Bosques de Neblina - Selva Central Biosphere Reserve

The Bosques de Neblina - Selva Central Biosphere Reserve is located in the Amazon Basin of central Peru, in a transition zone between the eastern slopes of the Andes and the Amazon, an area known as the Andean Amazon.

The Peruvian Andes split the country in a north-south direction, providing a complex geographical setting with considerable differences in topography, altitude and geological characteristics. The easternmost-facing slopes look out over the Amazon Basin, forming the upper watersheds of the western Amazon.

Harboring four emblematic Peruvian ecosystems, the Bosques de Neblina - Selva Central Biosphere Reserve is home to a high biological and cultural diversity. The Reserve's altitude is also diverse, ranging from 440 - 5,100 m (1,440 - 16,700 ft).

The site, designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 2020, shares its northern border with the Oxapampa-Ashaninka-Yanesha Biosphere Reserve and has a total surface area of more than 812,000 ha (2,000,000 acres), broken down as follows:

• Core area(s): 71,544 ha (176,789 acres)
• Buffer zone(s): 80,353 ha (198,556 acres)
• Transition zone(s): 660,218 ha (1,631,434 acres)

The core area of the Bosques de Neblina - Selva Central Biosphere Reserve is made up of the Pampa Hermosa National Sanctuary and the Pui Pui Protection Forest, both protected natural areas that conserve unique portions of the tropical montane forests as well as the hydrographic basin of the Tulumayo, Huatziroke, Pichanake, and Ipoki rivers.

This drainage basin supplies water for agricultural use and human consumption in the Chanchamayo and Peren valleys, home to diverse population groups, including Quechuans and Ashaninkas. In addition, agriculture, forestry and fishing are important sources of income.

In addition to being a strategic location between the Peruvian capital of Lima and other Amazonian towns, the site of the Biosphere Reserve is one of the country's leading tourist destinations, with cultural and nature-based attractions.

Less than 10% of the region's biodiversity has been cataloged. However, the Reserve hosts various endemic, endangered species, such as the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus).

Representative flora in the Biosphere Reserve includes the Polylepis forests and the Queen of the Andes (Puya raimondii), known for its giant flower spike.

Fauna represented in the area includes the northern viscacha (Lagidium peruanum), Andean fox or culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornates), Andean white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus peruvianus), taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis) and Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).