Tropical Montane Cloud Forest trait data from the Wayqecha throughfall exclusion and fog reduction experiments.

This dataset contains plant functional trait measurements collected as part of two long-term climate manipulation experiments—throughfall exclusion and fog reduction—conducted in a tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) in the Kosñipata catchment, Peruvian Andes (~3,000 m a.s.l.). The dataset includes matched trait data for 164 trees sampled across both experiments and treatments, capturing physiological, morphological, hydraulic, metabolic, and nutrient-related responses to reduced soil moisture and cloud immersion.In the throughfall exclusion experiment, rainfall was excluded from a 0.09 ha plot using transparent plastic panels installed ~2 m above the ground, reducing soil moisture by 69.1% relative to a nearby control plot. In the fog reduction experiment, airborne moisture interception was achieved using a mesh curtain system suspended between two 30 m towers, reducing humidity, leaf wetness, and increasing temperature and vapour pressure deficit in a 420 m² plot, relative to a control located 50 m upslope.Trait measurements were conducted during both the wet (January–March 2022) and dry (August–September 2022) seasons. Measurements include:Hydraulic traits: midday water potential, wood density, wood capacitance, leaf hydrophobicity, xylem hydraulic conductance, embolism resistance, and hydraulic safety margins.Gas exchange traits: photosynthetic capacity (Amax, Asat, Vcmax, Jmax), and dark respiration (R_dark) with minimum stomatal conductance (g_dark).Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs): total starch and sugar concentrations in leaves, branches, and trunks.Leaf morphological traits: leaf area, leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf thickness, and LA:SA (leaf area to sapwood area).Leaf nutrient concentrations: C, N, P, Ca, K, and Mg.Sampling focused on the nine most abundant tree genera in the forest. Traits were measured on matched individuals across treatment and control plots. Laboratory analyses were conducted at UNICAMP (Brazil) for non-structural carbohydrates and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru for leaf nutrients.All fieldwork was carried out in collaboration with the Amazon Conservation Association (ACCA), with research permission and ethical approval for biological sampling obtained through institutional agreements with the Peruvian government. Additional methodological details are provided in the associated publication.This dataset enables exploration of how TMCF tree physiology responds to distinct climate drivers and supports broader meta-analyses of forest functional responses to drought and warming across elevations.