Beyond species means - the intraspecific contribution to global wood density variation
Journal article, 2026
Wood density is central for estimating vegetation carbon storage and a plant functional trait of great ecological and evolutionary importance. However, the global extent of wood density variation is unclear, especially at the intraspecific level. We assembled the most comprehensive wood density collection to date, including 109 626 records from 16 829 plant species across woody life forms and biomes (GWDD v.2, available here: doi: ). Using the GWDD v.2, we explored the sources of wood density variation within individuals, within species and across environmental gradients. Intraspecific variation accounted for c. 15% of overall wood density variation (SD = 0.068 g cm(-3)). Variance was 50% smaller in sapwood than heartwood, and 30% smaller in branchwood than trunkwood. Individuals in extreme environments (dry, hot and acidic soils) had higher wood density than conspecifics elsewhere (+0.02 g cm(-3), c. 4% of the mean). Intraspecific environmental effects strongly tracked interspecific patterns (r = 0.83) but were 70-80% smaller and varied considerably among taxa. Individual plant wood density was difficult to predict (root mean square error > 0.08 g cm(-3); single-measurement R-2 = 0.59). We recommend (1) systematic sampling of multiple individuals and tissues for local applications, and (2) expanded taxonomic coverage combined with integrative models for robust estimates across ecological scales.
aridity
intraspecific variation
wood density
biomass
hierarchical modelling
functional trait
Author
Fabian Jorg Fischer
Technical University of Munich
University of Bristol
UPS
Jerome Chave
UPS
Amy Zanne
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Tommaso Jucker
University of Bristol
Alex Fajardo
University of Talca
Inst Ecol & Biodivers IEB
Millenium Nucleus Patagonian Limit of Life LiLi
Adeline Fayolle
University of Liège
CIRAD
Renato Augusto Ferreira De Lima
University of Sao Paulo (USP)
Ghislain Vieilledent
Noumea
University of Montpellier
Hans Beeckman
Royal Museum Cent Africa
Wannes Hubau
Ghent university
Royal Museum Cent Africa
Tom De Mil
University of Liège
Royal Museum Cent Africa
Daniel Wallenus
Royal Museum Cent Africa
Ana Maria Aldana
University of Los Andes
Esteban Alvarez-davila
Fdn Con Vida
Luciana F. Alves
University of California
Deborah M. G. Apgaua
Ctr Rainforest Studies
Fatima Arcanjo
Federal University of Uberlândia
State University of Londrina
Jean-francois Bastin
University of Liège
Andrii Bilous
Hsch Weihenstephan Triesdorf
Natl Univ Life & Environm Sci Ukraine NUBiP
Philippe Birnbaum
CIRAD
University of Montpellier
Volodymyr Blyshchyk
Natl Univ Life & Environm Sci Ukraine NUBiP
Joli Borah
University of Sheffield
Vanessa Boukili
University of Connecticut
Off Strateg Planning & Community Dev
J. Julio Camarero
Inst Pirena Ecol IPE CSIC
Luisa Casas
University of Los Andes
Inst Invest Recursos Biol Alexander von Humboldt
Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
University of Bologna
Jeffrey Q. Chambers
University of California
Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano
Univ Namibia
Brendan Choat
Western Sydney University
Georgina Conti
National University of Córdoba
Will Cornwell
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Javid Ahmad Dar
SRM Univ AP
Ashesh Kumar Das
Assam Univ
Magnus Dobler
University of Potsdam
Dao Dougabka
Ecole Natl Super Travaux Publ Tchad
David P. Edwards
University of Cambridge
Robert Evans
University of Melbourne
Daniel Falster
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Philip Fearnside
Natl Inst Res Amazonia INPA
Olivier Flores
Université de La Réunion
Nikolaos Fyllas
Dept Biol
Jean Gerard
University of Montpellier
CIRAD
Rosa Goodman
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Physical Resource Theory
Daniel Guibal
CIRAD
University of Montpellier
L. Francisco Henao-diaz
University of California
University of Los Andes
Vincent Herve
University Paris-Saclay
Peter Hietz
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)
Jurgen Homeier
HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts
University of Göttingen
Thomas Ibanez
University of Montpellier
Jugo Ilic
University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Steven Jansen
University of Ulm
Rinku Moni Kalita
Bhattadev University
Assam Univ
Tanaka Kenzo
Japan Int Res Ctr Agr Sci
Liana Kindermann
University of Potsdam
Subashree Kothandaraman
SRM Univ AP
Martyna Kotowska
University of Göttingen
Macquarie University
Yasuhiro Kubota
University of the Ryukyus
Think Nat Inc
Patrick Langbour
CIRAD
University of Montpellier
James Lawson
Government of New South Wales
Andre Luiz Alves De Lima
Rural Federal University of Pernambuco
Roman Mathias Link
Technische Universität Dresden
Anja Linstadter
University of Potsdam
Rosana Lopez
Technical University of Madrid
Cate Macinnis-ng
University of Auckland
Luiz Fernando S. Magnago
Federal University of Bahia
Adam R. Martin
University of Toronto
Ashley M. Matheny
University of Texas
James K. Mccarthy
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
Arun Jyoti Nath
Assam Univ
Bruce Walker Nelson
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia
Marco Njana
Wildlife Conservat Soci
Euler Melo Nogueira
Ctr Univ UniFG
Colegio Estadual Francisco Moreira Alves
Alexandre Oliveira
University of Sao Paulo (USP)
Rafael Oliveira
State University of Campinas
Mark Olson
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Yusuke Onoda
Kyoto University
Keryn Paul
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Daniel Piotto
Federal University of Bahia
Phil Radtke
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Onja Razafindratsima
University of California
Tahiana Ramananantoandro
University of Antananarivo
Jennifer Read
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Monash University
Sarah Richardson
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
Enrique G. De La Riva
Universidad de Leon
University of Panama
Oris Rodriguez-reyes
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
University of Extremadura
Samir G. Rolim
Federal University of Bahia
Victor Rolo
University of Oxford
Julieta A. Rosell
University of Oxford
Roberto Salguero-gomez
University of Oxford
Nadia S. Santini
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Bernhard Schuldt
Technische Universität Dresden
University of Göttingen
Luitgard Schwendenmann
University of Auckland
Arne Sellin
University of Tartu
Timothy Staples
University of Queensland
Pablo R. Stevenson
University of Los Andes
Somaiah Sundarapandian
Pondicherry University
Masha T. Van Der Sande
Wageningen University and Research
Bernard Thibaut
University of Montpellier
David Yue Phin Tng
Ctr Rainforest Studies
Jose Marcelo Domingues Torezan
State University of Londrina
Boris Villanueva
Bogotá Botanical Garden
Universidad del Tolima
Aaron Weiskittel
University of Maine
Jessie Wells
University of Melbourne
S. Joseph Wright
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
New Phytologist
0028-646X (ISSN) 1469-8137 (eISSN)
Vol. 249 PMID 9882884Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Ecology
Wood Science
DOI
10.1111/nph.70860
PubMed
41546131