On the southern slopes of Tenerife, with the exception of the Güímar Valley (where the vegetation is more similar to that of the northern slopes), the transition zone between the thermophilic forest and the pine forest begins at the upper limit of the thermophilic forest. This is not the case on the northern slopes, where the pine forest meets the laurel forest at its lower altitude.

While it is true that the pine forest is considered a strip dominated by the Canary pine, this being the most abundant tree in the Canary Islands, it is no less true that many species develop in the undergrowth of this zone, although it is not characterized by being very rich in floristic diversity.