Reserva de biosfera de Yungas, Biosphere reserve in northwestern Argentina.
The Yungas Biosphere Reserve is a protected area in northwestern Argentina spanning the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. It covers a wide range of elevations, from river valleys to high mountain forests, with the Bermejo River running through part of the lowland zone.
UNESCO designated this area as a biosphere reserve in 2002, giving formal protection to forests and ecosystems that had already been partially covered by national and provincial parks. The designation brought together different protected zones under a single coordinated framework.
Indigenous communities live throughout the reserve and have shaped how these forests and mountains are used and valued over centuries. Visitors can see settlements and agricultural patches woven into the landscape, reflecting deep knowledge of these ecosystems.
Different parts of the reserve are reached by trails of varying difficulty, so it is worth planning ahead depending on where you want to go. Altitude changes quickly across the area, and weather can shift without much warning, so layered clothing is a good idea.
The reserve is home to roughly half of all plant and animal species found in Argentina, despite covering only a small fraction of the country. This is largely due to the steep elevation gradient, which creates very different habitats within a short distance.
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