Why create nature reserves?

The aim of nature reserves is to provide protection for outstanding natural environments and endangered species. Nature reserves are the strongest and most durable form of legal protection available. In a nature reserve, nature is "strictly" protected in the sense that its protection is THE priority, unlike other protection regimes (Natura 2000 sites, for example) where this must be a compromise with other concerns and uses (agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing, leisure activities).

Nature reserves are especially important for protecting specialist species (dependent on very specific ecological conditions) with low dispersal capacity (such as plants, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles). In Wallonia, it is estimated that 30 to 40% of higher plant species and butterflies are now dependent on nature reserves. Some species can only survive in nature reserves!

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