Braunton Burrows UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
The Biosphere Reserve is made up of a core area, a buffer zone and a transition area.
The Braunton Burrows Dune System in the core area is an active dune system, known for its classic geomorphology and for its floral interest.
The buffer zone is comprised of the Taw Torridge Estuary, Westward Ho! Cliffs , Northam Burrows , Fremington Cliffs, Saunton Down and Croyde Burrows, North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Devon Heritage Coast.
It also includes Braunton Marsh which forms part of the same hydrological unit as the core site and the Braunton Great Field, which lies next to the Marsh. It is one of only two surviving Mediaeval Open Strip Field systems in the United Kingdom and hence of great historical significance
The transition area ( or 'zone of co-operation' ) incorporates the communities surrounding the Taw-Torridge estuary and is an area where sustainable resource management practices are promoted and developed. This zone is ‘ issue defined’, i.e. the actions could be applied anywhere where it would have a beneficial effect on the main reserve area e.g. land-use in the river catchments and aggregate extraction issues in Bideford Bay or the Bristol Channel.
Links:
SAC designation : JNCC
aerial view of Braunton Burrows : from Windows Live local
UNESCO /UKMAB:Braunton Burrows links
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