Las Vicuñas National Reserve is a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 located in the Parinacota Province

Parinacota Province

Parinacota Province is one of two provinces of the Chilean region of Arica and Parinacota . Its capital is Putre. It is named after the Parinacota Volcano.-History:...

, Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. The reserve lies immediately south of Lauca National Park

Lauca National Park

Lauca National Park is located in Chile's far north, in the Andean range. It encompasses an area of 1,379 km² of altiplano and mountains, the latter consisting mainly of enormous volcanoes. Las Vicuñas National Reserve is its neighbour to the south. Both protected areas, along with Salar de Surire...

 and in its southern portion is contiguous to Salar de Surire Natural Monument

Salar de Surire Natural Monument

Salar de Surire Natural Monument is a Chilean Natural Monument located in the Andes, in the Arica and Parinacota Region. It consists mainly of a salt flat and a number of small salt lakes, sheltering several Andean species of wildlife and plants...

, all of which form Lauca

Lauca

Lauca is a Biosphere Reserve, located in northern Chile, in Arica and Parinacota Region. The reserve comprises three protected areas: Lauca National Park, Las Vicuñas National Reserve and Salar de Surire Natural Monument. This zone was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1981.-References and...

 Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere reserve

The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

. The major elevations are Arintica

Arintica

Arintica is a stratovolcano located in Arica y Parinacota Region of Chile, near the border with Bolivia. It lies north of the Salar de Surire.Glacial valleys on the south and west flanks of the mountain contain large active rock glaciers that have been misinterpreted in the past as lava flows....

 and Puquintica.

This Puna

Puna

Puna may refer to:* Puna grassland, a type of grassland in the central part of the high Andes* Puna , the king of Hiti-marama or of Vavau in the Tuamotu legend of Rata* Puna , a type of wind in the Andes...

 ecosystem preserves high-altitude wildlife, including Vicuña

Vicuña

The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...

s, for which the reserve is named.

Much of the reserve consists of extensive Andean

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 steppes cut by rivers and quebradas, being Lauca River

Lauca River

The Lauca River is a binational river. It originates from Chilean Altiplano of the Tarapacá Region, crosses the Andes and empties into Coipasa Lake, in Bolivia....

 the main one. Typical vegetation includes pajonal, tolar and llaretal

Yareta

Yareta is a tiny flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to South America, occurring in the Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, the north of Chile and the west of Argentina at between 3200 and 4500 metres altitude.Yareta is an evergreen perennial being in leaf...

 formations. In some areas is possible to find specimen of Polylepis tarapacana

Polylepis tarapacana

Polylepis tarapacana, known in its native habitat by the Spanish common name Queñoa De Altura , is a short tree or shrub which is found in small, scattered groupings along the mountainous borders of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru , growing in soil formed by volcanos...

.