The ecoregion's elevational range, and its central location between Europe's climatic regions, support a variety of plant communities and species. The ecoregion has 4,500 native
vascular plant species, including 400
endemic species. The forests on the lower slopes are mostly deciduous broadleaf trees, including the oaks
Quercus robur, Quercus petraea,
Quercus pubescens. Broadleaf
sclerophyllous evergreen trees are found in southern valleys adjacent to Mediterranean-climate regions. Montane forests include a mix of conifers
Norway spruce (
Picea abies),
Silver fir (
Abies alba), and
mountain pine (
Pinus mugo), with the broadleaf deciduous
European beech (
Fagus sylvatica),
aspen (
Populus tremula),
silver birch (
Betula pendula) and
downy birch (
Betula pubescens). In more continental-climate parts of the range,
European larch (
Larix decidua),
arolla pine (
Pinus cembra), and
Scots pine (
Pinus sylvestris) replace
Pinus mugo. Scots pine and
Pinus mugo can form a hybrid pine
Pinus × rhaetica.
Black pine (
Pinus nigra) occurs on some south facing slopes in the eastern part of the range. Subalpine and alpine plant communities including
heath and
alpine tundra occur above the timberline, and include many endemic species. ==Fauna==