Studies examining impacts of land cover typically focus on abundance, distribution, and/or community richness, overlooking underlying demographic processes such as survival or reproduction. Here, we present findings from a unique dataset that allowed us to measure the relationship between land cover and reproductive output across the distribution of the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura). We used hunter-derived, Mourning Dove wing data across 1,271 counties in the United States from 2008 to 2014 to estimate spatially explicit age ratios (juveniles: adults), an index of local reproductive output. We also used raster imagery data to estimate relationships between reproductive output and land cover and crop cover. We found that low reproductive output occurs in regions where Mourning Dove declines have been steepest. Our findings reveal that impacts of land cover vary geographically, but even at a coarse resolution, small changes in the relative proportion of human-dominated landscapes can have a significant impact on the reproductive output of this generalist species. Maize and soybean systems correlate with up to a 57% reduction in Mourning Dove reproductive output in the eastern United States. In the western United States, developed areas correlate with a 41% increase in reproductive output. Across the United States, native habitats had neutral or negative relationships with age ratios. Our study contributes continental-scale evidence that Mourning Dove reproductive output is largely driven by human-dominated land cover including agricultural and residential areas. With Mourning Doves declining across the range, discerning more fine-scale land cover factors is critical for ensuring Mourning Dove populations persist into the future.

中文翻译：

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以人为主导的土地覆盖对应于全美国哀悼鸽子（Zenaida macroura）生殖输出的空间变化

考察土地覆盖影响的研究通常集中在数量，分布和/或社区的富裕程度，而忽略了诸如生存或繁殖之类的基本人口统计过程。在这里，我们介绍了一个独特的数据集的发现，该数据集使我们能够衡量哀悼鸽子（Zenaida macroura）分布中土地覆盖率与生殖产出之间的关系。）。我们使用了2008年至2014年美国1,271个县的猎人衍生的Mourning Dove机翼数据，以估算空间上明确的年龄比例（青少年：成年人），这是当地生殖产出的指数。我们还使用了栅格图像数据来估计生殖产出与土地覆盖率和农作物覆盖率之间的关系。我们发现，在哀鸽下降幅度最大的地区，生殖产出较低。我们的发现表明，土地覆盖的影响在地理上会有所不同，但即使以粗略的分辨率，以人为主导的景观的相对比例的微小变化也可能对该通配物种的繁殖产出产生重大影响。玉米和大豆系统与美国东部哀悼鸽子的生殖产量减少多达57％相关。在美国西部，发达地区的生殖产量增加了41％。在整个美国，本土栖息地与年龄比率之间存在中性或负面关系。我们的研究提供了非洲大陆范围的证据，表明“哀鸽”的生殖产量在很大程度上由人类主导的土地覆盖所驱动，包括农业和居民区。随着“哀鸽”在整个范围内的下降，辨别更多精细的土地覆盖因素对于确保“哀鸽”的种群持续存在至关重要。我们的研究提供了非洲大陆范围的证据，表明“哀鸽”的生殖产量在很大程度上由人类主导的土地覆盖所驱动，包括农业和居民区。随着“哀鸽”在整个范围内的下降，辨别更多精细的土地覆盖因素对于确保“哀鸽”的种群持续存在至关重要。我们的研究提供了非洲大陆范围的证据，表明“哀鸽”的生殖产量在很大程度上由人类主导的土地覆盖所驱动，包括农业和居民区。随着“哀鸽”在整个范围内的下降，辨别更多精细的土地覆盖因素对于确保“哀鸽”的种群持续存在至关重要。