Functions of the reserve

MANAGEMENT · FUNCTIONS OF THE RESERVE

The titularity of La Palma Biosphere Reserve is held by a Consortium made up of a group of public authorities. This body is responsible for implementing the three functions assigned to them by UNESCO (Conservation, Development and Logistics).

WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE RESERVE?

The UNESCO MaB program is responsible for selecting and declaring Biosphere Reserves throughout the world. Its main aim is to make the conservation of natural resources compatible with the sustainable use of the Reserve by the local population. There are three specific functions that any Biosphere Reserve must fulfil:

1. Conservation: La Palma shelters a wide diversity of species. The flora includes a large number of endemic species, while the fauna is outstanding and unusually diverse for a young oceanic island like ours. The consevation of this heritage is also closely linked to a major cultural legacy , clearly influenced by European and South American trends.
2. Development: One of the key reasons for declaring La Palma a Biosphere Reserve was the fact that the island has opted for rural tourism. Strategic tools like the Protection of the Sky Act, the Sustainable Development Plan, the municipal Agenda 21s and the applicaton of the LEADER+ programme [ADER-La Palma] are also in line with this approach.
3. Logistics: This refers to support for demonstration, education, skill building and research projects focussed on the environment. The La Palma Biosphere Reserve has its own research centre, equipped with a laboratory, while the Cabildo (Island Council) has drawn up a report for Environmental Education and Training Planning (PLASIA, from its initials in Spanish).. The progress made in this aspect can be seen from the Young Scientists Award given for a research work supported by the La Palma Reserve in 1992: González Mancebo, J.M., Study of micro-habitat stability in Los Tiles Biosphere Reserve. Briophites as environmental stability indicators .