It is believed that one of the earliest reserves in the world was created in the III century BC. e. on the island of Sri Lanka. And in the same period, the local emperor for the first time passed a law to protect and protect nature and the environment. Today, the territory of protected areas totals thousands of hectares in many countries of the world.
A nature reserve is a territory or water area that is under the special supervision, control and protection of the state or private organizations, and is fully or partially withdrawn from economic use in order to preserve unique natural complexes. Also, protected areas provide for the protection of various species of fauna and flora, and monitoring the processes occurring in the reserve.
In the Russian Federation, back in 1995, a federal law on protected areas was adopted, which is a legal act regulating the regime of nature reserves. Unlike popular national parks abroad, any economic activity is prohibited in reserves in the Russian Federation. Also, mass visits to protected areas by non-specialists, tourists, including are not allowed. Violation of the integrity of such zones is punishable by law.
The first reserve in Russia was founded in Belovezhskaya Pushcha in the middle of the 13th century.
The most significant and important protected areas of the world, initiated by UNESCO, are inscribed on the World Heritage List and are part of the international system of biosphere reserves or reserves. Thus, these facilities are already under the protection of international law.
Reserves play an exclusive role in the conservation and restoration of rare and endangered species of animals and plants, unique natural landscapes and resources. Thanks to scientific research obtained in the study of protected natural areas, there is a huge amount of primary data on the state of the plant and animal world.
Domestic protected areas are reference areas of natural territories that are preserved in their natural and unchanged form. And their role is important in comparative studies of protected resources with conventional forests used for human activities.
Nature reserves are necessary to maintain and preserve natural ecosystems. They are the regulators of the normal ecological state of a particular locality or an entire region.
And, of course, nature reserves do not only perform functions aimed at environmental education among the population. They are also an aesthetic and cultural heritage, designed to bring joy and satisfaction to all its guests and visitors.
