The Juan Fernández Islands have received national and international recognition for their biological uniqueness - designated a Chilean National Park in 1935 and an UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and nominated for World Heritage status in 1995. Over 60% of the native plants are endemic to the archipelago, including 12 endemic genera and one endemic family (Lactoridaceae). Thirty-five of the 46 mollusks and more than 440 of the 660+ species of invertebrates are also endemic. There are no native amphibians or reptiles, and the only native mammal is the endemic Juan Fernández fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii). The Juan Fernández Islands are home to nine native terrestrial bird species, of which three are endemic species and an additional three are endemic subspecies (1 and 2). Six species of seabirds breed on the islands, of which two are endemic to the islands, and another two are endemic to Chile.

The plight of the archipelago's endangered natural systems has also been recognized. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) identified the Juan Fernández Islands as one of the world's 12 most threatened national parks, and in 1984 the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP) designated the islands as one of the 10 highest priority regions for seabird research globally. In 1998, BirdLife International listed the islands as a Priority 1 (critical) Endemic Bird Area of the World. The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) targeted the Juan Fernández Islands as a priority site in 2002, an area in most urgent need of conservation investment to prevent imminent species extinctions.

In 1997, the Dutch Cooperative - Juan Fernández Project began engaging the local community in a variety of conservation programs. This project, which concluded in 2003, emphasized efforts that encouraged the residents to understand, take pride in, and protect the islands' native ecosystems. Many local islanders are quite eager to participate in the conservation of the islands and have already adopted eco-friendly attitudes and activities.

. Over 510 people (1999) live on Robinson Crusoe Island in the settlements of San Juan Bautista at Cumberland Bay, engaged in fishing, agriculture and cattle raising. Alexander Selkirk Island is occupied by seasonal fishing settlements at Colonia from October to May. Around 2,000 national and 700 international tourists annually visit the Biosphere Reserve. Tourism has been encouraged and eases economic dependence on the Juan Fernandez lobster. Erosion caused by livestock grazing is the most serious threat and difficult to control on the steep volcanic terrain. The main goals of the Juan Fernandez Biosphere Reserve are to restore altered areas and develop environmental education, protecting wild populations of native species, and training in horticultural techniques and controlling livestock

The archipelago is currently home to many species of introduced and invasive plants (more than 400 species) and mammals (cattle, cats, coati, goats, mice, rabbits and rats). Because of the simplified ecological systems present on most islands, non-native species can have a disproportionate impact. Introduced species of mammals on islands can cause extensive damage to native systems through grazing, competition with native species, habitat alteration and destruction, and predation. Preliminary studies (see Research page) suggest that introduced mammals directly impact our focal seabird species through predation (cats, rats and coatis), competition for burrows (rabbits), and destruction of burrows (cattle). For example, a successful eradication of rabbits from Santa Clara in 2003 has resulted in a 20% increase in burrow occupancy by breeding pink-footed shearwaters. Changes in the plant community due to herbivory and grazing can potentially indirectly affect burrowing seabirds through soil compaction, increased soil erosion and compromised nesting habitat.

The MAB Programme develops the basis within the natural and social sciences for the rational and sustainable use and conservation of the resources of the biosphere and for the improvement of the overall relationship between people and their environment. It predicts the consequences of today’s actions on tomorrow’s world and thereby increases people’s ability to efficiently manage natural resources for the well-being of both human populations and the environment.





By focusing on sites internationally recognized within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the MAB Programme strives to:

identify and assess the changes in the biosphere resulting from human and natural activities and the effects of these changes on humans and the environment, in particular in the context of climate change;
study and compare the dynamic interrelationships between natural/near-natural ecosystems and socio-economic processes, in particular in the context of accelerated loss of biological and cultural diversity with unexpected consequences that impact the ability of ecosystems to continue to provide services critical for human well-being;
ensure basic human welfare and a liveable environment in the context of rapid urbanization and energy consumption as drivers of environmental change;
promote the exchange and transfer of knowledge on environmental problems and solutions, and to foster environmental education for sustainable development.

The MAB Programme develops the basis within the natural and social sciences for the rational and sustainable use and conservation of the resources of the biosphere and for the improvement of the overall relationship between people and their environment. It predicts the consequences of today’s actions on tomorrow’s world and thereby increases people’s ability to efficiently manage natural resources for the well-being of both human populations and the environment.





By focusing on sites internationally recognized within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the MAB Programme strives to:

identify and assess the changes in the biosphere resulting from human and natural activities and the effects of these changes on humans and the environment, in particular in the context of climate change;
study and compare the dynamic interrelationships between natural/near-natural ecosystems and socio-economic processes, in particular in the context of accelerated loss of biological and cultural diversity with unexpected consequences that impact the ability of ecosystems to continue to provide services critical for human well-being;
ensure basic human welfare and a liveable environment in the context of rapid urbanization and energy consumption as drivers of environmental change;
promote the exchange and transfer of knowledge on environmental problems and solutions, and to foster environmental education for sustainable development.