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Under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, there are 308 biosphere reserves recognized as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in Europe and North America (as of May 2023). These are distributed across 41 countries in the region.

Biosphere reserves operating under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme aim to achieve three mandate management objectives of conservation, sustainable socio-economic development, and logistic support.

The list

Below is the list of biosphere reserves in Europe and North America, organized by country/territory, along with the year these were designated as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

The list does not include the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean, a biosphere reserve shared between Morocco and Spain, which has been classified as part of the Arab States region.

Albania

• Ohrid-Prespa (2014) (shared with North Macedonia)

Austria

• (Gossenköllesee (1977) - withdrawn in 2014)
• (Gurgler Kamm (1977) - withdrawn in 2014)
• (Lobau (1977) - withdrawn in 2016)
• (Neusiedler See (1977) - withdrawn in 2016)
• Großwalsertal (since 2000)
• Wienerwald (since 2005)
• Salzburger Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge (since 2012)

Belarus

• Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve (1978)
• Belovezhskaya Pushcha (1993)
• West Polesie Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (2004)

Bulgaria

• (Dupkata [bg] (1977, withdrawn in 2017))
• (Kamtchia (1977, withdrawn in 2017))
• (Kupena [bg] (1977, withdrawn in 2017))
• (Steneto (1977, merged in 2017))
• (Boatin (1977, merged in 2017))
• (Tsarichina (1977, merged in 2017))
• (Dzhendema (1977, merged in 2017))
• Ali Botush (1977)
• Bistrishko Branishte (1977)
• Bayuvi Dupki–Dzhindzhiritsa (1977) (in Pirin National Park)
• Mantaritza (1977)
• Uzunbodzhak (1977)
• Parangalitsa (1977) (in Rila National Park)
• Srebarna (1977)
• Chervenata stena [bg] (1977)
• Chuprene (1977)
• Central Balkan National Park (created in 2017 by merging four extant reserves)

Canada

• Mont Saint-Hilaire (1978)
• Waterton (1979)
• Long Point (1986)
• Riding Mountain (1986)
• Charlevoix (1988)
• Niagara Escarpment (1990)
• Clayoquot Sound (2000)
• Redberry Lake (2000)
• Lac Saint-Pierre (2000)
• Mount Arrowsmith (2000)
• Southwest Nova (2001)
• Frontenac Arch (2002)
• Georgian Bay (2004)
• Manicouagan Uapishka (2007)
• Fundy (2007)
• Bras d'Or Lake (2011)
• Beaver Hills (2016)
• Tsá Tué (2016)
• Howe Sound (2021)

Croatia

• Velebit Mountain (1977)
• Mura Drava Danube (2012)

Czech Republic

• Krivoklátsko (1977)
• Trebon Basin (1977)
• Sumava (1990)
• Bílé Karpaty (1996)
• Lower Morava (2003)

Czech Republic and Poland

• Krkonoše/Karkonosze (1992)

Denmark

• North-East Greenland (1977)
• Møn (2017)

Estonia

• West Estonian Archipelago (1990)

Finland

• North Karelian (1992)
  • Petkeljärvi National Park
  • Patvinsuo National Park
• Archipelago Sea Area (1994)

France

• Commune de Fakarava (1977)
• Vallée du Fango (1977)
• Camargue (Rhône River Delta) (1977)
• Cévennes (1984)
• Iroise (1988)
• Mont Ventoux (1990)
• Archipel de la Guadeloupe (1992)
• Luberon (1997)
• Forest of Fontainebleau (1998)
• Dordogne Watershed (2012)
• Marais Audomarois (2013)
• Gorges du Gardon (2015)

France and Germany

• Palatinate Forest–North Vosges (1998)

France and Italy

• Monte Viso (2014)

