Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hybrid Zones Between Two European Oaks: a Plant Community Approach

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Plant Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Phenomena of hybridization can affect the ecology and evolution of the species involved in the process, as well as their communities. Although numerous papers focus upon the problem of taxonomy, few of these have attempted to study hybrid zones in relation to the analysis of their communities. On the Iberian Peninsula, hybridization phenomena among different oak species are frequent. It is, however, between Quercus faginea Lam. and Quercus pubescens Willd. where the most noteworthy hybridization phenomenon occurs. In this respect, we are familiar with the existence of different introgression levels but we are unaware of whether these hybrids are the transitory result of the interspecific genetic flow or whether these are maintained by means of extrinsic selection processes.

Study of plant communities’ flora and environment might shed light upon this issue. Comparison between plant communities dominated by one of the parental species and those dominated by individuals of hybrid origin might enable us to establish the presence or absence of an environment that is potentially selective in favour of the hybrids. Thus the possible existence of extrinsic selection. Furthermore, this information will help us to understand plant community distribution in an area␣that is difficult to interpret.

To this purpose, we used multivariate ordination techniques (DCA and CCA) based upon a total of 395 floristic releves covering the whole range of the parental species on the Iberian Peninsula and upon climatic and edaphic variables for each of these releves. We also compared the groups obtained in relation to floristic similarity (Jaccard index), richness and diversity (Shannon–Weaver index).

Forests associated with Quercus pubescens are related to heavy summer precipitation, whereas Quercus faginea forests correspond to lower values of this variable and higher ones for continentality. Between both formations, there is a broad hybrid zone, with diffused borders that are related to an environmental gradient of Mediterranean influence. In this region, two types of forest communities were distinguished, which enabled us to divide the hybrid zones into two territories.

Our results allowed us to locate the hybrid zone in an ecotone. The differentiation between habitats appears to indicate models of ecological selection. These models require, by definition, the presence of an environmental gradient between the parental zones. We are, however, aware of the need for future experiments in order to establish whether the hybrids are better adapted than the parental species. Only with availability of all this information can intrinsic selection be rejected.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

DCA:

Detrended Correspondence Analysis

CCA:

Canonical Correspondence Analysis

References

  • Amaral Franco J (1990) Quercus. In: Castroviejo et al (ed) Flora Ibérica, vol. II. Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Madrid, pp 15–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold ML (1997) Natural hybridization and evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold ML, Bouck AC, Cornman RS (2004) Verne Grant and Louisiana irises: is there anything new under the sun?. New Phytol 164(1):143–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aseguinolaza Ipaguirre C, Gómez García D, Lizaur Sukia X, Montserrat Marti G, Morante Serrano G, Salaverria Monfort MR, Uribe-Echebarria Diaz PM (1985) Catálogo florístico de Álava, Vizcaya y Guipúzcoa. Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco. Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Aseguinolaza C, Gómez D, Lizaur X, Montserrat G, Morante G, Salaverría MR, Uribe-Echebarría PM (1989) Vegetación de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco. Gobierno Vasco, Vitoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton NH, Hewitt GM (1985) Analysis of hybrid zones. Annu Rev Ecol Systemat 16:113–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benito Garzón M, Maldonado Ruiz J, Sánchez de Dios R, Sainz Ollero H (2003) Predicting Spanish sclerophyllous forest potentiality using artificial neural networks. Graellsia 59(2–3):345–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolòs O (1998) ORCA. Atlas corològic de la flora vascular dels països catalans. Primera compilació general. Institut D’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolòs O, Montserrat P (1984) Datos sobre comunidades de los Pirineos. Lazaroa 5:89–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun-Blanquet J (1932) Plant sociology, the study of plant communities. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruschi P, Vendramin GG, Bussotti F, Grossoni P (2000) Morphological and molecular differentiation between Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. and Quercus pubescens Willd. (Fagaceae) in Northern and Central Italy. Ann Bot 85:325–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burger WC (1975) The species concept in Quercus. Taxon 24(1):45–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell DR (2004) Natural selection in Ipomopsis hybrid zones: implications for ecological speciation. New Phytol 161:83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell DR, Waser NM (2001) Genotype-by-environment interaction and the fitness of plant hybrids in the wild. Evolution 55(4):669–676

