Background: Due to increasing global change, the rate of hybridization seems
to be increasing.
Question: Is hybridization adding problems or solutions to the effects of global
change on biodiversity?
Methods: We divided ourselves into two independent groups. Each group listed
topics it thought appropriate. We then compared and combined the lists, extracting a
natural structure of the topics. We next divided ourselves into three specialized
subgroups and discussed the topics in more depth. In a final plenary meeting, we
brought ideas together, discussed open topics, identified consensus or differences of
opinion, and prepared a preliminary report.
Results: Our lists of topics were highly similar, suggesting that we missed only a
few topics. We agreed that it is important to consider hybridization in both its genetic
and ecological contexts and with explicit attention paid to phylogenetic and
biogeographic history. It is also necessary to distinguish between underlying
processes and resulting consequences. Knowledge of the consequences of
hybridization is more developed in genetics than in ecology. We suggest that
hybridization adds problems (loss of biodiversity, ecosystem degradation) as well as
solutions (new adaptive variation, ecosystem robustness) to global change challenges.
Which of these applies in a given case depends on its evolutionary and environmental
context, and on the objectives of conservation management. We provide five groups
of questions to stimulate further research.