Frequency-dependent hybridization contributes to habitat segregation in monkeyflowers

<p>Spatial segregation of closely related species is usually attributed to differences in stress tolerance and competitive ability. For both animals and plants, reproductive interactions between close relatives can impose a fitness cost that is more detrimental to the rarer species. Frequency-dependent mating interactions may thus prevent the establishment of immigrants within heterospecific populations, maintaining spatial segregation of species. Despite strong spatial segregation in natural populations, two sympatric California monkeyflowers (<i>Mimulus nudatus</i> and <i>M. guttatus</i>) survive and reproduce in the other's habitat when transplanted reciprocally. We hypothesized that a frequency-dependent mating disadvantage maintains spatial segregation of these monkeyflowers during natural immigration. To evaluate this hypothesis, we performed two field experiments. First, we experimentally added immigrants in varying numbers to sites dominated by heterospecifics. Second, we reciprocally transplanted arrays of varying resident and immigrant frequency. Immigrant seed viability decreased with conspecific rarity for <i>M. guttatus</i>, but not <i>M. nudatus</i>. We observed immigrant minority disadvantage for both species, but driven by different factors– frequency-dependent hybridization for <i>M. guttatus</i>, and competition for resources and/or pollinators for <i>M. nudatus</i>. Overall, our results suggest a major role for reproductive interference in spatial segregation that should be evaluated along with stress tolerance and competitive ability.</p>