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| Brighton and Lewes Downs Biosphere Reserve | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Sussex,England |
| Nearest city | Brighton and Hove,Sussex,England |
| Coordinates | 50°50′56″N0°6′28″W / 50.84889°N 0.10778°W /50.84889; -0.10778 |
| Area | 29,514 hectares (113.95 sq mi) |
| Established | 2014 |
| Governing body | Brighton & Hove City Council, Lewes District Council, Adur District Council, South Downs National Park Authority, Natural England, Sussex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority, Marine Management Organisation |
| biospherehere | |
The Living Coast (formerly the Brighton and Lewes Downs Biosphere Reserve, established 2014) is aUNESCOBiosphere Reserve located inSussex on the southeast coast ofEngland near the city ofBrighton and Hove. Forming a central unit of the hills of theSouth Downs National Park, it is centred on the Brightonchalk block that lies between theRiver Adur in the west and theRiver Ouse in the east. Chalkdownland makes up the principal terrestrial landscape of the area, bounded at each end by the two river valleys. The coastline is dominated by high chalk cliffs in the east and urbanized plains in the west, running to the estuary of the River Adur atShoreham-by-Sea.
The reserve's surface area is 29,514 hectares (113.95 sq mi). The core area is 1,832 hectares (7.07 sq mi), surrounded by buffer zone(s) of 20,479 hectares (79.07 sq mi) and transition area(s) of 7,203 hectares (27.81 sq mi).
Brighton and Lewes Downs Biosphere Reserve is found within the temperatebroadleaf forestsbiome of thePalearctic realm's British Island province and includes the followinghabitats: coastal chalk cliffs, sub-tidal chalk reef, freshwaterwetland, shingle beaches,deciduous woodland, riverestuaries and chalkgrassland.
Three distinct but interrelated environments make up the biosphere reserve area; rural, coastal and marine, and urban. The rural environment contains lowlandchalk grassland which is one of the richest wildlife habitats in the country and particularly important for its high botanical species diversity with up to 40-50 vascular plant species per square meter. It also supports the invertebrate communities, notably butterflies with 20 species having a substantial proportion of their breeding populations within this habitat. Characteristic species include:Phyteuma orbiculare,Wart-biter (Decticus verrucivorus), andAdonis blue butterfly (Lysandra bellargus). The coastal and marine environments are made up of a moderately exposed coast and inshore area of theEnglish Channel with cliffs providing nesting niches for birds such asNorthern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). The discontinuous chalk ledge to the west of Brighton gives rise to a unique series of low underwater north-facing chalk cliffs with biological records of over 300 marine species in the area.
The area is home to 211 species that have been recorded on international conservation lists, such as theEuropean eel (Anguilla Anguilla)) in addition to 1,052 local rare species including thehedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) andyellowhammer (Emberiza citronella). Important local genetic varieties of species include the uniqueelm tree {Elmus spp.) as well as wild apple tree varieties. The domesticated breeds ofSouthdown sheep and rareSussex cattle are also distinctive to the area.
The biosphere area is home to around 371,500 people, the great majority of whom are urban-dwellers in the transition area (population around 358,500) in the main settlements of the city of Brighton and Hove and the towns ofLewes,Newhaven,Peacehaven,Shoreham andSouthwick. The rural buffer zone of the South Downs National Park is additionally home to a population of around 13,500 people whilst no inhabitants occupy the 14 protected areas that make up the core areas. Due to its proximity to London (55 miles) it is a target for tourists, receiving around 12 million visitors per year. They are attracted to the natural environment, contemporary culture and heritage, which includes a range of archaeological sites dating back to the Neolithic period as well as a legacy of more recent urban architecture.[citation needed]
Evolving from a seaside resort to a service sector economy, Brighton and Hove has a total population of 273,000. However, socio-economic challenges exist with urban areas constrained in their size and future growth by their geography (between the sea and the national park). Economic activities include harvesting and extraction of primary resources, mainly through farming and commercial sea fishing. Coastal fishing sees the majority of the catch sent to local and regional markets and restaurants with the remainder going to mainland Europe where there is high demand.
This article incorporates text from afree content work (license statement/permission). Text taken fromUNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory, UNESCO, UNESCO.
