The forest or natural reserve is a land that is protected by the State, since it has great importance for the wild life, flora or fauna of the country, at the same time that it offers man the opportunity to carry out research in favor of conservation of the species. The government of the nation in which it is located has the obligation to ensure its welfare, avoiding the exploitation of its resources for any agricultural activity.
The implementation of the term forest reserve or nature reserve dates back to the 3rd century BC when the King of Sri Lanka (one of the oldest cities in Asia), Devanampiya Tissa, ordered wildlife around the Mihintale people to be protected, thus creating the first natural sanctuary that protected the life of the beings that inhabited it. However, many experts assure that the creation of nature reserves is due to the fear that existed (in ancient times) of the "cursed forests", in which human beings did not dare to cross due to the belief of spirits that could attack those who stepped on their lands, thus creating these spaces where no man entered.
Currently, nature reserves are designated by different government institutions, such as the National Nature Reserve (the most recognized institution in the world, whose main headquarters are located in the United Kingdom) as well as non-profit organizations dedicated to the protection of the environment and research institutions of various nations and are independent of the government.
The American continent is the one that has the largest number of forest reserves due to the great diversity of ecosystems that can be seen in it. The country that has the largest number of reserves in Latin America is Chile, and thanks to the great diversity of climate, there are many types of ecosystems in the country, from the desert (with the driest areas in the world) to the areas of higher humidity (with the oldest and most virgin trees on the planet), thanks to all these conditions the nation has been credited with more than 100 forest reserves, classified as National Parks, National Monuments or Nature Reserves, whose total areas exceed 14 million hectares, that is, 19% of the national territory.
