Beyond species means - the intraspecific contribution to global wood density variation
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 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

Författare

Fabian Jorg Fischer

Technische Universität München

University of Bristol

UPS

Jerome Chave

UPS

Amy Zanne

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Tommaso Jucker

University of Bristol

Alex Fajardo

Universidad de Talca

Inst Ecol & Biodivers IEB

Millenium Nucleus Patagonian Limit of Life LiLi

Adeline Fayolle

Universite de Liège

CIRAD

Renato Augusto Ferreira De Lima

Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP)

Ghislain Vieilledent

Noumea

Université de Montpellier

Hans Beeckman

Royal Museum Cent Africa

Wannes Hubau

Universiteit Gent

Royal Museum Cent Africa

Tom De Mil

Universite de Liège

Royal Museum Cent Africa

Daniel Wallenus

Royal Museum Cent Africa

Ana Maria Aldana

Universidad de 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

Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Jean-francois Bastin

Universite de Liège

Andrii Bilous

Hsch Weihenstephan Triesdorf

Natl Univ Life & Environm Sci Ukraine NUBiP

Philippe Birnbaum

CIRAD

Université de 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

Universidad de los Andes

Inst Invest Recursos Biol Alexander von Humboldt

Roberto Cazzolla Gatti

Universita di Bologna

Jeffrey Q. Chambers

University of California

Ezequiel Chimbioputo Fabiano

Univ Namibia

Brendan Choat

Western Sydney University

Georgina Conti

Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

Will Cornwell

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Javid Ahmad Dar

SRM Univ AP

Ashesh Kumar Das

Assam Univ

Magnus Dobler

Universität 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

Université de Montpellier

CIRAD

Rosa Goodman

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Fysisk resursteori

Daniel Guibal

CIRAD

Université de Montpellier

L. Francisco Henao-diaz

University of California

Universidad de los Andes

Vincent Herve

Université Paris-Saclay

Peter Hietz

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)

Jurgen Homeier

HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Thomas Ibanez

Université de Montpellier

Jugo Ilic

University of Melbourne

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Steven Jansen

Universität Ulm

Rinku Moni Kalita

Bhattadev University

Assam Univ

Tanaka Kenzo

Japan Int Res Ctr Agr Sci

Liana Kindermann

Universität Potsdam

Subashree Kothandaraman

SRM Univ AP

Martyna Kotowska

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Macquarie University

Yasuhiro Kubota

University of the Ryukyus

Think Nat Inc

Patrick Langbour

CIRAD

Université de Montpellier

James Lawson

Government of New South Wales

Andre Luiz Alves De Lima

Universidade Federal Rural do Pernambuco (UFRPE)

Roman Mathias Link

Technische Universität Dresden

Anja Linstadter

Universität Potsdam

Rosana Lopez

Universidad Politecnica de 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

Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP)

Rafael Oliveira

Universidade Estadual de 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

Université d'Antananarivo

Jennifer Read

Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales

Monash University

Sarah Richardson

Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Enrique G. De La Riva

Universidad de Leon

Universidad de Panamá

Oris Rodriguez-reyes

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Universidad de 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

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Luitgard Schwendenmann

University of Auckland

Arne Sellin

Tartu Ülikool

Timothy Staples

University of Queensland

Pablo R. Stevenson

Universidad de los Andes

Somaiah Sundarapandian

Pondicherry University

Masha T. Van Der Sande

Wageningen University and Research

Bernard Thibaut

Université de Montpellier

David Yue Phin Tng

Ctr Rainforest Studies

Jose Marcelo Domingues Torezan

Universidade Estadual de Londrina

Boris Villanueva

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá

Universidad del Tolima

Aaron Weiskittel

University of Maine

Jessie Wells

University of Melbourne

S. Joseph Wright

Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales

New Phytologist

0028-646X (ISSN) 1469-8137 (eISSN)

Vol. 249 PMID 9882884

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)

Ekologi

Trävetenskap

DOI

10.1111/nph.70860

PubMed

41546131

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2026-03-03