biostudies-literatureFischer FJAgence Nationale de la RechercheInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaNatural Environment Research CouncilMinistry of Science and Education of UkraineDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoEuropean Research CouncilAnusandhan National Research FoundationDutch Research Council (NWO)Ministry of Business, Innovation and EmploymentFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloSmithsonian Tropical Research InstituteAustrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research, OeAD-GmbHFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do AmazonasNational Science FoundationNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaSão Paulo Research FoundationLeverhulme TrustFundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia de PernambucoAgencia Nacional de Investigación y DesarrolloUniversidad de PanamáUK Research and InnovationSRM University APMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesScience and Engineering Research BoardBrazilian Research Network on Climate ChangeRoyal Society Te ApārangiFondation pour la Recherche sur la BiodiversiteMinisterio de Economía, Comercio y EmpresaCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research, IndiaEcopetrol2630-2651https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12917463biostudies-literatureUnknown249(6)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: 10.5281/zenodo.16919509). 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 The New phytologistBeyond species means - the intraspecific contribution to global wood density variation.PMC12917463PID2021‐123675OB‐C4312450/2021-4;307984/2022‐2ANR-10-LABX-00410125U000682CRS TRR‐228/201.02.016301.02529/2024-87NWO-VI.Veni.192.027101001905307984/2022-2no.38(1349)/13/EMR-IIAnid-Fondecyt 1231025ANR-10-LABX-25-010122U001813UOA120701.13.0353-00ANR‐10‐LABX‐25‐01EP/Y003810/1TED2021-129770B-C212046768NWO‐VI.Veni.192.027UA08/201712450/2021‐4;CRC TRR‐228/1135‐2009PELD 441510/2020-5PELD 441510/2020‐5no.38(1349)/13/EMR‐IIRDF‐UOA150413/08722‐5406941/2022-0CRC TRR-228/1406941/2022‐0TED2021‐129770B‐C2113/08722-5UA08/2018SRMAP/URG/E&PP/2022-23/012NE/M018458/1RPG-2020-341RPG‐2020‐341UA07/202001.02.016301.02529/2024‐87ANR‐10‐LABX‐0041RDF-UOA1504NE/S01537X/1PDF/2021/003742/LSNE/X013766/1Anid‐Fondecyt 1231025135-2009CGL2013-46808-RPID2021-123675OB-C43SRG/2022/002286CRS TRR-228/2Kalita RMNelson BWSantini NSHerve Vde Lima ALAFajardo AFabiano ECde la Riva EGChoat BRichardson SStevenson PRZanne ARamananantoandro THietz PKindermann LIlic JTng DYPNjana MEdwards DPHubau WAlvarez-Davila EKotowska MSellin ARadtke PLangbour PKenzo TLopez RBlyshchyk VRazafindratsima ODobler MConti GPiotto DGerard JLawson JSchuldt BDar JABastin JFMacinnis-Ng CCasas LFalster DNath AJFayolle AHenao-Diaz LFvan der Sande MTJucker TBoukili VBeeckman HFischer FJThibaut BBilous AWallenus DJansen SWeiskittel ADas AKOlson MPaul KKubota YApgaua DMGDe Mil Tde Lima RAFMartin ARDougabka DBorah JEvans RWells JMagnago LFSTorezan JMDWright SJVillanueva BCamarero JJCornwell WRodriguez-Reyes OCazzolla Gatti RMcCarthy JKMatheny AMFearnside PFlores ORolim SGSundarapandian SAldana AMLinstadter ARosell JALink RMOliveira AZieminska KOnoda YRead JNogueira EMChave JIbanez TBirnbaum PHomeier JGuibal DFyllas NChambers JQKothandaraman SMiller RBVieilledent GRolo VStaples TAlves LFSchwendenmann LGoodman RCOliveira RSalguero-Gomez RArcanjo FfalseBeyond species means - the intraspecific contribution to global wood density variation.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: 10.5281/zenodo.16919509). 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 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z2026 Mar2026-07-16T09:59:19.85Z2026-07-09T10:49:54.228ZS-EPMC129174634154613110.1111/nph.70860