San Guillermo Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1980, in Argentina. In the Andes of Argentina’s San Juan Province, the San Guillermo Provincial Reserve was established in 1972 to conserve the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), then at risk of extinction; it was designated a biosphere reserve the same year. With marked contrasts among its three ecoregions, High Andean, Puna and woodland, the area is home to the largest populations of vicuña and guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in Argentina, with both populations on the rise. The region features a spectacular mosaic of deserts and high-altitude grasslands, as well as thorny bushes in the low valleys as the temperature gets warmer. The biosphere reserve is critical not only to conserve the local biodiversity, but also to secure sustainable water sources for the settlements downstream. Its population makes a living mostly from mining and, on a smaller scale, tourism.