This article provides a list of sites in the

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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

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 ...

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 Sites Sites of importance in a European context * all

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 certa ...

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 Areas (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 ...

(NCR site) * all national nature reserves (NNR) *

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

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 ...

Biodiversity