The terminology of conservation can be confusing.  Endless acronyms and very specific terms that only the ‘specialists’ can decode.  For Nature Needs Half, we use the protected area categories as defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  The IUCN categories define protected areas according to the management objectives, but don’t always mesh with in-country or local definitions and terminology.
There are many other terms to define important biodiversity areas, including RAMSAR Sites, Marine Protected Areas and Transboundary Protected Areas.  To help demystify the terminology of protected areas and biodiversity areas, UNEP-WCMC and partners launched A-Z Areas of Biodiversity, a glossary of various important systems to assign and protect areas for biodiversity conservation.
Check it out…WWW.BIODIVERSITYA-Z.ORG