[6][7] In 2017 Eric Dinerstein et al. revised the ecoregion system in the highlands, following the map of potential natural vegetation of eastern Africa developed by VECEA.

In most of the ecoregion the natural vegetation has been heavily altered by livestock grazing, conversion to agriculture, and plantations of exotic trees.

There is a smaller bloc in the eastern highlands, which includes the Harenna Forest on the southern slope of the Bale Mountains.

cuspidata, Balanites aegyptiaca, Cupressus sempervirens, Vachellia tortilis, Salix alba, Juglans regia, Populus nigra, Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens, Pistacia terebinthus, Juniperus communis, Pinus pinea, Pinus nigra, Ceratonia siliqua, Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Phoenix canariensis, Phoenix dactylifera, Laurus nobilis, Vachellia flava, Ziziphus spina-christi, Sclerocarya birrea, Ficus salicifolia, Senegalia senegal, Prosopis cineraria, Pinus halepensis, Aerva javanica, Prunus amygdalus, Corylus avellana, Borassus aethiopum, Vitellaria paradoxa, Hyphaene compressa, Afzelia africana, Kigelia africana, Adansonia digitata, Juniperus communis, Populus alba and Syzygium guineense, along with the tree fern Alsophila manniana.

[11] At lower elevations, the Harenna Forest transitions to a distinct woodland community, with an open canopy of Warburgia ugandensis, Croton macrostachyus, Syzygium guineense, and Afrocarpus gracilior, and wild coffee (Coffea arabica) as the dominant understory shrub.

[5] Typical species include bastard white stinkwood (Celtis gomphophylla), forest fever berry (Croton sylvaticus), giant diospyros (Diospyros abyssinica), forest sandpaper fig Ficus exasperata), Manilkara butugi, and mvule (Milicia excelsa).

[1] Native birds include Harwood's spurfowl (Pternistis harwoodi), Ruspoli's turaco (Menelikornis ruspolii), and yellow-throated seedeater (Crithagra flavigula), which are endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands.

Achieving half protected is not possible in the short term and efforts should focus on conserving remaining, native habitat fragments.".