The Ga'an Libah and Golis Mountains in central Somaliland form the western portion of the ecoregion.

Open scrubland is found in the foothills, where woody species of Acacia, Commiphora, and Boswellia are predominant.

Characteristic plants include Dracaena schizantha, Barbeya oleoides, Mimusops laurifolia, Cadia purpurea, Buxus hildebrandtii, and Pistacia aethiopica.

Typical plant associations include dry Juniperus-Olea forest of Juniperus procera and Olea europaea, dry Juniperus-Olea-Barbeya forests with Barbeya oleoides, and Buxus-Acokanthera scrub with Buxus hildebrandtii and Acokanthera schimperi.

[5] The endemic shrub Boswellia frereana, which grows from near the coast up to 750 meters elevation, produces valuable frankincense resin.

The giant succulent plants Aloidendron eminens and Euphorbia abyssinica grow in the escarpment shrublands.

The Somali thrush and Warsangli linnet are found mostly or exclusively in high-elevation juniper forests, and both species are severely threatened.