Germany

• Middle Elbe (1979)
• Vessertal-Thuringian Forest (1979)
• Bavarian Forest (1981)
• Berchtesgaden Alps (1990)
• Wadden Sea and Hallig Islands of Schleswig-Holstein (1990)
• Schorfheide-Chorin (1990)
• Spreewald (1991)
• Rügen (1991)
• Rhön (1991)
• Lower Saxon Wadden Sea (1992)
• Hamburg Wadden Sea (1992)
• Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape (1996)
• Schaalsee (2000)
• Bliesgau (2009)
• Swabian Alb (2009)
• Black Forest (2017)

Greece

• Gorge of Samaria (1981)
• Mount Olympus (1981)

Hungary

• Aggtelek National Park(1979)
• Hortobágy National Park (1979)
• Kiskunság National Park (1979)
• Pilis (1980)
• Fertő-Hanság National Park (1991) UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1979

Ireland

• North Bull Island (1981)
• Killarney (1982)

Isle of Man

• Isle of Man (2016) - entire territory and territorial seas

Israel

• Mount Carmel (1996)
• Megiddo (2011; formerly "Ramat Menashe")

Italy

• Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo (1977)
• Circeo (1977)
• Miramare (1979)
• Cilento and Vallo di Diano (1997)
• Somma-Vesuvio and Miglio d'Oro (1997)
• Valle del Ticino (2002), then Ticino Val Grande Verbano (2018)
• Tuscan Islands (2003)
• Selva Pisana (2004)
• Monviso (2013)
• Sila (2014)
• Tepilora, Rio Posada and Montalbo (2017)
• Monte Peglia (2018)
• Valle Camonica - Alto Sebino (2018)
• Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria (2015)

Latvia

• North Vidzeme (1997)

Lithuania

• Žuvintas (2002)

Montenegro

• Tara River Basin (1976)

Netherlands

• Waddensea Area (1986, withdrawn 2018)*
• Maasheggen (2018)

North Macedonia

• Ohrid-Prespa (2014) (shared with Albania)

Poland

• Babia Góra Massif (1976)
• Białowieża Forest (1976)
• Łuknajno Lake (1976)
• Słowiński (1976)
• Tatra Mountains (1992) (Cross-border with Slovakia)
• Karkonosze (1992) (shared with the Czech Republic)
• East Carpathian (1998) (Cross-border with Slovakia and Ukraine)
• Kampinos Forest (2000)
• West Polesie (2002) (Cross-border with Ukraine and Belarus) (2012)
• Tuchola Forest (2010)

Portugal

• Paúl do Boquilobo (1981)
• Corvo Island (2007)
• Graciosa Island (2007)
• Flores Island (2009)
• Castro Verde (2017)

Portugal and Spain

• Geres/Xures (2009)
• Terres De l'Ebre (2013)
• Meseta Ibérica (2015)

Romania

• Pietrosul Mare (1979)
• Retezat (1979)

Romania and Ukraine

• Danube Delta (1998)

Russian Federation

• Kavkazskiy (1978)
• Okskiy (1978)
• Prioksko-Terrasnyi (1978)
• Sikhote-Alin (1978)
• Tsentral'no-Chernozemny (1978)
• Nevski Prospekhetee (1984)
• Kronotskiy (1984)
• Laplandskiy (1984)
• Pechoro-Ilychskiy (1984)
• Sayano-Shushenskiy (1984)
• Sokhondinskiy (1984)
• Voronezhskiy (1984)
• Tsentral'nolesnoy (1985)
• Barguzinskyi (1986)
• Baikalskyi (1986)
• Tzentralnosibirskii (1986)
• Chernyje Zemli (1993)
• Taimyrsky (1995)
• Ubsunorskaya Kotlovina (1997)
• Daursky (1997)
• Teberda (1997)
• Katunsky (2000)
• Nerusso-Desnianskoe-Polesie (2001)
• Visimskiy (2001)
• Vodolozerskiy (2001)
• Commander Islands (2002)
• Darvinskiy (2002)
• Nijegorodskoe Zavolje (2002)
• Smolensk Lakeland (2002)
• Ugra (2002)
• Far East Marine (2003)
• Kedrovaya Pad (2004)
• Kenozerskiy (2004)
• Valdaisky (2004)
• Khankaiskiy (2005)
• Middle Volga Integrated Biosphere Reserve (2006)
• Great Volzhsko-Kamsky (2007)
• Rostovsky (2008)
• Altaisky (2009)
• Kizlyar Bay (2017)
• Metsola (2017)
• Great Altai (2017)(encompassing Katun Nature Reserve in Russia and Katon-Karagay National Park in Kazakhstan)

