Noosa is one of only three Biosphere Reserves in Queensland, along with the neighbouring Great Sandy and the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Reserves - the only three adjoining Biosphere Reserves in the world.

Noosa Biosphere Reserve is located in the Macpherson-Macleay overlap, where tropical and temperate zones overlap. The landscape has an extensive composition of rainforests, beaches, woodlands, wetlands, lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. The Noosa region provides an extremely accommodating landscape for both flora and fauna due to its location in the intersection of the Torresian and Bassian biogeographic regions. It is a major centre of species richness and endemism, supporting speciation and biodiversity.