The ecoregion covers the highest-elevation portions of the New Guinea Highlands, which extend along the spine of the island.

The high elevations support rare tropical sub-alpine and alpine habitats, including many endemic plants and animals.

[1] Sub-alpine communities include shrubby heaths of Rhododendron, Vaccinium, Coprosma, Myrsine, and Saurauia at the forest edges, savannas of tree ferns (Cyathea spp.)

These include three marsupials (Doria's tree kangaroo, (Dendrolagus dorianus), a black-tailed dasyure (Murexia melanurus), and a cuscus), four murid rodents (the western shrew mouse (Pseudohydromys occidentalis), glacier rat (Rattus richardsoni), and alpine woolly rat (Mallomys gunung), and one other), two Microchiropteran bats, and the New Guinea singing dog (Canis familiaris).

Four species are strictly endemic – the Snow Mountain quail (Anurophasis monorthonyx), Snow Mountain robin (Petroica archboldi), Short-bearded honeyeater (Melidectes nouhuysi), and Long-bearded honeyeater (Melidectes princeps).