Discussion
Here we provide the most robust and comprehensive evaluation to date of
factors driving population genetic differentiation in seed plants. We
largely found support for our hypothesis of factors that significantly
influence FST and several intriguing patterns emerge
from our analyses. Overall, we found higher FST for
tropical, mixed-mating, non-woody species pollinated by small insects,
and lower FST for temperate, outcrossing, trees
pollinated by wind. Latitudinal region was the most important predictor
for FST relative to the others tested. Mating system and
pollination mode had equal contributions for explaining
FST. Growth form was also a key factor influencing
FST, while seed dispersal mode was not important in our
most inclusive model (Table 2, Fig. 1).