Data from: The ecology of encroachment: Identifying the species and plant ecological strategies driving African savanna change

This dataset compiles information on woody species in African savannas and grasslands, including 63 identified encroacher species and a broader set of non-encroachers across six dominant genera: Combretum, Dichrostachys, Prosopis, Senegalia, Terminalia, and Vachellia. The dataset includes species identity, encroacher status, functional traits (maximum height, plant habit, spinescence, nitrogen fixation potential), climatic variables (temperature and precipitation metrics), and geographic range estimates. Data values are numeric (e.g., climatic and range data), categorical (e.g., encroacher status, habit, nitrogen fixation), and factor variables (e.g., genus, clade). The dataset is structured to allow analyses of ecological patterns, trait associations, and species’ responses to environmental gradients. It is suitable for reuse in studies of functional ecology, species distribution, climate niche modeling, and management of woody encroachment. All data were compiled from published sources, databases, and georeferenced occurrence records; no human or animal subjects were involved.