Global dataset of plant water transport capacity
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.
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BibTeX
@article{zhao2026global,
title = {{Global dataset of plant water transport capacity}},
author = {Yanchao Zhao and Maurizio Mencuccini and Belén Acuña-Míguez and Lucette Adet and Shadman Amin and Alba Anadon-Rosell and Leander D L Anderegg and William R L Anderegg and Ismael Aranda and Christoph Bachofen and Paulo Bittencourt and Oliver Binks and Miquel de Cáceres and Andrea Carminati and Eva Castells and David Chaparro and Hervé Cochard and Danielle Creek and Teresa David and Jorge David and Nicolas Delpierre and Margaux Didion-Gency and Frederic C Do and Jean-Christophe Domec and Cleiton B Eller and Laura Fernández-De-Uña and David I Forrester and Patrick Fonti and Alicia Forner-Sales and Alice Gauthey and Teresa E Gimeno and Charlotte Grossiord and Virginia Hernandez-Santana and Sonia Hernando and Ying Hu and Kate M Johnson and Ansgar Kahmen and Yating Li and Jean-Marc Limousin and Marylou Mantova and Isabelle Maréchaux and Evan Margiotta and Nicolas Martin-StPaul and Jordi Martinez-Vilalta and Lion R Martius and Christopher Mccarthy and Patrick Meir and Maé Moriggia and Kim Novick and Pablo Luis Peri and Richard L Peters and Clara A Pinto and Rafael Poyatos and Yakir Preisler and Jose Alberto Ramirez-Valiente and Lucy Rowland and Manon Sabot and Yann Salmon and Roberto L Salomón and Pablo Sanchez-Martinez},
journal = {Scientific Data},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41597-026-08456-w},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05839707v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Global dataset of plant water transport capacity
AU - Yanchao Zhao
AU - Maurizio Mencuccini
AU - Belén Acuña-Míguez
AU - Lucette Adet
AU - Shadman Amin
AU - Alba Anadon-Rosell
AU - Leander D L Anderegg
AU - William R L Anderegg
AU - Ismael Aranda
AU - Christoph Bachofen
AU - Paulo Bittencourt
AU - Oliver Binks
AU - Miquel de Cáceres
AU - Andrea Carminati
AU - Eva Castells
AU - David Chaparro
AU - Hervé Cochard
AU - Danielle Creek
AU - Teresa David
AU - Jorge David
AU - Nicolas Delpierre
AU - Margaux Didion-Gency
AU - Frederic C Do
AU - Jean-Christophe Domec
AU - Cleiton B Eller
AU - Laura Fernández-De-Uña
AU - David I Forrester
AU - Patrick Fonti
AU - Alicia Forner-Sales
AU - Alice Gauthey
AU - Teresa E Gimeno
AU - Charlotte Grossiord
AU - Virginia Hernandez-Santana
AU - Sonia Hernando
AU - Ying Hu
AU - Kate M Johnson
AU - Ansgar Kahmen
AU - Yating Li
AU - Jean-Marc Limousin
AU - Marylou Mantova
AU - Isabelle Maréchaux
AU - Evan Margiotta
AU - Nicolas Martin-StPaul
AU - Jordi Martinez-Vilalta
AU - Lion R Martius
AU - Christopher Mccarthy
AU - Patrick Meir
AU - Maé Moriggia
AU - Kim Novick
AU - Pablo Luis Peri
AU - Richard L Peters
AU - Clara A Pinto
AU - Rafael Poyatos
AU - Yakir Preisler
AU - Jose Alberto Ramirez-Valiente
AU - Lucy Rowland
AU - Manon Sabot
AU - Yann Salmon
AU - Roberto L Salomón
AU - Pablo Sanchez-Martinez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Scientific Data
DO - 10.1038/s41597-026-08456-w
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05839707v1
AB - 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.
SN - 2052-4463
ER -