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54-622: North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in North Devon . It covers 55 square miles (140 km) and is centred on Braunton Burrows , the largest sand dune system (psammosere) in England. The boundaries of the reserve follow the edges of the conjoined catchment basin of the Rivers Taw and the Torridge and stretch out to sea to include the island of Lundy . The biosphere reserve

108-470: A Special Area of Conservation , and six Local Nature Reserves . The Braunton Burrows core area consists of fixed and mobile sand dune systems with geomorphological and successional processes . There are also variable-flooded slacks , grassland and scrub further inland supporting a wide variety of flowering and lower plants, birds, and insects. It includes the complete successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400 vascular plant species. It

162-613: A World Heritage property . The concept of a buffer zone was first included in the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in 1977. In the most current version of the Operational Guidelines of 2005 the inclusion of a buffer zone into a nomination of a site to the World Heritage List is strongly recommended but not mandatory. — World Heritage Convention The buffer zone

216-811: A balanced relationship between people and nature (e.g. encourage sustainable development ). They are created under the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB). The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites. It works to foster the harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialogue, knowledge sharing, poverty reduction, human well-being improvements, respect for cultural values and by improving society's ability to cope with climate change . It promotes north–south and South-South collaboration and represents

270-553: A biosphere reserve as follows: Article 9 of the Statutory Framework states that "the status of each biosphere reserve should be subject to a periodic review every ten years, based on a report prepared by the concerned authority, on the basis of the criteria of Article 4". If a biosphere reserve no longer satisfies the criteria contained in Article 4, it may be recommended the state concerned take measures to ensure conformity. Should

324-401: A biosphere reserve still does not satisfy the criteria contained in Article 4, within a reasonable period, the area will no longer be referred to as a biosphere reserve which is part of the network. Article 9 of the Statutory Framework gives a state the right to remove a biosphere reserve under its jurisdiction from the network. As of July 2018 , a total of 45 sites had been withdrawn from

378-472: A biosphere reserve: conservation, learning and research, and sustainable development. Biosphere reserves aim to create and maintain sustainable communities where people can live and work in an area of high environmental quality; these areas can then provide a blueprint for other areas to learn from. The reserve must be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. To achieve this, the reserve oversees management of natural resources, initiatives to develop

432-421: A buffer zone can have a positive effect on soil water storage performance. In addition, plant roots make the soil stronger, withstand waves and rainstorm, mitigate the erosion of riverbanks by floods , and effectively control the erosion of the beach. Riparian buffer zones have been used in many areas to protect the habitats of many animals which are being devastated by increased human activity. The areas around

486-444: A good environment for upland habitat, which is in line with the living conditions of freshwater turtles , making them more dependent on the wetland environment. The protection level of the buffer zones will affect the habitat range of amphibians and reptiles , and the environmental management of the wetland habitat around buffer zone is extremely important. Vegetation buffer zones form a variety of landscapes as an important part of

540-502: A large number of visitors each year. Four million people a year visit, up to 60,000 a day in August. Northern Devon receives around 1.4 million visitors during the year who stay within the reserve and contribute over £250 million to the area's economy. Surveys show that 80% of these visit because of the environment. Walking and hiking opportunities attract a large number of people to North Devon's Biosphere Reserve. There are footpaths throughout

594-456: A rich habitat of hundreds of flowering plants while the Taw-Torridge estuary is an important feeding area for long-journey migratory birds. The economy of North Devon is largely supported by tourism. Four million people per year visit the area, and visitor numbers can rise as high as 60,000 per day in August. Most of these people come because of the environment. North Devon's Biosphere Reserve

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648-410: A unique tool for international cooperation through the exchange of experiences and know-how, capacity-building and the promotion of best practices. As of 2022 total membership had reached 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries (including 22 transboundary sites) occurring in all regions of the world. This already takes into account some biosphere reserves that have been withdrawn or revised through

702-436: A vegetation buffer can be built to reduce the penetration of pesticides into surface water. The buffer zone also prevents heavy metals or toxins from spreading to protected areas . When riverbanks are low due to plant roots entering the interior of the riverbank vertically, the sediment of riverbank is affected by the action of said plant roots, and the ability to resist erosion is higher than that without plant roots. But when

