The New Jersey Pinelands, though once called the Pine Barrens for its dry sandy soil and frequent fires, supports dark green forests of pitch pine, oak, and Atlantic white cedar, along with abundant streams and rivers, making it a region rich in natural variety. More than 850 species of plants and more than 350 species of birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians live there, and its aesthetic and scientific values are considered priceless. Its unique pattern of natural habitats and unusual variety of plant and animal species led Congress in 1978 to establish it as the first National Reserve, the State of New Jersey in 1979 to create the New Jersey Pinelands Commission to manage development and protect its resources, and UNESCO in 1983 to designate it a Biosphere Reserve as part of efforts to conserve important biological areas through research, monitoring, education, and training.