Nature Reserves

Key Stage 4

Meaning

A nature reserve is an area of land which has been chosen to be free of negative human interference.

About Nature Reserves

Nature reserves are assigned to protect biodiversity which is threatened by human actions.

Nature reserves usually do not allow the building of houses, factories, dams or other structures which may affect the natural habitat of a community of organisms.

Some nature reserves are left completely alone by humans but other nature reserves require the input of humans to either protect populations which may be under threat from poaching or maintain the community by killing organisms considered to be pests.

Some areas have lost their apex predators which means some populations can grow too large. In these cases humans may cull the animals to reduce the population preventing them from damaging the ecosystem.