The sea cliffs and slopes of the South West support one of the richest plant and animal communities found in the region. Many of these are on the northern limit of their breeding range. The survival of this diversity is dependent on continued human activities such as farming and on natural processes such as erosion

Based on estimates, the South West has at the very least 700 km of cliff (approximately 18% of the national total). These comprise hard and soft rock formed at the junction between the land and the sea where a break in slope is formed by slippage and/or erosion by the sea. Soft rock cliffs are often characterised by slips, areas of slumped cliff face that gradually become vegetated; hard rock cliffs are often characterised by sheer faces with small but important plant communities and ledges that provide important nesting areas for seabird colonies.

The structure of cliffs is dependent on geology, the shape of the coastline, condition of the shore and the way in which waves break on the shore. The region has many different sorts of cliff from the high flat topped chalk cliffs of south east Dorset to the low gently sloping or level terraced cliffs of south east Cornwall.

All these different sorts of cliff mean that there is an equally assorted diversity of habitats dependant on them, including grassland, heath, wetland, scrub, woodland and open rock communities.

The following are examples of species that depend on cliffs, some of which are of conservation concern:

Different parts of the regions' cliffs face different pressures, but most, not unsurprisingly, are concentrated on the parts that are accessible to human activity

Starting on the cliff tops, the loss of traditional farming on some maritime grassland and heath, especially grazing, has allowed scrub to invade with eventual succession to woodland. Conversely, where farming has continued it has become much more intensive with ploughing and re-seeding, silage production, fertilisers and overgrazing above the cliff line leading to a loss of diversity, and reducing the semi-natural cliff vegetation to a very narrow strip.

Naturally cliffs attract many visitors, and in some cases can cause problems through trampling vegetation and disturbance of nesting birds.

Further down the cliff face, construction of sea defences or deliberate cliff stabilisation schemes been that some cliffs no longer undergo natural slippage. This results in a lack of bare ground for colonisation by plants that require this sort of habitat.

Much progress has been made in the restoration of cliff top grasslands from intensive farming. The National Trust is involved in 38 coastal grazing schemes in Devon and Cornwall. Some of these schemes are using old breeds owned by the Trust but many are actually using suitable farm stock such as Scots Blackface sheep or Devon cattle.

The work of the South West Coast Path Association is important to the management of recreational pressure on the coast, and the raising of public awareness about coastal issues. A new Coast Path Strategy is in production.

Groups such as the Climbing Liaison Group on the Lizard and Portland and Purbeck have been set up to sort out conflicts between recreation and conservation interests, in an attempt to minimise damage to the cliffs of the area; disturbance to breeding birds is also reduced by zoning climbing activities.