Woody plant along the elevation gradient of Mt. Meru, Tanzania

This is the dataset of woody plant species richness, tree height, and floristic composition of woody plants along an elevation gradient on the eastern slope of Mount Meru, Tanzania. This vegetation data were collected on 44 study plots systematically placed along five transects spanning an elevational range of 1800 m a.s.l (i.e. from 1600 to 3400 m a.s.l.). The dataset is useful in providing insight into plant adaptation to the local environment. Consequently, the dataset will enhance local understanding of important factors and variables for the woody plant distribution. Further, the dataset can also promote collaborations among researchers who would wish to combine and extend their data for further analysis to gain a broader understanding of the phenomenon on a bigger spatial scale. We believe that this data will contribute to the existing global dataset of woody plant distribution along the elevation gradient of afro-tropical mountains. Last but not least, this dataset will act as the baseline information for monitoring the effect of global climate change on woody plant distribution.