For each scenario $(L/N,\gamma,c)$ a total of $1,000$ simulations were performed. For straightforward statistical evaluation of the viability of metapopulations exposed to the respective conditions the simulation results were divided into three different groups, which are colour coded in the graphical presentation of the results: if all $1,000$ simulated metapopulations either went extinct or were viable the scenario is coloured red or green, respectively. Otherwise, i.e. if the number of extinct simulations out of $1,000$ is greater than $0$ but smaller than $1,000$, the scenario was coloured yellow.

The results are illustrated in Fig. \[fig:balanced\]. The three panels in the upper row show the viability of the metapopulation as a function of the number of dispersal connections per patch, $L/N$, and the colonisation probability $c$ for different values of $\gamma$: anti-symmetric dispersal ($\gamma = 0.0$), asymmetric dispersal with intermediate degree of symmetry ($\gamma = 0.5$), and symmetric dispersal ($\gamma = 1.0$). The lower panels of Fig.\[fig:balanced\] contain the same results, but now analysed with respect to the effect of the degree of symmetry, $\gamma$, for three different values of $L/N$. In fact, for $L/N > 3$ no statistically significant impact of symmetry is observed.

\[sec:discussion\]Discussion
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\[sec:discussion:interpret\]Interpretation and significance of 