Ordino Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2020, in Andorra. Located on the central axis of the eastern Pyrenees, in the north of Andorra, the Ordino Biosphere Reserve presents a good sampling of the mountain range’s biological diversity. Traditional agriculture and herding have shaped the landscape, which is dominated in part by forests of Scots pine, fir, sessile oak and hook pine. Notable for the protection of several rare and endangered species on the IUCN Red List, Ordino is home to the great tetra, emblematic of the Pyrenees, the bearded vulture and the Pyrenees lizard, and it is a hotspot for Lepidoptera, or butterflies. The main driver of economic development in the region has been tourism, which is highly dependent on the quality of the natural environment and the conservation of heritage.