Biodiversity


	The increasing invasion of the environment by men is accompanied by the inevitable and rapid expansion of anthropogenic landscapes. The existence of natural complexes in their initial form is endangered. The balance formed in nature is disturbed, the course and intensity of processes going on in natural complexes is changed, which finally leads to inevitable changes in nature. At present, there are hardly any natural complexes which have not been exposed to a certain extent to human interference. In connection with this, protected natural areas in particular are of great importance for the preservation of existing natural complexes and for the study of the course of natural processes. A network of specially protected natural areas has been established and functions in the Republic for this purpose, which is based on the specification of specially

protected areas with different degrees of protection, this network consists of state reserves, state preserves and state hunting areas.

___An accurate registration of species of flora and fauna and their quantity is of great importance for the preservation of biodiversity. Systematic work is being carried out in this field in Azerbaijan. The environment of the Republic is represented by 4300 species of flora, more than 600 species of vertebrates and more than 14000 insects, and has a considerable level of endemism. Of the total amount of flora and fauna species represented in the Republic, more than 37 species of flora and 180 species of fauna, including 14 species of mammals, 36 species of birds, 13 species of amphibians and reptiles, 5 species of fish and 40 species of insects are endangered. Reserves are the strictest and, therefore most effective form for the preservation of model areas of nature, the protection of the genetic diversity of plants and animals.

Practical scientific activity in reserves allows the study and control of the processes in natural ecosystems, and contributes to an effective solution to the problem of environmental quality management. At present, major scientific research in the reserves of Azerbaijan is carried out in accordance with uniform methods and are integrated into the single theme OChronicle of NatureO, which envisages: daily, yearly, long-term, stationary, biogenetic research, including an inventory of qualitative and quantitative indices of natural complexes.

Scientific research and practical work carried out in reserves helps to preserve many valuable and rare species of animals and plants.

Thus, mainly due to the establishment of state reserves, Persian gazelle (Gazella sulgutturosa), leopard, moufflon, francolinus francolinus, tetraogallus, falcons, and among plants: yew-tree, box-tree, iron-tree, Lenkoran persimmon, and many other species have been preserved.

The first reserves in Azerbaijan - Gey-Gel, Zakatala and Gizil-Agach were established in the 1920Os. Later on, the Girkan and Turian-Chay reserves were organized. In the late 1950Os, 7 reserves were established: Pirguli, Shirvan, Basut- Chay, Garayaz, Ag-Gel, Ismailli, Ilisuy, and Alti-Agach. Thus, the number of state reserves in the Republic constituted three in 1930, five in 1959, eight in 1971 and 14 in 1990.

Despite the uneven location of the reserves on the territory of the Republic, they cover all the main landscape areas and are of great importance in the protection of model natural complexes. The RepublicOs reserves protect not only landscapes, but also water areas. Special attention is being paid to the protection of the Kizil-Agach Bay in the Caspian Sea, steppe lakes (Ag-Gel and Shirvan), mountain lakes (Gey- Gel), water reservoirs (Girkan) and rivers.

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 rese


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