KAVKAZSKIY NATURE BIOSPHERE RESERVE: 40 YEARS IN MAB UNESCO PROGRAMME. HISTORY, RESULTS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

In 1978, the Kavkazskiy Nature Biosphere Reserve became part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO’s ‘Man and the Biosphere’ Programme. The goals, objectives and requirements for biosphere reserves have changed significantly over these 40 years. In this regard, the Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve ceased to meet these requirements. From the standpoint of present requirements, the structure of this Biosphere Reserve is disproportional: a very large core area with a disjunctive buffer area and the lack of a transition area. Since 1978 and up to the present day, the Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve has only possessed two functions of the whole range of those typical of biosphere reserves: the protection and the science and research support, which it qualitatively fulfils. It is both expedient and possible to eliminate discrepancies in the structure and functioning of the Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve with up-to-date requirements in the case of its expansion by means of forming a continuous buffer area and a transition area around the core area (the present Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve). The paper proposes a new structure of the Kavkazskiy Biosphere Reserve and describes the main results and prospects of its functioning.