Serie Conservación de la Naturaleza 15 (2005): Los ambientes naturales en áreas montañosas del noroeste argentino (NOA), su interrelación con países limítrofes y su necesidad de protección, recuperación y conservación

The Natural Environments in Argentinean Northwest Mountainous Areas (NOA), its Interrelation with Bordering Countries and their Necessity of Protection, Recovery and Conservation. There exist 249 protected areas in the country, 31 of which belong to national jurisdiction and 218 belong to provincial, mixed or university ones. Only a 5.26% of the national territory is protected (4.18% with provincial figures and 1.08% with national figures). There are 30 protected areas in the NOA region (6 national areas and 24 provincial ones) but not all the environments are protected. The “yungas” areas have been prioritized while high and medium mountain are very low priority level areas. Mountain ecoregions (pre-puna, puna and altoandino) are protected in a 17% (16.5% with provincial figures and 0.45% with national figures). From
1930 to 1996 the number of provincial level protected areas has grown in an exponential way whereas the national ones showed a low growth speed. It is proposed a change in the legislation, a greater involvement of the provinces in national protection plans, a greater protection of medium and high mountain areas, in the NOA region as well as in the rest of the country, the possibility of transnational protection (with Chile and Bolivia) in addition to the creation and support to figures of private protection.