Understanding how biological and environmental factors interactively shape the global dis-tribution of plant and animal genetic diversity is fundamental to biodiversity conservation.Genetic diversity measured in local populations (GDP) is correspondingly assumed repre-sentative for populationfitness and eco-evolutionary dynamics. For 8356 populations acrossthe globe, we report that plants systematically display much lower GDPthan animals, andthat life history traits shape GDPpatterns both directly (animal longevity and size), andindirectly by mediating core-periphery patterns (animal fecundity and plant dispersal). Par-ticularly in some plant groups, peripheral populations can sustain similar GDPas corepopulations, emphasizing their potential conservation value. We furtherfind surprisinglyweak support for general latitudinal GDPtrends. Finally, contemporary rather than past cli-mate contributes to the spatial distribution of GDP, suggesting that contemporary environ-mental changes affect global patterns of GDP. Ourfindings generate new perspectives for theconservation of genetic resources at worldwide and taxonomic-wide scales.