5 | CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study highlight the necessity for understanding the
geologic and climatic history of a region and the life history of an
organism when interpreting population genomic patterns. The same species
in different environments can have very different patterns of genetic
diversity due to the dynamic nature of the landscape. This is especially
true in riverine environments. In riverscapes where aquatic habitats
have been stable over long periods of time, the spatial distribution of
genetic diversity will likely fit expectations of models based on the
life history of the organism and patterns of the drainage network.
However, in riverscapes that are impacted, the observed patterns may not
be obvious and are often difficult to interpret based on contemporary
processes. In addition, these genetic signatures may persist for a long
period of time due to the effects of a time-lag. When interpreting
genetic data for conservation of species in glaciated environments, it
is imperative that these factors are taken into consideration. A failure
to do so may result in an inaccurate interpretation and mislead
conservation efforts.