The Menorca island received the official title of Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere project-MAB, UNESCO) in 1993.

   MAB program, means Man and Biosphere, was create in 1971. Itīs a scientific program assigned to problems relate to use and preserve natural resources in all kind of biological and geographical situations.

   One of the main objectives of this program is to preserve natural places and the genetic material in it. For this reason it was created this title of biosphere reserve. It must be a protected area, but must be possible a social-economic development of the population in it.

 

 

   The main characteristics from biosphere reserve are the next ones:

  1. They are protecting areas representative from the biogeographical area where they are.

  2. They include natural ecosystems (or little bit altered) which are included in one of the biggest biogeographical area in the world:

    1. Areas with endemic species and genetic diversity or with unique natural characteristics and scientific interest

    2. Suitable areas for the experimental manipulation to elaboration, evaluation and demonstration some sustainable development methods.

    3. Examples of nice landscapes result to a traditional way to work the ground.

    4. Recover modified or degraded ecosystems.

  1. A Biosphere Reserve has to be big enough to include enough species that their evolution gives real information about the evolution of species.

  2. Must give opportunities to investigation, education and demonstration of sustainable development model.

  3. Population must be one of the elements of biosphere reserve.

  4. Biosphere reserves must have part of its territory protected by a proper law.

   There are some functions that are supposed must be done for Biosphere Reserve:

  1. Preserve function: each reserve has to have almost: a typical ecosystem sample from the biogeographical area where the territory is

  2. Logistic function: have to be in accordance with several international important investigators and it has to change information to other Biosphere Reserve and other interested organisation.

  3. Development function: each biosphere reserve has to incentive the investigations destined to the solutions of problems created by using ecosystems by man.

   On the 7th of October in 1993 Menorca was professed Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO organisation. This event happened after several reunions among experts from a lot of areas and among representatives from a lot of organisations and institutions. They were worried about the future of Menorca and they wanted to find different solutions that were applied in Mallorca or Ibiza islands.

   This profession was also preceded by an intensive work- up to now, the best one which has been done about Menorca-, which collect the main characteristics from the island from several points of view: geographical aspects, most important habitats, biodiversity, natural protected, history and society, economic activities, natural resources, administrative situation… In this summary there are the firsts four volumes of the information. In the volume number five you can find biosphere reserve strategy with basic tasks program.

Click for more information...

   These works were co-ordinated by Studies Menorcan Institute (IEM). "Consell Insular De Menorca" asked this works. It presented the works to UNESCO.

   Environmental diversity and territorial limitations are two valid qualities in this island territory. Itīs easy to see that in this small territory you can find an example of each habitat representative of the Mediterranean region. Preserve all kind of environment you can find in the island is fundamental to protect all the species and the genetic heritage from biosphere.

   They defined like area number 1 "līAlbufera de Es Grau" and its influence area, that is why this is a maximum protection area. La Albufera dīEs Grau is a lacuna. Itīs 67,7 He. of fresh water, which are separated to the sea by a sand retaining wall. Itīs long shape with biggest axis of 1750 metres. Itīs one of the most valuable natural area from the Mediterranean Sea and itīs the most important humid area from Baleares.

   La Albufera dīEs Grau is divided in these areas:

I. Dunes
II. "Savines" and pines (kind of trees)
III. wild olive tree grove
IV. The Lacuna (1,5 metres in depth)
V. Migratory and autochthonous birds
VI. Drinking and sea water
VII. "Halofite" plants
VIII. The canal

   To have a complete representation of ecosystems and landscapes from the island, we preserve another areas which can be defined like area number 1.