756-649: Is characterised by marram grass ( Ammophila arenaria ), round-headed club-rush ( Scirpoides holoschoenus ), sharp rush ( Juncus acutus ), and willow ( Salix ) species. On the strandline there is rock sea lavender ( Limonium binervosum ). The fore and mid dunes are generally sandy yellow dunes , colonised and stabilised by marram grass. Other notable species include sea stock ( Matthiola sinuate ), sea stork's-bill ( Erodium maritimum ), sea clover ( Trifolium aquamosum ), Portland spurge ( Euphorbia portlandica ), sea spurge ( Euphorbia paralias ), and white horehound ( Marrubium vulgare ). Further inland,

810-617: Is getting worse due to the misuse of land. Although the buffer zone occupies a small area, it greatly improves the quality of water in the agricultural watershed due to its filtering effect on nutrients in the underground water and surface water. Because farmland is sprayed with large amounts of pesticides, some of which can seep into surface water, fish and other aquatic life can be negatively affected, which in turn can lead to environmental damage. Vegetation buffer has been proved to be an effective filter for sediment, especially for sediment-bound pesticides. When pesticides are sprayed in excess,

864-606: Is in northern Devon in South West England . Although mainly in the districts of North Devon and Torridge , the reserve also extends into West and Mid Devon . It covers a large area of sea up to 160 feet (49 m) in depth off the North Devon coast and includes Lundy island 12 miles (19 km) from the shore. The core area is centred on Braunton Burrows , a large sand dune system, which consists of 19 sq mi (49 km) of sand dunes, slacks (troughs between

918-512: Is one of the Best Management Practices (BMPs). A buffer zone is intended to avert the effect of negative environmental or human influences, whether or not it embodies natural or cultural value itself. The importance and function of a buffer zone and the necessary protective measures derived thereof is a relatively new concept in conservation science and can differ greatly for each site. The quality of surface water in many countries

972-480: Is primarily lowland farmland, and includes many protected sites including 63 Sites of Special Scientific Interest which protect habitats such as culm grassland and broadleaved woodlands . The most populous settlements in its buffer area are Barnstaple , Bideford , Northam , Ilfracombe , and Okehampton . The reserve was the first of the "new style" of UNESCO biosphere reserves in the United Kingdom when it

1026-549: The Iron Age . Bronze Age barrows have also been found on elevated parts of Bursdon Moor , near Hartland and on Berry Down , near Berrynarbor . Iron Age hill forts were built on prominent parts of the coastline and hinterland . Examples can be found at Hillsborough near Ilfracombe, Embury Beacon and Clovelly Dykes in the Hartland area, with numerous other examples along the coast. Biosphere reserves are designed to deal with one of

1080-798: The Joint Nature Conservation Committee 's Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain, the water germander ( Teucrium scordium ), a perennial plant that lives in the slacks, has just one other population in the UK. Behind the dunes, grassland, or dune pasture, supports a variety of grasses, sedges and herbs including rough poppy ( Papaver hybridum ) and toothed medick ( Medicago lupulina ). Scrub invasion occurs with native species such as willows, privet ( Ligustrum vulgare ) and common blackberry ( Rubus fruticosus ), and introduced species such as sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ). The scrub and grazed vegetation supports lichens such as

1134-606: The National Trust . The partnership organises landscape projects and works closely with the inhabitants of the reserve. Within the reserve's core area are the sand dune system and culm grassland . To the west in Bideford Bay (visible from the beach element of the dunes, Saunton Sands which is a due-west facing surfing beach) is a coral reef with a diversity of coral and marine life seen nowhere else in Britain. The sand dunes have

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1188-511: The National Trust . The partnership was formed to encourage cooperation between the relevant local authorities in fulfilling their commitments to North Devon's Biosphere Reserve. The partnership is required by the statutory framework for biosphere reserves, the UNESCO Seville 95 Strategy, to develop vision and strategies for the effective functioning of the reserve. Its remit includes several large-scale projects which have been developed through

