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What is a natural area?
The designation of natural area is given to protected lands that are set aside as an important example of a unique or rare landscape feature. They may contain unique or important examples of plant or animal communities, geology, or sometimes archeological sites and are managed specifically to protect these features.
Habitat destruction is one of the greatest causes of the continuing loss of global biodiversity. Today, virtually no area has escaped modification by humans, and most of the original forest vegetation has been completely replaced by farmland, cities, and suburbs. Natural Areas are those areas that remain as valuable habitat that provide refuges for our native flora and fauna.
Some natural areas are relatively pristine examples of the area's native landscapes, providing examples of unique geological formation or harboring rare and endangered species. These areas, including the UW Green Bay Natural Areas are valuable for research and educational use, the preservation of genetic and biological diversity, and for providing benchmarks for determining the impact of use on managed lands. Although the Cofrin Arboretum and Toft Point have some trails, they are not intended for intensive recreation.
Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects
© 2001-2004 The Cofrin Center
for Biodiversity and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay,
All Rights Reserved
Last
updated on
April 23, 2008