Invasion dynamics of the European Collared-Dove are explained by combined effects of habitat and climate

Global biodiversity is increasingly threatened by the spread of invasive species. Understanding the mechanisms influencing the initial colonization and persistence of invaders is therefore needed if conservation actions are to prevent new invasions or strive to slow their spread. The Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto, EUCO) is one of the most successful avian invasive species in North America; however, to our knowledge, no study has simultaneously examined the role that climate-matching, human activity, directional propagation, and local density have in this invasion process. Our research expands upon a cellular-automata-based hierarchical model developed to assess directional invasion dynamics to further quantify the impacts of climate, elevation, and land cover type on the spread of EUCO in North America. Our results suggest that EUCO’s dispersal patterns can largely be explained by the effects of habitat, climate, and environmental conditions at different stages of the in...