UK Biosphere Reserves
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There are seven biosphere reserves currently located around the UK. They are referred to as 'Biospheres': Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere (Wales) (extended 2009 and 2021) Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere (England) (2014) Galloway and Southern Ayrshire (including former Cairnsmore of Fleet & Silver Flowe - Merrick Kells Biosphere Reserves) (Scotland) (extended 2012) North Devon Biosphere Reserve (England) (including former Braunton Burrows Biosphere Reserve) (extended 2002, review 2016) Wester Ross Biosphere (Scotland) (including former Beinn Eighe Biosphere Reserve) (extended 2016) Isle of Wight Biosphere (England) (2019) The Isle of Man as a British Crown Dependency of the UK joined the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2016 when UNESCO designated a biosphere reserve comprising the entire island and its territorial waters. Four of these biosphere reserves, North Devon, Dyfi, Wester Ross, and Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, were extended from previous much smaller biosphere reserves to meet the criteria in the 1996 Statutory Framework for the WNBR. The previous biosphere reserves are now core areas of today’s reserves. Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere was designated in 2014 as the first completely new site in the UK since the 1970s, the first ever such site in SE England and one of only a small number worldwide to include a major urban area. Isle of Wight Biosphere is the most recent biosphere in the UK, designated in 2019. These Biospheres are managed and governed in many different ways, specific to the characteristics of each area. |
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| governance_of_uk_biosphere_reserves_2019.pdf |
A number of other areas in the UK are considering becoming a biosphere reserve, including the Candidate Fens Biosphere. We will also actively support UK Overseas Territories becoming Biosphere Reserves.
Research
Research forms an important element of biosphere reserves as research can inform decisions on environmental to social issues. If you are interested in incorporating a biosphere reserve into your research please contact us.
Research
Research forms an important element of biosphere reserves as research can inform decisions on environmental to social issues. If you are interested in incorporating a biosphere reserve into your research please contact us.
