XVI International Botanical Congess

There is an increasing understanding of the role of abundant congeners in the extinction or possible rescue of rare species. Hybridization is the prime factor in both regards. This presentation will focus on the process of extinction by hybridization with examples of threatened species. The threat to the existence of rare species arises from introduction of closely related species and/or the breakdown of ecological barriers. Populations of rare species may profit from the introduction of genes from extraneous populations. One source of such genes is a related species, another source is a conspecific population. Some advantages of gene flow will be discussed, including the transfer of adaptations and the enrichment of local gene pools.