Nature reserve
An area set aside to conserve aspects of the natural landscape, plant or animals. Such a place is subject to a management plan so that particular types of habitat are conserved, rather than simply being left to run wild. Ownership and/or management of a reserve may lie with the central government (through the Nature Conservancy Council, which establishes 'national nature reserves'), a local authority (which establishes 'local nature reserves'), or a range of public or private bodies, notably the Naturalists' Trust movement, the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Public access to such reserves varies from unrestricted to non-existent, depending on their vulnerability to disturbance and the policy of their owners.From Peter Weaver's Birdwatcher's Dictionary
Copyright © 1981 by Peter Weaver