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Wildlife & Countryside

Protected Areas

Image showing open plains of Pulborough Brooks (SSSI)

Find out how Defra protects the countryside and areas of special interest.

In this section:

  • Common Land
    The Commons Act 2006 aims to protect these areas of Common Land, in a sustainable manner delivering benefits for farming, public access and biodiversity.
  • Local sites
    Non-statutory Local Site systems help protect local natural character and distinctiveness.
  • Local Nature Reserves
    Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are for both people and wildlife. They are places with wildlife or geological features that are of special interest locally. They offer people special opportunities to study or learn about nature or simply to enjoy it.
  • Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)
    With 36 designated AONBs in England, the purpose of these areas are to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area.
  • National Parks
    National Parks are extensive tracts of the countryside that have been given protection for the conservation and enhancement of their special qualities.
  • National Nature Reserves (NNRs)
    NNRs secure protection and appropriate management of the most important areas of wildlife habitat. NNRs are usually designated for their broader ecological value rather than for the presence of any rare species.
  • Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
    Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are the best examples of our natural heritage of wildlife habitats, geological features and landforms.
  • Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
    Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are strictly protected sites designated under the EC Habitats Directive. The listed habitat types and species are those considered to be most in need of conservation at a European level (excluding birds).
  • Special Protection Areas (SPA)
    Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites classified in the EC Birds Directive. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds, listed in Annex I to the Birds Directive, and for regularly occurring migratory species.
  • Ramsar Convention
    The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (The Ramsar Convention) is an intergovernmental treaty that aims to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future.
  • UNESCO Biospheres
    Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystems which are internationally recognised under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme launched in 1971.

Page last modified: 23 October 2008
Page published: 23 October 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs