Stan code from: Branching networks can have opposing influences on genetic variation in riverine metapopulations

Aim: Fractal networks, represented by branching complexity in rivers, are ubiquitous in nature. In rivers, the number of either distal (e.g., in headwater streams) or confluent (e.g., in mainstems) locations can be increased along with their branching complexity. Distal- or confluent-spatial locations can result in fewer or greater corridor linkages that can alter genetic divergence at the metapopulation scale. These mechanisms underlying the resulting genetic structuring remain poorly understood at the metapopulation scale, particularly in terms of the roles of species-specific dispersal traits. The objective of this study is to mechanistically understand how branching complexity can simultaneously influence genetic divergence in opposite directions.
Location: Northeastern Japan
Methods: To evaluate the integrated influences of network complexity and species dispersal on genetic divergence among populations at the catchment scale, we modelled metapopulation genetic dynamics under a Bay...