This is the 13260th most frequent Spanish word.
protegidas
"Protected."
Here, 'protegidas' acts as an adjective describing the noun 'áreas', indicating that the areas are under legal or protective measures.
Las áreas protegidas son esenciales para conservar la biodiversidad.
Protected areas are essential for conserving biodiversity.
In this sentence, 'protegidas' is a past participle used as an adjective to describe 'especies', meaning the species have received protection.
Estas especies están protegidas por leyes internacionales.
These species are protected by international laws.
In this use, 'protegidas' describes the state of 'comunidades locales', indicating that they are safeguarded or feel secure due to external actions.