1242-542: The Neolithic period, people started to manage animals and grow crops on farms, and started to cut down the woodlands of Exmoor, rather than act purely as hunters and gatherers. These Neolithic people created stone monuments and by the Bronze Age were creating barrows (burial mounds) and roundhouses . Evidence shows that extraction and smelting of mineral ores to make metal tools, weapons, containers and ornaments had started by

1296-678: The national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor fringe the boundaries. There are no cities within the reserve. Barnstaple , Bideford , Ilfracombe , Braunton , Northam and Great Torrington contain many of the 155,000 people living in the wider buffer area of the Biosphere. The surrounding towns and villages are also included in reserve projects and policy decisions. There is evidence of humans in North Devon from Mesolithic times onward. Worked pieces of flint or stone, known as flint scatters , that date to this era have been found around Baggy Point in an area where flint does not occur naturally. In

1350-470: The protected area categories (e.g. category V or VI of IUCN Protected Area) or a classification scheme (e.g. NATURA 2000) depending on the conservation objective. The term 'buffer zone' initially gained prominence in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage through its usage in the establishment of UNESCO 's World Heritage Convention, and the term was intended to be used as follows: A buffer zone serves to provide an additional layer of protection to

1404-546: The sausage lichen ( Usnea articulata ) and scrambled-egg lichen ( Fulgensia fulgens ), and around 60 species are found in the compacted soils. Braunton Burrows, along with the Taw-Torridge Estuary (also an SSSI), is a main route for bird migration along the west coast of Great Britain. Waterfowl winter on the shores of the sea and estuary, while the coastline supports a variety of breeding species such as whitethroats ( Sylvia communis ) and magpies ( Pica pica ) in

1458-848: The North Devon Heritage Coast. This service went through a number of name and remit changes, first renamed as the Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service, and then as the North Devon AONB and Biosphere Service. The establishment of the North Devon AONB Partnership in 2004 led to the service being split to become two separate entities, the North Devon AONB Service and the North Devon Biosphere Service. UNESCO sets out three functions of

1512-736: The Path, and they spent £136 million in a year. Local people took 23 million walks on the Path and spent a further £116 million, and other visitors contributed the remainder. A further study in 2005 estimated this figure to have risen to around £300 million. Other popular attractions include surfing, the Tarka Trail , Northam Burrows Country Park , Rosemoor Garden , and Watermouth Castle . UNESCO biosphere reserve The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves ( WNBR ) covers internationally designated protected areas , known as biosphere or nature reserves , which are meant to demonstrate

1566-700: The South West to fail. A Nature Improvement Area proposed to protect and enhance the catchment of the River Torridge—home of Tarka the Otter in Henry Williamson 's book of the same name—was chosen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as one of twelve nationally important landscapes which will receive funding to restore and recreate ecosystems in the area. Other large projects work to use

1620-453: The UK. The characteristic and notable species outside the core area include sea purslane ( Halimione portulacoides ), Salicornia spp., pea crabs that live inside mussels , lugworm , Hydrobia snails, and annual seablite ( Suaeda maritima ) in estuarine and saltmarsh habitats; common reed ( Phragmites australis ), creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera ), common rush ( Juncus effusus ), and fat duckweed ( Lemna gibba ) in

1674-701: The World Network of Biosphere Reserves by 9 countries. Some reserves have been withdrawn after they no longer met newer, stricter criteria for reserves, for example on zonation or area size. In June 2017, during the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB ICC) meeting in Paris, the United States has withdrawn 17 sites (out of the country's previous total of 47 sites) from

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1728-683: The buffer zone can form the habitat of many animals, and plants can become food for small aquatic animals . The buffer zone itself can also support the life activities of various amphibians and birds . Plants and animals can migrate or spread in response to these buffer zones, thus increasing the biodiversity in the area. A 1998 study shows that the species and number of animals and plants in riparian zones are higher than in other ecosystems. Because of their ability to provide abundant water, soft soil and stable climate, small animals such as Myotis and Martes prefer to live along riverbanks rather than in hilly areas. The buffer zone can also provide

