Which term refers to a strip of land with natural vegetation that protects mangrove forests and other natural forests, to be surveyed and monumented on the ground?

• A. Buffer Zone
• B. Conservation Strip
• C. Green Belt
• D. Wildlife Corridor

Answer: (A)

A buffer zone is a protective strip of land with natural vegetation that surrounds mangrove forests and other natural forests to shield them from nearby disturbances. This zone helps reduce edge effects, encroachment, pollution, and other threats, keeping the core forest safer and healthier. The requirement that it be surveyed and monumented on the ground means its boundaries are legally defined, mapped, and physically marked so that authorities can enforce protections and manage activities around the forest area.

Other options don’t fit the purpose as well. A conservation strip is a similar idea but not the standard term used for this protective boundary around forests. A green belt usually refers to vegetation around urban areas to limit urban sprawl or provide shading, not specifically about protecting mangrove and forest ecosystems. A wildlife corridor focuses on connecting habitat patches to enable animal movement, rather than creating a protective boundary around a forest resource.