Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2015, in Italy. The Appennino Tosco-Emiliano Biosphere Reserve is located in the Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions of north-central Italy. It covers the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine ridge from Passo della Cisa to Passo delle Forbici, which marks the geographical and climatic boundary between continental and Mediterranean Europe. The area contains close to 70 per cent of the total species present in Italy, including 122 species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and fish, as well as a wide variety of flora comprising at least 260 aquatic and terrestrial plant species. The main economic activity in the reserve is agriculture. Recreational activities and tourism also represent important economic resources for residents, as well as for tourists and second-home owners.