1782-407: The buffer zone, trees up to 6 meters tall greatly enhance the aesthetic value of the landscape. These tall trees have luxuriant branches and leaves, especially their upright posture, making them of higher ornamental value. Some colorful landscape tree species can be planted on both sides of rivers with tourism and sightseeing value to improve the aesthetic value of the place. Establishing vegetation in

1836-416: The clays beneath the sand of Westward Ho! beach there is a Mesolithic midden , a prehistoric dump for domestic waste, composed of mussels , cockles , peppery furrow shells ( Scrobicularia plana ), and carpet shells ( Venerupis spp.). On Exmoor the remains of small flint tools called microliths , used by hunter-gatherers to hunt and prepare animals, have been found and date to the late Mesolithic. In

1890-572: The dunes), grassland, scrub habitat, and a part of the Taw-Torridge Estuary . The reserve's boundary follows the edges of several river catchment areas , mainly of the River Taw and the River Torridge , but also those of smaller rivers running into the sea between Hartland and Lynton . The North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lies at the heart of the reserve, while parts of

1944-536: The environment, and have a good role within the community. North Devon's Biosphere Reserve contains many nationally important habitats including culm grassland ( Molinia caerulea and Juncus spp.), broadleaved woodlands , estuaries , and coastal heathland . A 10-year Biodiversity Action Plan for the reserve identifies actions that can be carried out by the partnership to help nature conservation, learning, and research. It also contains 63 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), 671 County Wildlife Sites ,

1998-542: The first of these "new style" biosphere reserves in the United Kingdom. The dune system of Braunton Burrows was re-designated as the core area of the biosphere reserve under the revised goals. Since its recognition, the AONB had no management service until the early 1990s when a Heritage Coast Service was formed to manage two defined Heritage Coasts which have similar boundaries to the AONB, the Hartland Heritage Coast and

2052-673: The hamlet of Stoke, near Hartland. In 1959 the North Devon Coast was designated as an AONB, the first in Devon. In 1976, Braunton Burrows was designated a biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, with a focus on research questions and on environmental conservation. The reserve was greatly expanded in 2002 under a new set of guidelines that promoted the interactions of mankind with nature in terms of sustainable living, income generation, and reducing local poverty. It became

2106-671: The local economy, and an effort to reduce inequalities between people. The management of the biosphere reserve is undertaken, on behalf of local authorities and stakeholders, by North Devon's Biosphere Reserve Partnership. The group is composed of a number of interested parties including the Ministry of Defence , Devon County Council , the Environment Agency , Natural England , some educational institutions, national park authorities, representatives from northern Devon commerce and industry, local farmers and fishermen, Devon Wildlife Trust , and

2160-508: The local economy, but is not designated with statutory protection. The reserve is therefore managed carefully with the cooperation of farmers and landowners; as the boundaries of the reserve are the catchment areas of the River Taw and River Torridge, extra precaution must be taken in protecting water supplies from nonpoint source pollution . Rainwater can accumulate residues of fertilisers, especially nitrates and phosphates . Once leached into

2214-548: The low and grazing marshland of the floodplains; and hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ), blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ), ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), crested dog's-tail ( Cynosurus cristatus ), and creeping bentgrass in mixed farmland. The reserve also contains nationally rare mammals such as the common dormouse and the European otter , the marsh fritillary butterfly, and coral reef off Lundy Island found nowhere else. North Devon's Biosphere Reserve in its wider definition attracts

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2268-706: The most important questions the World faces today: How can we reconcile conservation of biodiversity and biological resources with their sustainable use? — UNESCO , The Seville strategy for Biosphere Reserves Many villages and hamlets may be found within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), most dating back to Saxon times and many recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. Grade I- listed remains of medieval architecture can be found in Combe Martin , Berrynarbor and in

2322-537: The national parks of Exmoor and Dartmoor, and the South West Coast Path stretches along the whole of the north coast of the reserve from Welcombe to Lynton. In 2003 research indicated that the South West Coast Path brought around £300 million a year in total to the South West, which could support more than 7,500 jobs. This research also recorded that 27.6% of visitors to the region came because of

