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. Various NRS sites serve as catalysts for interdisciplinary studies, as "think tanks" where collaboration and mutual inspiration are common. Such robust intellectual cross-pollination creates a fertile climate for teaching as well, wherever students have a firsthand opportunity to conduct scientific study and interact with outstanding researchers in a less formal setting.
Please see our Special Research Pages, which highlight
major research projects of national significance.
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