The 4 reserves (Bosawas, Patuca, Tawahaka & Rio Plantano) are declared protected sites under UNESCO.

The reserve encompasses both mountainous and lowland tropical rainforest, full of diverse wildlife and plant life. The reserve is part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor that stretches from Mexico southwards through Central America.

The biosphere reserve has a number of endangered species and the botanical diversity is very high, with vascular plants considered to be in the thousands, rich in invertebrate and vertebrate taxa. Within the Biosphere live an estimated 200,000 insect species, it is a rich landscape with 21 different ecosystem types and is home to 13% of known species worldwide. Species include white-headed capuchin, mantled howler and spider monkeys, brown-throated sloth, paca, kinkajou, coatimundi tayra, Central American otter, collared peccary, white-lipped peccary and red brocket.

Quetzals and guacamayas are present in significant numbers, along with the largest and most powerful eagle found in the Americas, the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). These, however, are just a few of the over 700 bird species potentially found in the biosphere reserve.

Pumas and jaguars are present in the reserve.

The reserve combined is home to over 150,000 local inhabitants of which over 50,000 are indigenous people. The population includes five very different and unique cultural groups: Mayagana, Miskito, Pech, Garifunas, and the ladino. The smaller groups, the Pech, Garifunas, and Miskito inhabitants live mostly in the north, alongside the river. These people have a variety of rights to the land including private ownership and mostly use the land for agriculture.

Currently there are threats to the conservation of the reserve which include illegal hunting, logging and clearing of land to graze cattle.     

In 2011, UNESCO placed the reserve on the “World Heritage in Danger List”, it is the second largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, after the Amazon in Brazil.