Protected areas

In order to achieve both biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, biosphere reserves are divided into three zones. Core areas, or strict nature reserves, function to protect the diversity of flora, fauna, ecosystems and landscapes, and allow no human intervention. These areas function as references for research projects. Buffer areas encompass valuable cultural landscapes that require a low level of human intervention (for example, extensive grazing management). The goal of these zones is to conserve the wide spectrum of habitats, animals and plants that is typical of extensively managed cultural landscapes. Finally, the remaining areas of the biosphere reserve fall within the transition zone. Here, all human activities are permitted as long as they do not hinder objectives pertaining to the conservation of nature, landscapes and cultural traditions.