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell SP, Boecklen WJ (2002) Are plant hybrid zones centers of vertebrate biodiversity? A test in the Quercus grisea × Quercus gambelii species complex. Biodiversity Conserv 11(3):443–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castroviejo et al (eds) (1986–2003) Flora Ibérica. Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, CSIC, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa Tenorio M, Morla Juaristi C, Sainz Ollero H (eds) (1997) Los bosques ibéricos. Una interpretación geobotánica. Planeta, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  • Craft KJ, Ashley MV, Koenig WD (2002) Limited hybridization between Quercus lobata and Quercus douglasii (Fagaceae) in a mixed stand in Central Coastal California. Am J Bot 89(11):1792–1798

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz Fernández P, Jiménez Sancho MP, Martín Albertos S, de Tuero y de Reina M, Gil Sánchez L (1995) Regiones de procedencia de Quercus robur L., Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl. y Q. humilis Miller. ICONA, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodd RS, Afzal-Rafii Z (2004) Selection and dispersal in a multispecies oak hybrid zone. Evolution 58(2):261–269

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dumolin-Lapègue S, Demesure B, Fineschi S, Le Corre V, Petit RJ (1997) Phylogeographic structure of white oaks throughout the European Continent. Genetics 146:1475–1487

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dupouey JL, Badeau V (1993) Morphological variability of oaks (Quercus robur L., Q. petraea (Matt) Liebl, Q. pubescens Willd) in northeastern France: preliminary results. Ann Sci Forest 50(suppl 1):35s–40s

    Google Scholar 

  • Font Tullot I (1983) Climatología de España y Portugal. Instituto Nacional de Meteorología, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman DC, Wang H, Sanderson S, McArthur ED (1999) Characterization of a narrow hybrid zone between two subspecies of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata, Asteraceae): VII. Community and demographic analyses. Evolut Ecol Res 1:487–502

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritsche F, Kaltz O (2000) Is the Prunella (Lamiaceae) hybrid zone structures by an environmental gradient? Evidence from a reciprocal transplant experiment. Am J Bot 87(7):995–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil Sánchez L, Jiménez Sancho MP, Díaz-Fenández PM (1996) Quercus complex in Spain: an overview of its present state. In: Kremer A, Mühs H (eds) Inter- and intra-specific variation in European oaks: evolutionary implications and practical consequences, Brussels, June 15–16, 1994. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

  • González-Rodríguez A, Bain JF, Golden JL, Oyama K (2004) Chloroplast DNA variation in the Quercus affinis–Q. laurina complex in Mexico: geographical structure and associations with nuclear and morphological variation. Mol Ecol 13:3467–3476

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grant V (1981) Plant speciation. Columbia University Press, New York, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Greig-Smith P (1983) Quantitative plant ecology, 3rd ed. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison RJ (1986) Pattern and process in a narrow hybrid zone. Heredity 56:337–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt GM (1999) Post-glacial re-colonization of European biota. Biol J Linn Soc 68:87–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill MO (1979) DECORANA: A FORTRAN program for detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal averaging. Department of Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Himrane H, Camarero JJ, Gil-Pelegrín E (2004) Morphological and ecophysiological variation of the hybrid oak Quercus subpyrenaica (Q. faginea × Q. pubescens). Trees—Struct Funct 18(5):566–575

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoechwender CG, Fritz RS (2004) Plant genetic differences influence herbivore community structure: evidence from a hybrid willow system. Oecologia 138(7):547–557

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howard DJ (1986) A zone of overlap and hybridization between two ground cricket species. Evolution 40:34–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard DJ, Preszler RW, Williams J, Frenchel S, Boeklen WJ (1997) How discrete are oak species? Insights from a hybrid zone between Quercus grisea and Quercus gambelii. Evolution 51(3):747–755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huguet del Villar E (1958) Estudios sobre los Quercus del Oeste del mediterráneo. Anal Institut Bot Cavanilles 15:3–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishida TA, Hattori K, Sato H, Kimura MT (2003) Differentiation and hybridization between Quercus crispula and Quercus dentata (Fagaceae): insights from morphological traits, amplified fragment length polymorphism markers, and leafminer composition. Am J Bot 90(5):769–776

