This document discusses patterns in plant biodiversity and genetics resources as they relate to climate change. It begins by reviewing how plant distribution patterns have historically been used to study species origins and evolution. It then examines current plant diversity patterns and how spatial variations exist in populations and ecosystems. Specific examples are given on cowpea distribution patterns in Africa and algorithms used to detect relationships between environments and traits. The document concludes by discussing how mathematical modeling can be used to capture shifts in traits and occurrences under future climate change.