The East Devon Pebblebed Heaths are being considered as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) because it contains habitat types and/or species which are rare or threatened within a European context. 

The European interests are:

1) Dry Heaths*
East Devon Pebblebed Heaths are considered to be one of the best dry heath areas in the United Kingdom.

*Dry heaths (all subtypes): These heaths are found on freely-drained generally acidic soils such as sands or gravels which are poor in nutrients and occur in both the lowlands and the uplands.  They are dominated by tall dwarf shrub's of the heather family, most commonly Ling heather Calluna vulgaris.  There   are several types of heath which are distinguished by the plants which they support such as Bell heather Erica cinerea, Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, Crowberry Empetrum nigrum, Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi and Western Gorse Ulex galli. 

2) Southern damselfly*
East Devon Pebblebed Heaths are considered to be one of the best areas for the Southern damselfly in the United Kingdom.

*Coenagrion mercuriale The Southern damselfly breeds in small heathland streams and seepages and in shallow channels next to chalk streams.  It is restricted to a few localities in southern and western England and Wales.  It is rare in the rest of Europe.