Categories of Natural Environment Protected Areas of Ukraine were reestablished (redefined) by the Verkhovna Rada (national parliament of Ukraine) after the fall of the Soviet Union. On 16 June 1992 the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk signed the law on the Nature-Preservation Fund of Ukraine. The law redefined already the established system of environment protection management for Ukraine as a fully sovereign and independent country. National Parks in Ukraine and other protected areas of Ukraine include Ramsar sites in Ukraine, biosphere reserves of Ukraine, National Nature Parks of Ukraine, Nature Reserves of Ukraine, Regional landscape parks of Ukraine, Nature monuments of Ukraine, Protected tracts of Ukraine and Habitat/Species Managed Areas of Ukraine.
The Law defines ten categories of protected areas. In general perspective the categories correspond to the internationally recognized IUCN protected area categories (see World Commission on Protected Areas).
The table below lists the protected area category, the management level and the proclaiming body. Note that categories are not necessarily hierarchal.
| IUCN Class | Protection category | Intent | Form of property | Type of creation |
| I | BIOSPHERE PRESERVE (SANCTUARY) | Conservation of typical nature complexes, ecological monitoring, and education | international / non-private | natural |
| NATURE PRESERVE (SANCTUARY) | Conservation of typical or unique nature complexes, education, scientific research for environment protection, ecological use and safety | national / non-private | natural | |
| II | NATIONAL NATURE PARK | Conservation, restoration, and efficiency for historic-cultural, aesthetic, educational, and similar values | national / non-private | natural |
| V | REGIONAL LANDSCAPE PARK | Conservation of typical or unique nature complexes and implementation of organized recreation | regional / public | natural |
| VI / VII | NATURE RESERVE (ZAKAZNIK) | Conservation and restoration of nature complexes or their separate components | regional / public | natural |
| III | LANDMARK OF NATURE | Conservation of naturally intact (as special environmental, scientific, aesthetic, educational, and cultural meaning) | regional / public | natural |
| PROTECTED TRACT | Conservation of naturally intact (as important scientific, environmental, and aesthetic meaning) | regional / public | natural | |
| IV | BOTANIC GARDEN | Conservation, botanic study, conducting scientific, instructional, and educational activities | regional / public* | artificial |
| DENDROLOGY PARK (ARBORETUM) | Conservation, dendrology study | regional / public* | artificial | |
| ZOOLOGY PARK | Education, exposition, conservation, fauna study | regional / public* | artificial | |
| LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LANDMARK | Preservation and use of the most prominent and valuable examples of landscape architecture for aesthetic, educational, scientific, environmental, and recreational purposes | regional / public | artificial |
Biosphere Preserves (colloquially biosphere zapovedniks) are environment-protected scientific-research institutions of international status that are created with the intent for conservation in a natural state the most typical natural complexes of biosphere, conducting background ecological monitoring, studying of the surrounding natural environment, its changes under the activity of anthropogenic factors.
Biosphere Preserves are created on the base of nature preserves, national nature parks including to their composition territories and objects of other categories of nature-preserving fund and other lands as well as including in the established order the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in the UNESCO framework "Man and the Biosphere Programme".
Nature Preserves (colloquially nature zapovedniks) are environment-protected, scientific-research institutions of statewide status that are created with the goal of conservation in natural state typical or unique for a given landscape zone nature complexes with the entire collection of their components, studying of natural processes and phenomena that occur in them, developing scientific foundation for protection of the surrounding natural environment, efficient use of natural resources as well as ecological safety.
Plots of land and water area with all the natural resources are completely withdrawn from commercial use and granted to preserves in order established by the Law of Ukraine.
The main objective of the nature preserves is conservation of nature complexes and objects on their territories, conducting scientific research and observations after the state of the surrounding natural environment, development on their basis environment protective recommendations, dissemination of environmental awareness, facilitation in preparation of scientific personnel and specialists in the field of protection of the surrounding natural environment and nature preservation.
The Nature Preserves are also responsible for coordination and carrying out scientific research on territories of nature reserves, nature monuments, protected tracts in a region.
National Nature Parks are environment-protected, recreational, culture-educational, and scientific-researching institutions of a statewide status that are created with the goal of conservation, restoration, and effective use of natural complexes and objects that have special environment-protected, health-oriented, historic-cultural, educational, aesthetic value.
Plots of land and water area with all the natural resources and objects are withdrawn from commercial use and granted to the National Nature Parks in order established by the Law of Ukraine.
The composition of the territories of the National Nature Parks may include plots of land and water area of other landowners and land users.
The National Nature Parks are vested implementation of such fundamental tasks:
All nature parks in Ukraine are national parks.
Regional landscape parks are environment-protected recreational institutions of local or regional status that are created with the goal of conservation in natural state typical or unique natural complexes and objects as well as providing the conditions for organized recreation for the population.
