The ecoregion is largely intact due to its inaccessibility, although the opening of an extension of the Pan-American Highway has introduced threats from human activity.

The ecoregion covers several separate areas of higher ground in Panama and the adjoining border region of Colombia.

The Cordillera de San Blas and the Serranía del Darién are in the northeast, the latter containing the 1,875 metres (6,152 ft) Cerro Tacarcuna.

The semi-deciduous forest canopy trees include pochote (Pachira quinata), yuco de monte (Pachira sessilis), guanacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), Licania hypoleuca, Platypodium elegans, ceibo barrigón (Pseudobombax septenatum), Panama tree (Sterculia apetala), nargusta (Terminalia amazonia), Tetragastris panamensis and taruma (Vitex cymosa).

[1] At higher elevations the dominant canopy tree in the premontane and montane wet forests is wild cashew (Anacardium excelsum).

[1] The Eastern Panamanian montane forests ecoregion, situated on the land bridge between the Americas, and with different elevations and climates, has diverse fauna.

They include the bare-shanked screech owl (Megascops clarkii), beautiful treerunner (Margarornis bellulus), blue-and-gold tanager (Bangsia arcaei), green-naped tanager (Tangara fucosa), Nariño tapaculo (Scytalopus vicinior), Pirre hummingbird (Goldmania bella), Pirre warbler (Basileuterus ignotus), russet-crowned quail-dove (Zentrygon goldmani), sooty-faced finch (Arremon crassirostris), Tacarcuna bush tanager (Chlorospingus tacarcunae), Tacarcuna tapaculo (Scytalopus panamensis), Tacarcuna wood quail (Odontophorus dialeucos), varied solitaire (Myadestes coloratus), violet-capped hummingbird (Goldmania violiceps) and yellow-collared chlorophonia (Chlorophonia flavirostris).

However, the opening of the Pan-American Highway has caused colonization from central Panama, with increases in slash-and-burn farming, gold mining and the illegal capture of macaws, parrots, and passerine birds for sale.

The 5,790 square kilometres (2,240 sq mi) Darién National Park protects a large area of the ecoregion.