U.N. Lists 22 Biosphere Reserves

A large, mountainous region in southern Siberia and a peatland forest in Sumatra that features sustainable logging and two wildlife sanctuaries are among 22 biosphere reserves named by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). That brings the number of biosphere reserves to 553 in 107 countries. Although the designation offers no legal protection, it does honor and focus attention on unique ecosystems where humans sustainably interact with nature. Among the 22 new reserves are the Altai region in Siberia, a mountainous enclave — nearly the size of Switzerland — developing a strong ecotourism sector; the Giam Siak Kecil peat forest in Indonesia; Mount Myohyang in North Korea, a 6,000-foot summit that harbors 30 endemic plants and numerous threatened animal species; the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela, home to an indigenous Warao community and more than 2,000 species of plants and a wide variety of marine life; and the Biosphare Bliesgau in southern Germany, a populous area, surrounded by designated green space, that is the site of an ongoing study of climate change.