Uploaded on 2017-06-28 by Olatz

a. Provisioning services: I Live in the Basque Country, located in the northern part of Spain, it is a really green area with lots of forests, and, given that in some areas pine is the most widespread species, the timber industry is important. The Basque coast opens to the Cantabrian Sea, which is a source of great variety of fish, and so, there are several coastal towns where fishing is essential. In the picture you can see Bermeo, a town 50 km away from Bilbao. b. Regulating services: Climate is very soft in the Basque Country, Extreme weather events or natural hazards are really uncommon, but as I said, it rains a lot and there are plenty of forests, and in addition to that, the landscape is very abrupt, with lots of slopes. Trees stabilize slopes. This phenomenon is clearly reflected in the A-8 highway, the one that connects Bilbao with Donostia San Sebastian, and goes along mountains and woods. c. Habitat or Supporting services: In Basque Country there are two main habitats for species. One of them is natural; it is called Urdaibai, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This humid area is home to a valuable biological treasure where many ecosystems meet and private communities of fauna and vegetation are grouped together with very relevant species. The other one is called “Karpin centre” it is located in a town called Karrantza and it is a center for the reception of wild animals from by illegal traffic, abandoned pets, irrecoverable native fauna from recovery centers and other similar origins. d. Cultural services: The Nervion River that crosses Bilbao is the main cultural service, paradigm of the change of an industrial city to a city of services. On the left bank of the river we can find the Guggenheim museum, which incorporates the water of the river to its facilities. Both sides of the river have become a great park where both culture and sports activities such as music concerts, theatre spectacles, different markets and all types of races take place, and lately, some water-sports related businesses have flourished, giving the chance to try paddle surfing, kayak, etc.