Most of the forest, particularly the lower parts, are of secondary growth as the land had originally been deforested and used for cattle grazing, timber production and agriculture.

The forest is now managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA).

[1] The forest is an important transition zone from a subtropical moist broadleaf biome to a subtropical dry broadleaf biome which is important to several endangered species such as the Puerto Rican nightjar (Antrostomus noctitherus).

There is a high rate of endemism in the forest and species such as the Zamia portoricensis and the Calliandra locoensis of the Fabaceae family is only found in the area and nowhere else in Puerto Rico or the world.

Some endangered or threatened species found in the forest are the pincho rose tree (Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon), the black cobana (Libidibia monosperma), the Sierra higuero (Crescentia portoricensis) and the threatened red fruit bat (Stenoderma rufum).