Uploaded on 2016-04-04 by PeterStill

Although Liverpool has the river Mersey, fresh water that is supplied to the city comes from Lake Vyrnwy, Wales, about 70 miles South of the city. This appears to be due to the effects of industrialisation that took place in Liverpool and subsequently severely reduced the water quality. ![][1] Regulating Services: Interesting to note is 'The Mersey Forest' initiative, a 'growing network of woodlands and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside' (Merseyside being the county in which Liverpool is situated). The project aims to improve the environment by boosting biodiversity, green infrastructure planning, and climate change adaption (with trees aiding flood defences etc.). Here is the projected green coverage the initiative wants to achieve: ![][2] Habitat and Supporting Services: “Wildlife and the River Mersey - The rivers within the Mersey catchment are of high local conservation value, with some sites of national and international importance. The Mersey Estuary has been designated as both a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Ramsar Site in recognition of its conservation value, especially for birds, as well as the designation as a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). The Mersey Estuary has been designated a SPA because of the range of habitats, which have attracted 1000s of internationally important wintering wildfowl and waders. Water quality improvements now mean the Mersey supports a wide range of fish species, including migratory fish such as salmon. The River Mersey now supports salmon, trout, lamprey and dace. The increase in the numbers of fish in the river has encouraged a number of other animals to return to the Estuary. These include porpoises, grey seals and even octopus. The Urban Mersey Basin, covering the Upper Mersey and River Irwell, supports a varied assemblage of habitats and species, though many of the habitats have been modified and created by human activity and these include ponds, canals and subsidence 'flashes', such as Pennington Flash.” http://www.merseybasin.org.uk/archive/assets/5/original/MERSEY_6_MINUTE_EXPERT.pdf Cultural Services: Liverpool has a significant area of public parks and gardens - There are over 2,500 acres (10 km2) of parks and open spaces in the city, benefitting recreation, and mental and physical health. Here for example is an image of Sefton Park: ![][3] [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14597907644730587.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14597955208897942.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1459796065193211.jpg Images in this post have been taken from google image searches.