NATURAL RESERVES

There are many different kinds of natural reserves in Argentina. According to their administration, characteristics and objectives they are classified as follows:

1) The Provincial Parks:
These are reserves, which due to their natural attractions fulfill a double duty: protect the environment and offer a space for recreation and education. As written: "In order to determine the different uses of their area and to order the activities therein, the Parques Provinciales Provincial Parks must be zoned".

2) The Integral Natural Reserves:
These are reserves which are established to protect nature as a whole, where only scientific expeditions are allowed to enter, but no changes can made to the environment, whether on its wild life or its physical properties. In such Reserves the protection of the natural ecosystems and the restoration of degraded lands are of the utmost importance, since this will allow them to live under the most natural conditions possible. Access is absolutely limited.

3) Natural Reserves with Specific Objectives:
These have been made to protect the soil, the flora, the fauna and natural or cultural sites or objects as well. Human activities are allowed, but must follow strict rules. They can be established to protect botanical, wildlife, geological or paleontological areas of interest and/or watersheds, areas of scenic value (aesthetic values), educational (for educational and teaching purposes) as well as those with mixed objectives.

4) Multiple Use Reserves:
These are oriented towards the investigation and experimentation of the natural and sustainable use of the environment and the natural resources with all the species contained. They may include areas adapted by man to be used for comparative studies on the impact of degraded lands vs. natural ecosystems. Zoning is imposed by law.

5) Wildlife Shelters:
Theses are areas that require protection because of their special characteristics or because they contain habitats of vital importance for the survival of menaced species of flora and fauna. For this reason the collecting of specimens or hunting is permanently and totally forbidden with the exception of the collecting of specimen for scientific purposes or for the zoos.

National Monuments:

Apart from the classification of Natural Reserves, Argentinean law opens the possibility of declaring National Monument to areas, objects or living species of animals and plants for their aesthetic, historical or scientific interest and which need a total protection.These can be either on the surface of the land or in watercourses or on the sea. They can also be found within a Natural Reserve, but the fact of their being declared a National Monument means that they will receive special attention. As an example, in the Province of Buenos Aires we will find that the Cerro de la Ventana Mountain and the Deer of the Pampas have both been declared National Monuments.The natural hackberry tree forests are considered in the public domain, to avoid their destruction, since it is the only original tree species of the Pampas Plains. All inland public and private watercourses and lakes were considered to be Tourist Reserves in the year 1972.