Landscape structure and genetic variation in plants: empirical evidence

Abstract

Many plant species exhibit high levels of intraspecific genetic variation and, for species with a variety of ecologies, there is evidence of genetic structure at various organizational and/or spatial scales. Results of empirical studies suggest that three components of landscape structure - environment type, environment size and spatial arrangement of environments - may all affect the amount and distribution of this genetic variation. There is evidence for effects of selection, random genetic drift and gene flow in providing links between landscape structure and genetic variation and structure. -from Author