Mount Carmel Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1996, in Israel. Located in north-west Israel at the southern limit of the Mediterranean biome, the Mount Carmel Biosphere Reserve lies in a regional climatic and biotic transition zone. It brings together rich biological and geological diversity, varied landforms and contrasting landscapes shaped by long-standing agricultural practices. The Carmel is a triangular mountain massif rising from the Mediterranean Sea, covered predominantly by oak shrubland. The reserve’s objectives are to conserve this biotic transition zone and its genetic resources, rehabilitate ecosystems affected by past use, and guide carefully planned, community-involved sustainable development.