    Google Scholar 

  • Izard M (1985) Le climat. In: Dupias G (ed) La végétation des Pyrénees. Editions du CNRS, Paris, pp 17–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez Sancho MP, Díaz Fernández PM, Martín Albertos S, Gil Sánchez L (1998) Regiones de procedencia de Quercus pyrenaica Willd., Q. faginea Lam y Q. canariensis Willd. Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelleher CT, Hodkinson TR, Douglas GC, Kelly DL (2005) Species distinction in Irish populations of Quercus petraea and Q. robur: morphological versus molecular analyses. Ann Bot 96(7):1237–1246

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmit JRC, Bacilieri R, Kremer A, Kleinschmit J (1995) Comparison of morphological and genetic traits of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). Silvae Genet 44:256–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Krebs CJ (1999) Ecological methodology, 2nd edn. Benjamin/Cummings, Menlo Park, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Kremer A, Dupouey JL, Deans JD, Cottrell J, Csaikl UM, Finkeldey R, Espinel S, Jensen JS, Kleinschmit J, Van Dam B, Ducousso A, Forrest I, Lopez de Heredia U, Lowe AJ, Tutkova M, Munro RC, Steinhoff S, Badeau V (2002) Leaf morphological differentiation between Quercus robur and Quercus petraea is stable across western European mixed oaks stands. Ann Sciences Forest 59:777–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loidi J, Herrera M (1990) The Quercus pubescens and Quercus faginea forest in the Basque Country (Spain): distribution and typology in relation to climatic factors. Vegetatio 90:81–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.A.P.A. (1974–1990) Caracterizaciones agroclimáticas de las provincias españolas. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitasova H, Mitas L (1993) Interpolation by regularized spline with tension: I. Theory and implementation. Math Geol 25:641–655

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montserrat P (1957) Algunos aspectos de la diferenciación sistemática de los Quercus ibéricos. Publ Instit Biol Aplicada 26:61–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore WS (1977) An evaluation of narrow hybrid zones in vertebrates. Quart Rev Biol 52:263–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore WS, Price JT (1993) Nature of selection in the northern flicker hybrid zone and its implications for speciation theory. In: Harison RG (ed) Hybrid zones and the evolutionary process. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 196–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Muir G, Fleming CC, Schlötterer C (2000) Species status of hybridizing oaks. Nature 405:1016

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olalde M, Herrán A, Espinel S, Goicoechea PG (2002) White oaks phylogeography in the Iberian Peninsula. Forest Ecol Manage 156:89–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petit RJ, Kremer A, Wagner DB (1993) Geographic structure of chloroplast DNA polymorphisms in European oaks. Theoret Appl Genet 87:122–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petit RJ, Csaikl UM, Bordács S, Burg K, Coart E, Cottrell J, Van Dam B, Deans JD, Dumolin-Lapèague S, Fineschi S, Finkeldey R, Gillies A, Glaz I, Goicoechea PG, Jensen JS, König AO, Lowe AJ, Madsen SF, Mátyás G, Munro RC, Pemonge MH, Popescu F, Slade D, Olalde M, Tabberner H, Tauchini D, de Vríes SGM, Ziegenhagen B, Kremer A (2002a) Chloroplast DNA variation in European white oaks: phylogeography and patterns of diversity based on data from over 2600 populations. Forest Ecol Manage 156:5–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petit RJ, Brewer S, Bordacs S, Burg K, Cheddadi R, Coart E, Cottrell J, Csaikl UM, van Dam B, Deans JD, Espinel S, Fineschi S, Finkeldey R, Glaz I, Goicoechea PG, Jensen JS, König AO, Lowe AJ, Madsen SF, Mátyás G, Munro RC, Popescu F, Slade D, Tabberner H, de Vríes SGM, Ziegenhagen B, de Beaulieu JL, Kremer A (2002b) Identification of refugia and post-glacial colonization routes of European white oaks based on chloroplast DNA and fossil pollen evidence. Forest Ecol Manage 156:49–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petit RJ, Bodénès C, Ducousso A, Roussel G, Kremer A (2004) Hybridization as a mechanism of invasion in oaks. New Phytol 161(1):151–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ponton S, Dupouey JL, Breda N, Feuillat F, Bodénès C, Dreyer E (2001) Carbon isotope discrimination and woody anatomy variations in mixed stands of Quercus robur and Quercus petraea. Plant, Cell Environ 24:861–868