Serbia

• Golija-Studenica (2001)
• Bačko Podunavlje (2017)

Slovakia

• Slovenský Kras (1977)
• Poľana (1990)
• Tatra Mountains (1992) (Cross-border with Poland)
• East Carpathian (1998) (Cross-border with Slovakia and Ukraine)

Slovenia

• Julian Alps (2003)
• The Karst (2004)
• Kozjansko & Obsotelje (2010)
• Mura (2018)

Spain

• Grazalema (1977)
• Ordesa-Viñamala (1977)
• Montseny Natural Park (1978)
• Doñana (1980)
• Mancha Húmeda (1980)
• Las Sierras de Cazorla y Segura (1983)
• Marismas del Odiel (1983)
• La Palma (1983)
• Urdaibai (1984)
• Sierra Nevada (1986)
• Cuenca Alta del Río Manzanares (1992)
• Lanzarote (1993)
• Menorca (1993)
• Sierra de las Nieves y su Entomo (1995)
• Cabo de Gata-Nijar (1997)
• Isla de El Hierro (2000)
• Bardenas Reales (2000)
• Muniellos, Gran Cantábrica (2000)
• Somiedo (2000)
• Redes (2001)
• Las Dehesas de Sierra Morena (2002)
• Terras do Miño (2002)
• Valle de Laciana (2003)
• Picos de Europa (2003)
• Monfragüe (2003)
• Valles del Jubera, Leza, Cidacos y Alhama (2003)
• Babia (2004)
• Alto de Bernesga (2005)
• Los Valles de Omaña y Luna (2005)
• Los Argüellos (2005)
• Área de Allariz (2005)
• Gran Canaria (2005)
• Sierra del Rincón (2005)
• Os Ancares Lucenses e Montes de Cervantes (2006)
• Los Ancares Leoneses (2006)
• Las Sierras de Béjar y Francia (2006)
• Río Eo, Oscos e Terras de Buron (2007)
• Fuerteventura (2009)
• As Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo (2013)
• Terres de l'Ebre (2013)
• Real Sitio de San Ildefonso-El Espinar (2013)
• Macizo de Anaga (2015)
• Ponga (2018)

Sweden

• (Lake Torne Area (1986) - withdrawn in 2010)
• Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve (2005)
• Lake Vänern Archipelago (2010)
• Blekinge archipelago (2011)
• River Landscape of Nedre Dalälven (2011)
• East Vättern Scarp Landscape (2012)
• Voxnadalen (2019)
• Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka (2019)

Switzerland

• Swiss National Park (1979)
• Entlebuch Biosphere (2001)
• Biosfera Val Müstair (2010)

Turkey

• Camili (2005)

Ukraine

• Chernomorskiy (1984)
• Askaniya-Nova (1985)
• Carpathian (1992)
• East Carpathian (1998) (Cross-border with Slovakia and Ukraine)
• Shatskiy (2002)
• Desnianskyi (2009)
• Roztochya (2011)

United Kingdom

• Beinn Eighe (1976)
• Braunton Burrows (1976), extended 2002 as North Devon's Biosphere Reserve
• Cairnsmore of Fleet (1976)
• Biosffer Dyfi (1976)
• (Loch Druidibeg (1976) - withdrawn 2013)
• (Moor House-Upper Teesdale (1976) - withdrawn 2012)
• (North Norfolk Coast (1976) - withdrawn 2014)
• Silver Flowe-Merrick Kells (1976)
• (Taynish (1977) - withdrawn 2010)
• Galloway and southern Ayrshire (2012)
• Brighton and Lewes Downs (2014)
• Wester Ross (2016)

United States

The US Biosphere Network (USBN) consists of 28 internationally recognized biosphere regions across the continental United States, the US Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawai’i. In 2021, the USBN adopted the term biosphere regions instead of biosphere reserves. The mission of the USBN is to foster national and international connections among biosphere regions, to facilitate their sharing of best practices, and to support their work toward connecting people and nature.

