Table 1.

The six categories of protected areas as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (obtained from Dudley 2008)

	Definition
Protected area	A clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values
Ia—Strict nature reserve	Set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use, and impacts are strictly controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values
Ib—Wilderness area	Usually large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural character and influence, without permanent or significant human habitation, which are protected and managed so as to preserve their natural condition
II—National Park	Large natural/near natural areas protecting major ecological processes, along with characteristic species and ecosystems, which also provide environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities
III—Natural monument or feature	Set up to protect a specific natural monument, which can be a landform, seamount, submarine cavern, geological feature such as a cave, or even a living feature such as an ancient grove
IV—Habitat/species management area	Set up to protect particular species or habitats with management reflecting this priority. Many but not all such areas will need regular, active interventions to meet the requirements of particular species or to maintain habitats
V—Protected landscape/seascape	Areas where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural, and scenic value, and where safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the associated values
VI—PA with sustainable use of natural resources	Generally large areas, mostly in a natural condition, where a proportion of the total area is under sustainable natural resource management and where low-level nonindustrial use of natural resources compatible with nature conservation is seen as one of the main aims