In newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and books, one often encounters references to saxaul and saxaul woodlands, the so-called saxaul forests. Although many people today have seen images of saxaul trees and saxaul forests in nature, in books, or on screens, only a few have actually seen dense stands of black saxaul, the true forests of the desert. Extensive tracts of dense natural saxaul forest are now preserved only in nature reserves located deep within the desert, far from settlements and roads. If the exploitation of underground resources such as oil, sulfur, and other mineral deposits simply means extracting their reserves as completely and with as little loss as possible, then the utilization of vegetation requires not only restoration but also the enhancement and improvement of its fundamental reserves. Understanding the growth conditions of saxaul and its forest stands is of considerable importance, since it makes it possible to utilize saxaul forests continuously while systematically ensuring their regeneration. The value of saxaul forests in desert development is multifaceted. First, properly organized saxaul forest management can facilitate the use of reclaimed desert lands by stabilizing surrounding sands against wind erosion, providing shade and green vegetation, and mitigating the harshness of the desert climate. Second, saxaul forests, especially the black saxaul forests of the Karakum Desert, provide some of the finest fuelwood in the world and constitute an extremely valuable source of fuel reserves in desert regions. Third, saxaul itself serves as a forage plant for sheep and camels. This booklet describes the natural conditions of the Karakum Desert and provides general information on saxaul forests, the biological characteristics of white and black saxaul species, their origin, and the present condition of the principal saxaul forest areas. Taking into account both the natural conditions of the desert and the biological characteristics of saxaul, the author seeks to outline the main measures for the rational and optimal utilization of saxaul forests, considering not only the natural regeneration of forest stands but also their planned restoration through sowing, planting, and continuous silvicultural care. Since 1932, during the course of his research on saxaul forests and their restoration in Turkmenistan, the author has repeatedly visited the largest saxaul forest regions of the Karakum Desert.