• Big Bend (1976)
• Cascade Head (1976)
• Channel Islands (1976)
• Denali (1976)
• Everglades & Dry Tortugas (1976)
• Crown of the Continent (formerly Glacier) (1976)
• Jornada (1976)
• Luquillo (1976)
• Olympic (1976)
• Sonoran Desert (formerly Organ Pipe Cactus) (1976)
• Rocky Mountain (1976)
• Sequoia-Kings Canyon (1976)
• Yellowstone-Grand Teton (formerly Yellowstone) (1976)
• Obtawaing (formerly University of Michigan Biological Station) (1979)
• Virginia Coast (1979)
• Hawaiian Islands (1980)
• Isle Royale (1980)
• Big Thicket (1981)
• Guanica (1981)
• Apalachicola (formerly Central Gulf Coast Plain) (1983)
• Congaree (formerly South Atlantic Coastal Plain) (1983)
• Mojave and Colorado Deserts (1984)
• Glacier Bay-Admiralty Island (1986)
• Golden Gate (1988)
• New Jersey Pinelands (1988)
• Southern Appalachian (1988)
• Champlain-Adirondack (1989)
• Mammoth Cave Area (1990)

Sites withdrawn

• (Aleutian Islands (1976–2017))
• (Beaver Creek (1976–2017))
• (California Coast Ranges (1983–2017))
• (Carolinian-South Atlantic (1986–2017))
• (Central Plains (1976–2017))
• (Coram (1976–2017))
• (Desert (1976–2017))
• (Fraser (1976–2017))
• (H.J. Andrews (1976–2017))
• (Hubbard Brook (1976–2017))
• (Konza Prairie (1978))
• (Land Between the Lakes (1991–2017))
• (Niwot Ridge (1979–2017))
• (Noatak (1976–2017))
• (San Dimas (1976–2018))
• (San Joaquin (1976-2019))
• (Stanislaus-Tuolumne (1976–2017))
• (Three Sisters (1976–2017))
• (Virgin Islands (1976–2017))

References

1. "Europe & North America". Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development. UNESCO.
2. "Biosphere reserves withdrawn from the World Network of Biosphere reserves". Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development. UNESCO. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
3. Van, Cuong, Chu; Peter, Dart; Marc, Hockings (2017). "Using Enhancing our heritage toolkit for assessing management effectiveness of the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve". International Journal of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. 1 (2): 56–76. doi:10.25316/ir-77.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. ^ "23 new sites added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves". UNESCO. 14 June 2017.
5. "Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative".
6. ^ UNESCO (26 July 2018). "Twenty-four new sites join UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves 26 July 2018". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
7. "Europe & North America: 292 biosphere reserves in 37 countries". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
8. "Biosfärområde Kristianstads Vattenrike – Bra för natur och människa" (in Swedish). Biosfärkontoret Kristianstads Vattenrike. May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
9. "Vänerskärgården med Kinnekulle" (in Swedish). Biosfärområde Vänerskärgården med Kinnekulle. May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
10. "Välkommen till Biosfärområde Blekinge Arkipelag!" (in Swedish). Biosfärområde Blekinge Arkipelag. September 8, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
11. "United States Biosphere Network". Center For Large Landscape Conservation. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
12. "Biosphere Regions". George Wright Society. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
13. "FAQs About Biosphere Regions". Center For Large Landscape Conservation. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
14. "Biosphere reserves in Europe & North America". UNESCO. Retrieved 9 May 2023.

Further reading

• International Journal of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. eISSN 2371-7890. Some contents archived at

External links

• List of UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves of Europe and North America

• Biosphere reserves