Seasonal elevational dynamics of Central Himalayan mammals and birds: occurrences, richness metrics, abundance centres, boundary shifts, traits, and phylogeny

This data package quantifies seasonal shifts in species diversity, traits, and elevational distributions of mammals and birds in the Gyirong Valley, Central Himalayas. Field surveys were carried out in two distinct climatic periods—the warm season (May to September) and the cold season (October to April)—along twelve contiguous 300 m elevational bands spanning ~1 400–4 000 m a.s.l.

For each band and season the package provides:

Species occurrences for every elevational band and sample plot.

Observed, interpolated, and Chao‑estimated species richness for mammals and birds.

Abundance centres (mid‑points of abundance distributions) for 14 focal genera and all constituent species.

Seasonal upper and lower elevational limits and the corresponding boundary‑shift values.

Species‑level trait data (body mass, tiet, forest dependency, habitat or breeding elevation, etc.).

Time‑calibrated phylogenies of the surveyed mammal and bird assemblages.

All tabular datasets are supplied as .csv files with explicit variable definitions; phylogenetic trees are provided in .nex format.

Important note: Analytical context, methods, and interpretation are detailed in the associated Ecography article, “Seasonal variation in community structure and elevational distributions of mammals and birds in the Central Himalayas.” Users are strongly encouraged to consult the paper when re‑using these data.

Released under open‑data best practices, the files support comparative macro‑ecological, biogeographic, and conservation research on montane biodiversity and its response to seasonal and climatic change.