Thus, the NRS is contributing to the solution of such problems as wildland conversion and loss of native biodiversity, environmental deterioration, and water conservation.
Some reserves serve as representative sites for carrying out studies with regional implications.
Others are unique and so allow scientists to conduct site-specific research work that cannot be carried out anywhere else in the world. Yet, at all NRS reserves, scientists pursue their studies untroubled by the frequent and unpredictable human disturbances that afflict those who attempt to work on public land. The reserves themselves remain relatively free from the varying degrees of disruption that natural habitats elsewhere sustain under the pressures of growing population, urbanization, and intensified use of natural resources. This happy state of affairs means that scientists can use NRS reserves to establish baseline conditions and accurately measure environmental change. Additional support for research evolves from the fact that NRS reserves draw scientists from many institutions and a variety of fields.