It lies at elevations greater than 800 m (2,600 ft) in the mountains of Hispaniola, extending from the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic and into the Massif du Nord of Haiti.

[1] The natural vegetation of the region consists primarily of stands of pino criollo (Pinus occidentalis).

Plants of montane steppe (2,100–3,175 m or 6,890–10,417 ft) include cara de hombre (Lyonia spp.

), abey (Cojoba arborea), yaya fina (Oxandra lanceolata), pajón (Danthonia domingensis), Verbena officinalis var.

[1] Many endemic and rare animal species occur in this ecoregion, including the Hispaniolan crossbill (Loxia megaplaga), white-winged warbler (Xenoligea montana), golden swallow (Tachycineta euchrysea) and the Darlington's galliwasp (Caribicus darlingtoni).