Year: 2026
Type: data-paper
Abstract: Whole-plant hydraulic conductance ( k plant ) quantifies the water transport capacity along the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, and is a key trait determining plant water use and drought response strategies, as well as an essential parameter in ecosystem models. However, globally harmonised data are lacking. Here, we present the “KPLANT Dataset”, unifying data from 357 studies including 425 species, spanning 6 continents and multiple biomes, and comprising 3841 observations from 1970 to 2025. The dataset is dominated by woody species (90.71%), particularly trees (81.28%), but also includes graminoids (5.29%), and other growth forms (7 total growth forms). k plant values are given as originally reported, together with water flux and/or water potentials, plant-level dimensional and allometric traits (height, diameter, basal area, leaf area, sapwood area, Huber value) and stand characteristics (plant density, leaf area index, basal area). k plant values are additionally expressed on common normalisation bases, including leaf area, sapwood area, wood area and ground area, as well as on a non-normalised whole-plant basis. We describe the dataset, its strengths and limitations, and provide some examples of its potential uses.
Source: Scientific Data
Authors: Yanchao Zhao, Maurizio Mencuccini, Belén Acuña-Míguez, Lucette Adet, Shadman Amin, Alba Anadon-Rosell, Leander D. L. Anderegg, William R. L. Anderegg, Ismael Aranda, Christoph Bachofen, Paulo Bittencourt, Oliver Binks, Miquel De Cáceres, Andrea Carminati, Eva Castells, David Chaparro, Hervé Cochard, Danielle Creek, Teresa David, Jorge David, Nicolas Delpierre, Margaux Didion-Gency, Frederic C. Do, Jean-Christophe Domec, Cleiton B. Eller, Laura Fernández-de-Uña, David I. Forrester, Patrick Fonti, Alicia Forner-Sales, Alice Gauthey, Teresa E. Gimeno, Charlotte Grossiord, Virginia Hernandez-Santana, Sonia Hernando, Ying Hu, Kate M. Johnson, Ansgar Kahmen, Yating Li, Jean-Marc Limousin, Marylou Mantova, Isabelle Maréchaux, Evan Margiotta, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Jordi Martinez-Vilalta, Lion R. Martius, Christopher McCarthy, Patrick Meir, Maé Moriggia, Kim Novick, Pablo Luis Peri, Richard L. Peters, Clara A. Pinto, Rafael Poyatos, Yakir Preisler, Jose Alberto Ramirez-Valiente, Lucy Rowland, Manon Sabot, Yann Salmon, Roberto L. Salomón, Pablo Sanchez-Martinez, Leonie Schönbeck, Mateus Silva, Pol Soler, Clément Stahl, Laura W. Stewart, Abiel Teixidó, Ambra Tosto, Santiago Trueba, Anna T. Trugman, Aude Valade, Fernando Valladares, Fernanda De Vasconcellos Barros, Léa Veuillen, Jingwei Wu, Camille Ziegler, Victor Flo
Institutions: Wuhan University, Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Écologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes, University of California, Santa Barbara, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat de la Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Utah, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Cardiff University, ETH Zurich, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Université Clermont Auvergne, Physique et Physiologie Intégratives de l'Arbre en Environnement Fluctuant, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, University of Lisbon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Ecologie, Société, Evolution, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Université de Montpellier, Ecologie fonctionnelle & biogéochimie des sols & des agro-systèmes, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, L'Institut Agro, Duke University, École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Universidade de Vigo, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO Environment, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, University of Birmingham, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, University of Basel, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations, University of Edinburgh, University of Tasmania, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, National University of Austral Patagonia, National Agricultural Technology Institute, Technical University of Munich, Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Agricultural Research Organization, University of Exeter, University of Helsinki, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, Université de Bordeaux, UMR BIOdiversity, GEnes & Communities
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,490
Funders: National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Universität Basel, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, European Commission, Cardiff University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, University of Tasmania, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, China Scholarship Council, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, AgroParisTech, Universidade de Lisboa, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Universidade de Vigo, Wuhan University, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Université Paris-Saclay, Norges Miljø- og Biovitenskapelige Universitet, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Université Clermont-Auvergne, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Natural Environment Research Council, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, NextGenerationEU
Awards: G1348953298, G1359188718, G1516969859, Centro de Estudos Florestais, G1652320130, Collaborative Research: Predicting ecosystem resilience to climate and disturbance events with a multi-scale hydraulic trait framework, Collaborative Research: Metabolic Bet-Hedging as a mechanism for the maintenance of functional diversity in tree-ectomycorrhizal mutualisms, G2669892140, G294214751, G2948872768, G2979234808, G311888100, G318412399, Centro de Estudos Florestais, G3281031292, G3320050967, G3448714772, G3791888340, G3831376404, G4085408077, G4087890507, Using plant hydraulic scaling to predict the drought vulnerability of the world's tallest tropical trees, G4964819886, G4993905653, G5195188938, G5262952806, G5385376234, G5451035857, G5806516646, Total Available Water to Tree: a key, missing parameter for assessing the vulnerability of forest functioning in the face of climate change, G5958277091, G6080697404, G610701453, G6326031618, G650421570, G6520718613, G689359472, G7080048889, G7128047271, G7466406081, G7547775344, G855041801, G8709270594, Collaborative Research: Linking phenotypes and genomes to environmental maladaptation in two contrasting oak species, G901676405
OpenAlex ID: W7220847808