Hybridization between Schoenoplectus sedges across Chesapeake Bay marshes

Hybridization is an evolutionary mechanism capable of enhancing adaptive potential, especially among species in fragmented or disturbed ecosystems like coastal marshes. In this study, we evaluated whether hybridization might influence adaptive responses in coastal marshes that are susceptible to the effects of global environmental change. To do so, we examined the extent and nature of hybridization between Schoenoplectus americanus and S. pungens , two ecologically dominant sedges in low-lying marshes across Chesapeake Bay (USA). Observed patterns of variation at genetically based morphological traits, cpDNA and nuclear microsatellite markers confirm that introgressive hybridization occurs between the two species. Comparisons of microsatellite and cpDNA profiles found that hybridization is reciprocal, although a disproportionate number of hybrids exhibit genomic asymmetries favoring S. americanus . AIC model selection consistently identified latitude as the strongest explanatory variable for the distribution of parental species, although discriminant analysis indicated that distributions also correspond to variation in environmental conditions. Discriminant analysis further indicated that ecological correlates of hybrid and S. americanus genotypes are similar, but not uniformly so. These findings indicate that the boundary between S. americanus and S. pungens is porous, and that hybridization could influence responses of one or both species to changing environmental regimes.