objective <p>To investigate the broad-scale effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability for cropland and forest vertebrates throughout their contemporary ranges in Europe. To summarise regional-scale effects on vertebrate biodiversity patterns in Europe by synthesising the effects on range-wide habitat suitability for individual species.</p> Methods <p>Cropland and forest vertebrate occurrence records and geographic range estimates were combined with a European land-systems map. Species distribution models (SDMs) were used to estimate the effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability on a landscape scale throughout species’ ranges. Linear coefficients were specified to keep models interpretable, avoid overfitting and facilitate the use of priors based on expert knowledge. Regional-scale effects were explored for species groups based on habitat preferences, taxonomic groups and range sizes.</p> Results <p>Land use and land-use intensity significantly affected cropland and forest vertebrate habitat suitability on a landscape scale across Europe. The effects of land use and land-use intensity on habitat suitability varied among species groups. Land‑use intensification and urbanisation disproportionately favoured more widespread species.</p> Conclusions <p>Landscape-scale land use and land-use intensity help shape regional biodiversity patterns across Europe via their influence on habitat suitability throughout species’ contemporary ranges.</p>