Understanding how geographic variation in environmental conditions influences species’ distributions and population dynamics is critical for effective management of at-risk species and can help us anticipate wildlife responses to future change. The Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter warbler) is an endangered migratory songbird that nests in oak-juniper woodland in Texas. From 2009 to 2013, we monitored 895 warbler territories at 90 study sites located across the warbler’s breeding range to examine how geographic variation in vegetation characteristics influenced aspects of warbler habitat selection and productivity. We found range-wide variation in the tree species composition and vegetation structure of warbler habitat. Warbler territory density decreased with increasing percent Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) canopy cover at study sites predominated by shin oak (Quercus sinuata) and increased with increasing percent Ashe juniper canopy cover at study sites predominated by post oak (Q. stellata), but did not vary in relation to percent Ashe juniper cover at study sites predominated by other oak species. We also found that territory size decreased with increasing percent canopy cover (all tree species), but did not find evidence that warbler pairing success or fledging success varied in relation to the vegetation characteristics of our study sites. Our results suggest that warblers breed under a wider range of conditions than identified in current management guidelines and that warbler management guidelines could be more effective if developed and applied at local or regional scales. Our study also reiterates the importance of understanding geographic variation in wildlife-habitat relationships for conservation of at-risk species.

了解环境条件的地理变化如何影响物种的分布和种群动态对于有效管理高风险物种至关重要，并且可以帮助我们预测野生动植物对未来变化的反应。金颊莺（Setophaga chrysoparia; （以下简称“莺”）是一种濒临灭绝的迁徙鸣禽，栖息在得克萨斯州的橡树林中。从2009年到2013年，我们在整个莺的繁殖范围内的90个研究站点中对895莺的领土进行了监测，以研究植被特征的地理变化如何影响莺的栖息地选择和生产力。我们发现莺莺的树种组成和植被结构在整个范围内都有变化。在以小橡树为主（Quercus sinuata）占主导地位的研究地点，莺类密度随阿什杜松（Juniperus ashei）冠层覆盖率的增加而降低，而在由后橡树占主导地位（Q. stellata）占主导地位的研究地点，莺密度的增加则随其增加。），但在其他橡树种为主的研究地点，其Ashe杜松覆盖率没有变化。我们还发现，随着树冠覆盖率（所有树种）的增加，地域面积减小，但没有发现证据表明莺的成对成功或成年成功与我们研究地点的植被特征有关。我们的结果表明，莺在比当前管理指南所确定的条件更广泛的条件下繁殖，并且如果在地方或区域范围内制定和应用，莺管理指南可能会更加有效。我们的研究还重申了了解野生动植物-栖息地关系中的地理变异对于保护高危物种的重要性。