The Buenavista Biosphere Reserve, in the center of the island of Cuba, is also a well-known RAMSAR site.
The Buenavista Biosphere Reserve, Located between the provinces of Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, Buenavista was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2000. It has a land area of 696. 95 Km and 2499. 43 Km of marine area.
Buenavista has a great diversity of geographic regions that is reflected in the variety of terrestrial, coastal and marine areas of great significance as zones of high ecological sensitivity, high biodiversity and remarkable genetic background, to which are added floristic, faunistic, speleological and relevant landscape.
The territory is internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site and includes the “Caguanes” and “Los Caimanes” National Parks, Wildlife Refuges “Las Loras” and “Este de Cayo Santa Maria”, the Highlighted Natural Elements “Dunes of Cayo Guillermo “,” Boqueron “,” La Chucha “and” Lomas de Tasajeras “and Protected Areas “Jobo Rosado” and ” Buenavista “.
Flora and fauna of the Buenavista Biosphere Reserve.
It has important habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, active dune areas and marshes. The area functions as a reservoir of varied species where the fauna, both resident and migratory winter, mainly from the Nearthrope stands out.
873 species have been cataloged, of which 176 are endemic and 20 local endemic. Of the total number of species, 25 are listed as threatened species according to World Conservation Union criteria and 20 are listed in some CITES appendix.
In the Buenavista Biosphere Reserve there are also four villages and six rural settlements. The fundamental human activity in the area is dedicated to the agriculture of several crops as well as to sugar cane, cattle raising, fishing, tourism and forestry.
