Branch architectural features of Populus euphratica in the lower reaches of the Tarim River using terrestrial laser scanning

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds and quantitative structure models (QSM) were used to extract architectural traits for branch orders I–III (number, length, branching angle) as well as whole-tree attributes (tree height, diameter at breast height, crown width).

The dataset includes:Table 1: Spatial distribution and growth characteristics of sample trees along different river-distance gradients (sample size, ranges of tree height, DBH, and crown width).Figure 3: Schematic diagram of branch architectural parameters (number, length, angle of I–III order branches) for individual Populus euphratica trees.Table 2: Proportional relationships of architectural parameters among different branch orders (e.g., length ratios and number ratios of I/II and II/III orders).Figure 4: Trends in branch architectural parameters of different branch orders in relation to diameter at breast height (DBH).Figure 5: Vertical variation of branch architectural parameters among different branch orders with increasing branch height.Table 3: Correlation coefficient matrix between branch architectural parameters and tree structural parameters (tree height, DBH, crown width, etc.).These data support the analysis of hierarchical differentiation patterns of Populus euphratica branch systems and their response to drought stress, providing baseline information for quantifying 3D tree architecture and understanding ecological adaptation in desert riparian forests.