United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
which are recognised for their importance to biodiversity conservation. The list is divided geographically by region and county.
__NOTOC__
Inclusion criteria
Sites are included in this list if they are given any of the following designations:
Sites of importance in a global context
*
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
s (BR)
*
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s (WHS) (where biological interest forms part of the reason for designation)
* all
Ramsar Site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...
s (SPA)
* all
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
(SAC)
* all
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
s (IBA)
Sites of importance in a national context
* all sites which were included in the
Nature Conservation Review
''A Nature Conservation Review'' is a two-volume work by Derek Ratcliffe, published by Cambridge University Press in 1977. It set out to identify the most important places for nature conservation in Great Britain. It is often known by the initial ...
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
(SSSI), where biological interest forms part of the justification for notification (SSSIs which are designated purely for their geological interest are not included unless they meet other criteria)
England
Southwest
Cornwall
Devon
Dorset
Somerset
Avon
Wiltshire
Gloucestershire
Southeast
Bedfordshire
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Essex
Greater London
Hampshire
Hertfordshire
Kent
Oxfordshire
Surrey
Sussex
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Midlands
Derbyshire
Herefordshire
Leicestershire
Northamptonshire
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Nottinghamshire
Warwickshire
Worcestershire
East Anglia
Northwest
Cheshire
Northeast
Lincolnshire
Yorkshire
County Durham
Wales
Anglesey
Scotland
Northeast Scotland
Shetland
;Unst
Orkney
Outer Hebrides
;Lewis and Harris
;North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula
Other islands
See also
*
Conservation in the United Kingdom
This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural conservation in the United Kingdom.
With the advent of devolved government for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and of evolving regional government for England, ...
*
National Nature Reserves in the United Kingdom
Some statutory nature reserves are designated by national bodies in the United Kingdom, and are known as national nature reserves.
Great Britain
In Great Britain, nature reserves designed under Part III of the National Parks and Access to the C ...
*
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
References
{{Reflist
Biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...