Value of the Data •The dataset can be used to carry out ecological studies analysing the relationship between alpine vegetation and changes in environmental conditions through taxonomic and functional information. •Due to the nested sampling design, with information across large gradients and structured across two scales (plot and subplot), the dataset is suitable to evaluate assembly processes at different spatial scales. •Given spatial coordinates are provided, changes in the vegetation can be assessed through time. •The dataset can be useful in conservation purposes and climate change studies, and it can be integrated into macroecological analyses and species distribution modelling. •Plots of 20 m side are commonly used in the literature, so this dataset can be useful for comparative studies of alpine plant diversity and assembly patterns. •Dataset provides information from remote areas with few if any previous recordings (especially Chile)