Narrow Hybrid Zone between Two Subspecies of Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata: Asteraceae). V. Soil Properties

We studied soils of the big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) hybrid zone at two locations in Utah. The elemental composition, depth, and pH of soil in the basin and mountain big sagebrush habitats differed significantly from each other and from the hybrid zone soil. The hybrid zone soil is not just a simple blend of the two parental habitat soils. Rather, it possesses novel characteristics found in neither parental habitat and is more variable than the parental habitat soils. Correspondence analyses show that the sites occupied by each parental taxon are chemically distinct. Moreover, the principal axes from the two study locations are highly correlated with each other, indicating consistent edaphic differences across both hybrid zones.