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Juan Fernandez Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, Chile

The Juan Fernandez Biosphere Reserve is situated 650 km from the Chilean coast in the Pacific Ocean. It includes the whole Archipelago with the islands of Robinson Crusoe, Alexander Selkirk and Santa Clara and all the islets in the area. The Juan Fernandez Archipelago is volcanic in origin, with steep, rugged mountain ranges with deep ravines.

Designation date: 1977

Networks

Regional network:  Red de Comités y Reservas de Biosfera de Iberoamérica y el Caribe (IberoMAB) 

Ecosystem-based network:

  

    Description

    Map

    Surface : 1,216,483.43 ha (Terrestrial: 9,967.15 ha; Marine: 1,206,516 ha)

    • Core area(s): 117,613.01 ha (Terrestrial: 9.560.20 ha; Marine: 108,145 ha)
    • Buffer zone(s): 4,722.85 ha (Terrestrial: 112.89 ha; Marine: 4,620.31 ha)
    • Transition zone(s): 1,094,147.59 ha (Terrestrial: 294.06 ha; Marine: 1,093,750.99 ha)

    Location: 33°43’25.64 S; 79°45’46.26 W

    Administrative Authorities

    Javiera Meza
    CONAF
    Chile

    Tel.: +56 32 2320261
    Email: javiera.meza@conaf.cl

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    Ecological Characteristics

    This Reserve corresponds to an insular ecosystem, characterized by the presence of 131 endemic plant species (62% of the native vascular flora). Remnants of the past are worth mentioning, such as Lactoris fernandeziana and Thursopteris elegans; and ten endemic species: Cuminia, Dendroseris, Juania, Lactoris, Megalachne, Podophorus, Robinsonia, Selkirkia, Thyrsopteris and Yunquea.

    An outstanding characteristic of the Juan Fernández forests is the fact that 100% of its tree species only exist in the Archipelago, which means they are 100% endemic. Fauna includes the Juan Fernandez Firecrown (Sephanoides fernandensis), the Juan Fernandez Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes fernandezianus) and the Juan Fernandez Fur Seal (Arctocephalusphilippi).

     

    Socio-Economic Characteristics

    Socio-economic activities are carried out outside the Reserve but very close to it. They mainly consist of ecotourism over land and sea, heritage tourism and hotel services, artisanal fishing, trade and municipal public services.

     

     

     

     

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    Last updated: February 2020