[en] Wood density is a key plant property, indispensable for estimating forest biomass. Yet, despite tropical regions' substantial contributions to global tree diversity and carbon cycling, they remain underrepresented in wood density datasets such as the CIRAD and Global Wood Density Database (GWDD). To address this gap, we present the 'Tervuren xylarium Wood Density Database' (TWDD), containing 13,332 samples from 2,994 species, 1,022 genera, and 156 plant families across six continents (72% from Africa). TWDD offers direct measurements of oven-dry (oven-dry mass/oven-dry volume, all samples), air-dry (air-dry mass/air-dry volume, 6,408 samples), green (green mass/green volume, 1,657 samples), and basic wood density (oven-dry mass/green volume, 1,686 samples). Basic density was estimated for the remaining 11,646 samples via conversion from oven-dry density. TWDD closes a substantial wood density data gap, especially in Africa, adding 1,164 new species, 160 new genera, and 8 new plant families not included in GWDD or CIRAD datasets. The TWDD provides a critical resource for advancing research on forest community dynamics, ecosystem functioning, carbon cycling, and trait-based ecology worldwide.
Verbiest, William W M ; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium. william.verbiest@ugent.be ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. william.verbiest@ugent.be ; Department of Environment, Q-ForestLab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. william.verbiest@ugent.be
Hicter, Pauline; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Q-ForestLab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Beeckman, Hans ; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Wallenus, Daniel; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Bastin, Jean-François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Biodiversité, Ecosystème et Paysage (BEP)
Bauters, Marijn ; Department of Environment, Q-ForestLab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Chave, Jérôme ; Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS and Université Paul Sabatier, UMR 5174 EDB, Toulouse, 31000, France
De Blaere, Ruben; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
de Hauleville, Thalès; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
De Mil, Tom ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Gestion des ressources forestières
de Ridder, Maaike; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
De Troyer, Cécile; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Ewango, Corneille E N; Faculté de Gestion de Ressources Naturelles Renouvelables, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Fayolle, Adeline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Gestion des ressources forestières ; CIRAD, Forest and Societies research unit, Montpellier, France
Gorel, Anaïs ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT
Fischer, Fabian Jörg ; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1 T, United Kingdom
Kacamak, Asli Begum ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Gestion des ressources forestières
Kimbuluma, Christien; Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d'Écologie et Aménagement Forestier, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Luambua, Nestor K; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo ; Faculté de Gestion de Ressources Naturelles Renouvelables, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Laurent, Félix; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Liévens, Kévin; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Makana, Jean-Remy; Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d'Écologie et Aménagement Forestier, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Malaisse, François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Biodiversité, Ecosystème et Paysage (BEP)
Wasukundi, Mbusa; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo ; Ecole Régionale Post Universitaire d'Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux, Kinshasa, DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, Department of Renewable Natural Resources Management, Université Catholique du Graben, Butembo, DRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Monnoye, Michael; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Ngomanda, Alfred; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENAREST), Libreville, Gabon
Ambounda, Franck Rodrigue Olouo; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CENAREST), Libreville, Gabon ; Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, Franceville, Gabon
Toirambe, Benjamin; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Ministère de l'Environnement et Développement Durable, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Otepa, Cédric; Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d'Écologie et Aménagement Forestier, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Van Acker, Joris; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Van den Abbeele, Bes; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Q-ForestLab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Van den Bulcke, Jan; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Van Houtte Alonso, Blanca; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Wankana, Thierry; Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d'Écologie et Aménagement Forestier, Université de Kisangani, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Djiofack, Brice Yannick; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Hubau, Wannes; Service of Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium ; Department of Environment, Laboratory of Wood Technology (Woodlab), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium ; Wood Laboratory of Yangambi, Institut National pour l'Étude et la Recherche Agronomiques, Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo
