What are protected natural areas

Let’s start with the explanation about What are protected natural areas. It’s about land or sea areas delimited that receive a certain Protection regime for presenting biological, ecological, archaeological, geological, historical and/or extraordinary cultural characteristics. Said protection regime can be provided by states as well as by private organizations.

The Function of protected areas It is precisely to preserve for the future those characteristics that make the protected area unique. In itself, the creation of protected areas is the most effective strategy when Keep biological, cultural and ecosystem services and services indispensable for the development of society and beings that inhabit said region.

We recommend you read this other post about the importance of natural reserves and protected areas.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a Classification of the different protected natural spacesdifferentiated from each other by the degree of protection they have and the activities that can be carried out in each of them. Let’s see the classification here:

• Strict natural reserves and wild areas: They protect natural organisms and processes in the absence of human activity. This is to maintain representative examples of biological diversity. The only allowed activity is scientific research and species monitoring.
• National Parks: They are large areas with landscapes of national or international importance. The allowed activities are related to education, scientific research and recreation. In general, commercial extraction of resources is not allowed. Here we tell you more about what national parks are.
• National Monuments: They are small spaces that are destined to preserve unique natural areas or of cultural, historical and/or ecological interest.
• Wild life and natural reserves sanctuaries: They resemble the first protected area described, except that human intervention is allowed here to maintain the characteristics of the ecological community.
• Protected areas and marine landscapes: They are those protected areas that allow the interaction of people with the environment through traditional non -destructive uses of natural resources. Some of the allowed activities are grazing, orchards, fishing village, tourism and/or recreation.
• Protected areas with resource management: They are extensive areas in which the non -destructive exploitation of natural resources is allowed, so that the preservation of biological diversity and ecosystem is ensured.

On the other hand, not only the IUCN has developed a classification system. The Natura 2000 Network, a network of protected areas of Europe, bases its classification on two types of zones:

• Special potential area for birds (Zepa): Areas that are considered important for bird conservation, either because of their reproductive, food and/or migration function.
• Special Conservation Zone (ZEC): Areas that retain habitats and species of flora and fauna for their rarity, symbolic value and/or the ecological role they fulfill within the ecosystem.

Finally, there are Biosphere reserves located in representative geographical places for the conservation of the different habitats of the planet, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems. These reserves were designated by the program of the Unesco man and the biosphere. It is worth mentioning that although the biosphere reserves are recognized internationally, they are under the sovereignty of their respective countries, therefore, each of them determines whether it will grant (or not) any regime of protection to the reserve. In this other article you can learn more about what are the reserves of the biosphere and examples.

Next, we will indicate Examples of protected natural areas in Spain and Latin America.

Natural Protected Areas in Spain

Spain has several types of protected natural spaces, among them we can mention: national parks, natural parks, natural reserves, natural monuments and more types that differ according to the different autonomous communities. In addition, this country is attached to the Natura 2000 Network project.

Natural Protected Areas in Mexico

Protected areas in Mexico can be federal, state, municipal, community and private. Their areas are based on the IUCN classification criteria and also have biosphere reserves. Two of the most emblematic Mexican protected areas are: Los Leones desert National Park and Monarch butterfly biosphere reserve.

Natural Protected Areas of Peru

Peru presents around 158 protected areas that together constitute 16.93 % of the national territory. The different areas are determined by the IUCN classification criteria. They also consider a type of protected natural area to hunting preserves.

Protected Natural Areas of Ecuador

Ecuador presents a national system of its own protected areas, with some criteria taken from the IUCN classification. As for statistics, approximately 20 % of the land territory and 12 % of the marine territory is under protected area regime.

Natural Protected Areas of Argentina

The National System of Protected Areas of Argentina has the six conservation categories determined by the IUCN, to which the marine interjurisdictional parks and the protected marine areas are added. It also presents some biosphere reserves.

If you want to read more articles similar to What are protected natural areaswe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.