Terrestrial PA | conbio1-4650

What is a Terrestrial Protected Area?

This page will tell you all about terrestrial protected areas and their importance to the environment. We will showcase ones in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, The United States of America, and Europe. Will have also included a global comparison of how we are doing to other nations across the world in the overview page. Enjoy!

People recognize that conserving wildlife and wildlife habitats is beneficial to both us and the environment. By protecting terrestrial areas, it provides us with a place to enjoy the natural beauty of our nation as well as stimulate economic growth through tourism. It is also vital to protect the environmental processes that are essential to the preservation of life. It also helps to ensure the survival of wildlife populations, allows for clean air, fresh water, protects soil resources, regulates climate, captures and stores carbon, mediates pest and disease control, and other important functions.

Most countries follow International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN's) definition to define what a protected area is, which states: "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" (18).

Globally, there are over 105,000 terrestrial protected areas and this number has been increasing significantly over the last decade. This covers nearly 15% of the Earth's land surface (18).