Methods Used
The strategic intervention mapping was carried out by the LJMU team, using the process illustrated in the adjacent figure.
1. Natural capital produced by the R package EcoservR- data was extracted from several national and local (provided by Merseyside Biobank) datasets, to produce a detailed map of land cover in the Liverpool City Region.
2. Ecological network analysis and opportunity mapping were performed across the full Liverpool City Region.
3. EcoservR Ecological networks were then created for grasslands, ponds, wetland, and woodland; based on habitat permeability score and dispersal.
Constraints, where habitat creation is not allowed:
- Infrastructure (roads, railways and paths), urban and gardens, water (running and standing)
- Priority habitats, other locally valuable habitats
- Heritage assets +30m buffer
- National Grid gas pipelines, overhead lines, cable
- Existing heathland, woodland, grassland, pond and wetland habitat
Five Ecosystem Services:
- Nature access demand
- Air purification demand
- Climate regulation demand
- Flood mitigation
- Noise regulation demand
4. Circuitscape software was applied- produces a directional ‘flow’ of species, and determines regions through which organisms can move more and less easily.
5. Ecosystem service opportunity mapping performed. Ecosystem service models were run using EcoservR for five ecosystem services:
6. Multiple benefits were produced, highlighting where habitat interventions can provide ‘bang for the buck’. Potential interventions were selected from the multiple benefit outputs using a hierarchical selection process.
7. Potential interventions were selected from the multiple benefit outputs using a hierarchical selection process, then ecosystem service uplift was calculated to determine the extent to which these interventions could make a positive impact to people and nature