The data used for the study "Climate and landscape context drive the functional composition of young tropical forests". This study investigates how young tropical forests regenerate under changing climatic and landscape conditions. Using data from dry and wet forest regions in Ghana, it examines how macroclimate and surrounding land use (agriculture, secondary forest, old-growth forest) shape the functional composition and drought adaptation of regenerating tree communities. By linking species composition with plant functional traits, the study provides insight into how early-successional forests respond to global environmental change.