Natural regeneration of woody plant species along an elevational and disturbance gradient at Mt. Kilimanjaro

•We studied tropical forest regeneration along an elevation and disturbance gradient.•We recorded and identified all saplings of woody plants in 65 plots of 100 m2 each.•Natural regeneration was shown in all vegetation zones and disturbance levels.•Sapling diversity and abundance was strongly driven by climate and land-use.•Our data serve as baseline for future monitoring of disturbance and climate change.