Regional landscape parks are organized with withdrawal or without withdrawal of land plots, water, and other natural objects from their owners or users.
Nature reserves (colloquially zakazniks) are declared natural territories (aquatic areas) with the goal of conservation and restoration of natural complexes or their separate components.
Declaration of reserves (zakazniks) is conducted without withdrawal of land plots, water, and other natural objects from their owners or users.
Types: zoological, botanical, wooded, landscape, hydrological, ornithological, geological, ecological, entomological, karst-speleological, ichthyological.
Prominent nature attractions are declared with the goal of conservation them in natural state. Their declaration is conducted without the withdrawal of land plots, water, and other natural objects from their owners or users. There various types of nature attractions recognized in Ukraine. Types: botanical, complex, geological, hydrological, zoological. They are categorized into two groups:
Nature monuments are separate unique natural creations that possess special environment-protected, scientific, aesthetic, educational, and cultural status.
Protected tracts are forest, steppe, wetland, and other outdrawn coherent landscapes that possess important scientific, environment-protected, and aesthetic status.
Habitat / Species Managed Areas may have multiple categorizations such as part of "Ukrainian objects of cultural heritage" or as scientific-research (educational) institutions. Such areas also may be part of bigger national nature parks and/or biosphere preserves as component parts of them. Among the most prominent of them are the botanic garden and zoology park of Askania-Nova, Sofiyivka arboretum, Trostyanets arboretum, and many others.
A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. Biotope is almost synonymous with the term "habitat", which is more commonly used in English-speaking countries. However, in some countries these two terms are distinguished: the subject of a habitat is a population, the subject of a biotope is a biocoenosis or "biological community".
This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park. Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves.
Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is headquartered in Burlington owning extensive environmental protection areas, historic sites and culturally relevant gardens in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation, and scientific resource. The mandate is derived by a Provincial Act of 1941 centred on human interaction with the natural world and protection of environmentally significant lands that form the western tip of Lake Ontario. Royal Botanical Gardens spans an area of about 10 km by 4 km, dominated by two coastal wetlands, and glacial-carved landscapes that extend from the lake up to the Niagara Escarpment plateau. The various gardens and natural areas are accessed through nine public entrance locations. It is one of several Prescribed Public Bodies listed under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Protected areas of New Zealand are areas that are in some way protected to preserve their environmental, scientific, scenic, historical, cultural or recreational value. There are about 10,000 protected areas covering about a third of the country. The method and aims of protection vary according to the importance of the resource and whether it is publicly or privately owned.
A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscapes are preserved in their present ecological state and promoted for ecotourism purposes.
Protected areas of Russia,, is governed by the corresponding 1995 law of the Russian Federation.
A landscape park is a type of protected area in Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary and Slovenia. It is of lower status than a National Park and with less stringent restrictions on development and economic use.
Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act, which was passed by the Estonian parliament on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004. Overall Estonia has 15403 Protected Areas covering 21.21% of the country land and 18.78% of it marine and coastal territory.
Protected areas of Poland include the following categories, as defined by the Act on Protection of Nature of 16 April 2004, by the Polish Parliament:
Protected areas of Ukraine are special areas of Ukraine established with the goal of protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the country from excessive changes as a result of human activity. The protection of the areas is the responsibility of the government of Ukraine, specifically the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Regional landscape park in Ukraine is one of the categories of protected areas of Ukraine.
Protected areas of Moldova include following categories:
The Coastal Reserve was a former conservation area in Ukraine that was under protection from 1930 to 1933. It was primarily a bird sanctuary and officially became part of the Askania-Nova reserve in 1933.
Many parts of Scotland are protected in accordance with a number of national and international designations because of their environmental, historical or cultural value. Protected areas can be divided according to the type of resource which each seeks to protect. NatureScot has various roles in the delivery of many environmental designations in Scotland, i.e. those aimed at protecting flora and fauna, scenic qualities and geological features. Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designations that protect sites of historic and cultural importance. Some international designations, such as World Heritage Sites, can cover both categories of site.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are environment-protected scientific-research institutions of international status that are created with the intent for conservation in a natural state the most typical natural complexes of biosphere, conducting background ecological monitoring, studying of the surrounding natural environment, its changes under the activity of anthropogenic factors.
Stilske Horbohirya Regional Landscape Park (Ukrainian Стільське_Горбогір'я - is an object of the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine in the Lviv region, Ukraine. Covering part of territory of Lviv and Mykolaiv districts of Lviv region, total area of Regional landscape Park equals 9,162 hectares. Stilske Horbohirya Regional Landscape Park located on lands of "Lviv forestry business enterprise", "Stryi forestry business enterprise" and "Mykolaiv Halsillis" national forestry enterprises, as well as Stilsko, Brodky and Drohovyzh village councils.
