Paúl do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1981, in Portugal. Paúl do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve in central Portugal comprises a natural freshwater wetland surrounded by marshes, which lie in a bend of the Almonda River. Floods from the Tejo River naturally inundate the site in winter, and part of it dries out when the water table is mechanically lowered in spring to create larger areas for cultivation. The site may also act as a flooding buffer zone that increases protection of adjoining farmland against erosion caused by winter floods. For many years this wetland has been a valuable sink for alluvial particles carried in by the Tejo River, creating rich cultivated areas that have contributed to the economic wealth of the area.