The ecoregion is home to a distinctive Afroalpine vegetation. Habitat types include lakes, marshy deltas and peat bogs, open montane grasslands, shrublands, enclaves of high elevation forest, snow fields, and glaciers. Giant
rosette plants, including various species of
lobelias and
senecios, are characteristic of the ecoregion. Vegetation varies with elevation, soils, and exposure. The upper montane forest of the
Albertine Rift montane forests, composed of cloud forests with
Hagenia abyssinica and
Hypericum revolutum, or bamboo forests of
Sinarundinaria alpina, extends up to . Ericaceous forests form a transition zone between the montane forests and alpine moorlands, extending up to .
Erica arborea is the dominant species. The ericaceous vegetation varies in growth habit, in places forming a dense forest of single-trunked trees, thickets of multi-trunked shrubs, or open shrubland reaching only 1 meter high. The ericaceous forest supports many
epiphytes. Alpine grasslands and alpine shrublands extend up to altitude. Tussock grasslands include
Festuca abyssinica and
Carex runssoroensis. The giant
rosette plants
Lobelia wollastonii and
Dendrosenecio johnstonii are found on both the Rwenzoris and the Virungas, while
Lobelia stuhlmannii grows only on the Virungas. In the portion of the Rwenzoris above altitude, the alpine grasslands and shrublands yield to upper alpine dwarf scrub, also known as subnival shrub, where
Helichrysum stuhlmanii forms isolated thickets. The Virunga Mountains provide habitat for the endangered
mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), although these spend most of their time in lower zones. ==Protected areas==