2376-401: The natural environment to offset the negative impacts of human activities within the Biosphere. The predominant farm type in Devon is livestock farming, which includes dairy , lowland cattle, and sheep farms . In 2006, the total labour force on Devon farms was 23,240 people, with around 7,953 employed full-time. The majority of land within the biosphere reserve is farmland, which helps support

2430-568: The partnership. A£1.8 million improvement project along the River Taw, funded by the Environment Agency, is designed to decrease polluted surface runoff from fields and urban areas into the river. The project will restore habitats and remove obstacles such as weirs which prevent animals from freely moving between sections of the river. The decrease in pollution is also hoped to increase beach quality in places such as Instow, which failed water quality tests in 2012, one of only sixteen beaches in

2484-449: The program. Buffer zone Buffer zones have various purposes, politically or otherwise. They can be set up for a multitude of reasons, such as to prevent violence, protect the environment, shield residential and commercial zones from industrial accidents or natural disasters, or even isolate prisons. Buffer zones often result in large uninhabited regions that are themselves noteworthy in many increasingly developed or crowded parts of

2538-411: The riparian zone. Combining land and water improves the aesthetic value of river basin landscapes. The riparian buffer is rich in plant resources, and the wetland, grassland, and forest ecosystems make the landscape more beautiful. In addition, some recreational facilities can be built in the buffer zone to provide better living conditions for residents or tourists and improve people's quality of life. In

2592-513: The riverbanks are higher, the roots of the plants do not penetrate deeply into the soil, and the lakeshore soil is not very strong. Herbaceous plants can play a role to some extent, but in the long term, vegetation buffer zone can effectively solve the problem of water level rise and water erosion. The adsorption capacity of a buffer zone can reduce the speed of surface runoff and increase the effective water content of soil. Through increasing soil organic matter content and improving soil structure,

2646-659: The rivers they can affect the river ecology through eutrophication , causing damage to plants and animals. This is one of the most pervasive water quality problems in Europe. Pathogens excreted by animals can also directly affect humans when transported by rainwater to rivers and the sea where people swim. Another problem is river sedimentation caused by fine soil particles washing from the land into rivers, this causes high rates of mortality in fish eggs and can affect fish feeding habits. The Biosphere Reserve Partnership provides support to farms that encourage sustainable practices, benefit

2700-409: The scrub; skylarks ( Alaunda arvensis ) and meadow pipits ( Anthus pratensis ) in the grassland; and wheatears ( Oenanthe oenanthe ) and shelducks ( Tadorna tadorna ) in holes or burrows. Invertebrates are abundant throughout the dune system, which includes 30 species of terrestrial or freshwater molluscs , including the sandbowl snail ( Catinella arenaria ), which is only known in two sites in

2754-455: The stable grey dunes are stabilised by other species such as dune fescue ( Vulpia membranacea ). The dune slacks, the valleys between the dunes, may flood after heavy rain and are wet and marshy during the winter. They support round-headed club-rush ( Scirpoides holoschoenus ), sharp rush, round-leaved wintergreen ( Pyrola rotundifolia ssp. maritima ), early gentian ( Gentianella anglica ), and many orchid species. Listed as endangered on

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2808-434: The world. For use in nature conservation , a buffer zone is often created to enhance the protection of areas under management for their biodiversity importance. The buffer zone of a protected area may be situated around the periphery of the region or may be a connecting zone within it that links two or more protected areas, therefore increasing their dynamics and conservation productivity. A buffer zone can also be one of

2862-500: The years, as the program's focus has shifted from simple protection of nature to areas displaying close interaction between man and environment. In 2023, ten more biospheres were announced. In 2024, eleven more biospheres were announced; this brings a total of 759 sites across 136 countries at the end of 2024. Article 4 of the "Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves" . UNESCO . defines general criteria for an area to be qualified for designation as

2916-494: Was expanded from its previous area in 2002. The new guidelines encourage its management to strike a balance between people and conservation of the environment they live in through sustainability, income generation, and a reduction in poverty. It is managed by the Biosphere Reserve Partnership, which includes a number of interested parties such as the Environment Agency , Natural England , Devon Wildlife Trust , and

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