Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
(source: Richard Mortel)

A nature reserve is an area of land that is protected and managed for various ecological reasons. It could be designated to protect and reserve wildlife, flora, fauna, geological features or other special interest that plays a part in our ecosystem and Earth’s biodiversity. Habitats that has its flora and fauna near endangerment are of a particular concern. They are often protected and conserved in nature reserves to prevent them from extinction and also to provide study,research and nature appreciation opportunities.

Nature reserves can be classified into different categories. Many countries have adopted the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) system of categorization to classify their protected area in accordance to their management objectives. The  different categories consist of :

• Strict Nature Reserve
• Wilderness Area
• National Park
• Natural Monument of Feature
• Habitat/Species Management Area
• Protected Landscape/ Seascape
• Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources