The Republic O s reserves protect not only landscapes, but also water areas. The territory of each reserve is a representative part of a certain region. It constitutes a necessary element, a link in the solution of tasks on the development of the methodology of balanced ecological regulation of economic activity and environmental quality management. Biosphere reserves do not exist in the Republic. However, realizing their significance for the preservation and study of the environment, the establishment of such reserves on the bases of the Gizil-Agach and Zakatala reserves is planned.
Biosphere reserves are of great importance as elements in the network of ecological monitoring.
They help to identify how deep the changes in the properties of soils, vegetation, natural waters and fauna are, as a result of economical activity. Such changes may be both negative and positive. However, in any case the comparison with a natural model is necessary. This is the purpose of the reserves, the territories of which are excluded from the sphere of economic exploitaition with respect to the peculiarity or unique character of their nature. A serious obstacle in the development of the theory and practice of reserves was the absence of adequate laws in this field.