The data comprise a long-term study of alpine plant community dynamics in the Gunnison National Forest of Colorado. The data comprise annual census data for all plants (including seedlings) in each of 50 2x2m plots, including information on size, reproduction, life stage, and mortality, with all plants identified and geo-located. These data are also made available transformed to provide individual-level estimates of growth, survival, fecundity, and recruitment. The dataset covers several thousand individuals of approximately twenty species, and highlights an apparent pattern of demographic decline. The data also include information on microenvironment / microedaphic variation at 2 m resolution covering the entire research site, including information on temperatures, topography, soil chemistry, soil texture, and other variables. The data also include information on the functional traits of many of the species present at the site, including information on biomass allocation, leaf traits, root traits, seed traits, and floral traits. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d850fcd2-b70a-415e-acf4-fc27b38d59c1