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martínez S, Báscones JC, Díaz TE, Fernández-González F, Loidi J (1991) Vegetación del Pirineo occidental y Navarra. Itinera Geobot 5:5–456

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martínez S, Sáenz Laín C (1992) Enumeración de los Quercus de la Península ibérica. Folia Bot Matritensis 9:1–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martínez S, Díaz TE, Fernández González F, Izco J, Loidi J, Lousa M, Penas A (2002) Vascular plant communities of Spain and Portugal. Itinera Geobot 15(1):5–922

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz de la Torre J (1990–2003) Mapa Forestal de España, 1:200,000. Ministerio de Agricultura, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz O (1964, 1993) Quercus. In: Tutin TG (ed) Flora Europaea, vol. I. Cambridge, pp 61–64

  • Schweitzer JA, Bailey JK, Rehill BJ, Martinsen GD, Hart SC, Lindroth RL, Kleim P, Whitham TG (2004) Genetically based trait in a dominant tree affects ecosystem processes. Ecol Lett 7(2):127–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tavernier R (1985) Soil Map of the European Communities 1:1,000,000. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels. URL: http://www.grid.unep.ch/data/data.php?category=lithosphere

  • Ter Braak CJF (1986) Canonical correspondence analysis: a new eigenvector technique for multivariate direct analysis. Ecology 67(5):1167–1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (1998) Canoco reference manual and user’s guide to canoco for Windows: software for canonical community ordination (version 4). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovar-Sánchez E, Oyama K (2004) Natural hybridization and hybrid zones between Quercus crassifolia and Quercus crassipes (Fagaceae) in Mexico: morphological and molecular evidence. Am J Bot 91(9):1352–1363

    Google Scholar 

  • Vicioso C (1950) Revisión del género Quercus en España. Ministerio de Agricultura, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Villar L, Sesé JA, Ferrández JV (1997) Atlas de Flora del Pirineo Aragonés, vol. I. C.P.N. Aragón, Zaragoza

  • Wang H, McArthur ED, Sanderson SC, Graham JH, Freeman DC (1997) Narrow hybrid zone between two subspecies of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Asteraceae) IV. Reciprocal transplant experiments. Evolution 51:95–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitman TG, Morrow PA, Potts BM (1994) Plant hybrid zones as centers of biodiversity: the herbivore community of two endemic Tasmanian eucalypts. Oecologia 97:481–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitman TG, Martinsen GD, Floate KD, Dungey HS, Potts BM, Keim P (1999) Plant hybrid zones affect biodiversity: tools for a genetic-based understanding of community structure. Ecology 80(2):416–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitman TG, Young WP, Martinsen GD, Gehring CA, Schweitzer JA, Shuster SM, Wimp GM, Fischer DG, Bailey JK, Lindroth RL, Woolbright S, Kuske CR (2003) Community and ecosystem genetics: a consequence of the extended phenotype. Ecology 84(3):559–573

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams JB, Boecklen WJ, Howard DJ (2001) Reproductive processes in two oak (Quercus) contact zones with different levels of hybridization. Heredity 87:680–690

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf DE, Takebayashi N, Rieseberg LH (2001) Predicting the risk of extinction through hybridization. Conserv Biol 15(4):1039–1053

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Part of the map appearing in Fig. 2 was taken from the bibliographic review by J.C. Moreno Sainz. We wish to thank Felipe Domínguez Lozano, Francisco Martín Azcárate and David Galicia Herbada for their valuable suggestions. We also wish to acknowledge the efforts of two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany Unit, Science Faculty, Autónoma University of Madrid, C/Darwin, 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Rut Sánchez de Dios, Marta Benito-Garzón & Helios Sainz-Ollero

Authors
  1. Rut Sánchez de Dios
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marta Benito-Garzón
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helios Sainz-Ollero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rut Sánchez de Dios.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sánchez de Dios, R., Benito-Garzón, M. & Sainz-Ollero, H. Hybrid Zones Between Two European Oaks: a Plant Community Approach. Plant Ecol 187, 109–125 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9136-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9136-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation