Data from: The relative contribution of natural landscapes and human-mediated factors on the connectivity of a noxious invasive weed

Examining how the landscape may influence gene flow is at the forefront of
understanding population differentiation and adaptation. Such
understanding is crucial in light of ongoing environmental changes and the
elevated risk of ecosystems alteration. In particular, knowledge of how
humans may influence population structure is imperative to allow for
informed decisions in management and conservation as well as to gain a
better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on the interplay between
gene flow, genetic drift and selection. Here we use genome-wide molecular
markers to characterize the population genetic structure and connectivity
of Ipomoea purpurea (Convolvulaceae), a noxious invasive weed. We,
likewise, assess the interaction between natural and human-driven
influences on genetic differentiation among populations. Our analyses find
that human population density is an important predictor of pairwise
population differentiation, suggesting that the agricultural and/or
horticultural trade may be involved in maintaining some level of
connectivity across distant agricultural fields. Climatic variation
appears as an additional predictor of genetic connectivity in this
species. We discuss the implications of these results and highlight future
research needed to disentangle the mechanistic processes underlying
population connectivity of weeds.