Nacuñán Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1986, in Argentina. The Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve lies on the semi-arid plains at the foothills of the Andes in Mendoza Province, Argentina. Across its upland grasslands, shrubby steppe and open woodland, Prosopis flexuosa is particularly characteristic: it has long provided Indigenous communities with timber and food, and it creates microhabitats by altering microclimatic conditions, namely water availability, light and soils. Following sustained conservation efforts, formerly scarce fauna are now recorded more frequently, including foxes and the elegant crested tinamou (Eudromia elegans).