Changes in Community-Weighted Trait Mean, Functional Diversity, Precipitation, Temperature and Surface Area along an Elevational Gradient in Tenerife, Canary Islands

This dataset comprises community-weighted trait means and functional diversity of leaf traits, precipitation, temperature and surface area of the elevational belt recorded in roadside (disturbed) and interior (less disturbed) plots, along an elevational gradient of 2,300 m in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The leaf traits measured were specific leaf area (SLA), nitrogen, carbon, phosphorous, nitrogen to carbon ratio, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), sodium, potassium and magnesium. The environmental variables measured are total precipitation of the growing season, mean temperature of the growing season and surface area of the elevation belt. This dataset has been used for the analysis presented in Ratier Backes et al. (in press). Mechanisms behind elevational plant species richness patterns revealed by a trait-based approach. Journal of Vegetation Science.