The coastal plains and lower elevations are covered by evergreen laurel-Castanopsis forests, dominated by Chinese Cryptocarya (Cryptocarya chinensis) and Castanopsis hystrix, with scattered stands of the subtropical pine Pinus massoniana.

At higher elevations, Japanese blue oak (Quercus glauca) replaces Cryptocarya and Castanopsis as the dominant tree.

Above 3,000 meters, deciduous broadleaf trees like Formosan alder (Alnus formosana) and maple (Acer spp.)

At the highest elevations, subalpine forests are dominated by conifers, including Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis), Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola), and Taiwan fir (Abies kawakamii).

The Formosan rock macaque, a species of monkey, is found only in Taiwan.