Model Based Approaches for Characterizing Environmental Effects on Spatial Genetic Flow

Abstract

Landscape genetics is the study of the effects of landscape on genetic diversity, but current landscape genetic studies often link inference made on spatial genetic boundaries to landscape features in a post-hoc way. We present a general approach that formalizes links between genetic boundaries and landcape features of interest. This appraoch builds on existing statistical models for landscape genetics and lends itself to optimal sampling methods. We illustrate the approach thoug a landscape genetic study of mule deer in Utah and Colorado