North Devon's Biosphere Reserve
| North Devon's Biosphere Reserve | |
| UNESCO biosphere reserve | |
 Braunton Burrows, the core area of the biosphere reserve
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| Country | England |
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| County | Devon |
| Districts | North Devon, Torridge, West Devon, Mid Devon |
| Coordinates | 51°5′N 04°24′W / 51.083°N 4.400°WCoordinates: 51°5′N 04°24′W / 51.083°N 4.400°W |
| Area | 141.77 km2 (55 sq mi) |
| - Core area | 13.33 km2 (5 sq mi) |
| - Buffer zones | 31.20 km2 (12 sq mi) |
| - Total transition area | 97.24 km2 (38 sq mi) |
| - Marine transition area | 34.68 km2 (13 sq mi) |
| Biome | Broadleaved woodlands, coastal, and marine environments |
| Biosphere reserve | 1976 |
| - extended | 2002 |
| Management | North Devon's Biosphere Reserve Partnership |
 Boundaries of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve
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| Website: http://www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/ | |
North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in North Devon. It covers 55 square miles (140 km2) 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 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 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 the National Trust. The partnership organises landscape projects and works closely with the inhabitants of the reserve.
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