| Name | What is it? |
| National Park | Where plant and animal species, geomorphological sites and habitats are of special scientific, educational and recreational interest or which contain a natural landscape of great beauty. Designated under the Wildlife Act. |
| National Nature Reserve | Area of particular importance to wildlife – most owned by state. Strictly protected for nature conservation. Designated under the Wildlife Act. |
| SAC – Special Area of Conservation (including candidate SACs) | Sites of European and Irish importance for the conservation of habitats and species (Habitats Directive) |
| SPA – Special protection Area for Birds | Sites of European and Irish importance for the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive) |
| NHA/pNHA – Natural Heritage Area/ proposed NHA | Sites designated for the protection of Habitats and species of Irish conservation importance (Wildlife Acts) |
| Annex I Habitat | Habitats of special community importance for which SACs must be designated |
| Annex II Species | Plants and animals in need of special protection for which SACs must be designated (Habitats Directive) |
| Annex IV Species | Plants or Animals of European importance that are protected from accidental or deliberate injury, or disturbance / damage to their breeding or resting places wherever they occur (Habitats Directive) |
| Annex I Species (Birds) | Species for which SPAs must be designated (Birds Directive) |
| Priority Habitat | Annex I habitat of priority conservation importance. SAC must be designated. (Habitats Directive) |
| Notifiable Actions | Activities or developments within a SAC/SPA/NHA requiring Ministerial consent (from NPWS). Actions are habitat- or species-specific. |
| Ramsar site | Internationally important wetland sites (open water, peatlands, fen) |
| Wildfowl Sanctuary | Areas over which shooting of wild birds is prohibited. These areas have been excluded from the ‘Open Season Order’ so that game birds are left undisturbed to rest and feed. (Wildlife Acts) |
| Refuge for Fauna | Areas where the specific protection of one or more species of animal is required, (Wildlife Acts) |
| Red List Species | Red Data Books/Red lists – National register and classification of rare and threatened species using IUCN criteria. Currently prepared for vascular plants, bees, terrestrial mammals, non-marine molluscs, water beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, amphibians, reptiles and freshwater fish, bryophytes, mayflies and macro-moths. |
| BoCCI Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland | A list of priority bird species for conservation action for Island of Ireland. |
| FPO – Flora Protection Order | It is Illegal to damage any plants or their habitat listed on the Flora Protection Order 2015 in any way. (Wildlife Acts) |
| TPO – Tree Preservation Order | Legal protection for specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands designated by local authority under Planning Acts |
| Noxious weeds | Agricultural weeds that must be controlled e.g. Ragwort, Creeping thistle and Dock. (Noxious Weeds Acts) |
| Third Schedule Species | Invasive plant or animal species subject to strict control under sections 49/50 of the Habitats Regulations. |
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