Tag: Urban

1. Current Status
1.1 National

1.1.1 This habitat covers unimproved, semi-improved and improved grasslands occurring in urban and urban fringe areas. Soil types typically vary between a moist substrate with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5, a sandy, base-poor substrate or one which is less distinctive, due to former industrial
processes or on-going urban greenspace management.

1.1.2 Relevant habitats include unimproved permanent neutral or acidic urban common, roadside verges, which are either unimproved, or  semi-improved (towards the urban fringe where there is more likelihood of the land being previously in agricultural use) or semi-permanent former-industrial sites currently free from management.

1.1.3 The vast majority of such sites are, to varying extents, naturally seeded and in the early stages of colonisation. Species composition varies greatly with soil-type, pH, former land-use, disturbance, location and the presence, level and type of management all influencing community structure and diversity. Variants on this habitat occur within all lowland urban conurbations on former industrial sites, unmanaged greenspace and post-agricultural sites on the urban fringe.

1.1.4 It is impossible to assess the extent of these habitats, mainly due to the lack of a clear definition but also because of their fragmentation. However, they are known to be widespread in urban areas and to provide important wildlife habitats in the urban context.

1.2 Local
1.2.1 The extent of these habitats is not known but information is being collated.

1.2.2 The wildlife value of these sites depends to a large extent upon their management regime. At one end of the scale are the closely mown amenity
grasslands of formal urban parks, which often provide little more than a feeding site for some bird species but where relaxation of management
allows the development of areas of more natural plant communities. At the other end are ex-industrial or other sites that have escaped built
development, where colonisation by vegetation has been essentially natural and management is usually absent. In between are less formal urban
green spaces where mowing is less intensive, allowing greater sward height to develop and natural processes of colonisation to take place.

1.2.3 Larger examples of these approximate categories include Court Hey and Mill Brook Parks in Knowsley; Kraft Meadows in Kirkby, the Burgy Banks in St Helens and Cressington Heath in Liverpool; the Rimrose Valley in Sefton, Childwall Fields and parts of Ottterspool in Liverpool, Thatto Heath Meadow in St Helens and Stadt Moers Country Park in Knowsley.

1 Current status
1.1 National

1.1.1 Urban trees can be defined as those that occur as individuals or small groups rather than in woodlands. Sites include roadsides and verges, parks, cemeteries and private gardens.

1.1.2 No national information is available on numbers, species or distribution. Trees in Towns” 1994 gives representation data status, species and quality.

1.1.3 Trees have important non-wildlife functions in the urban context, principally in softening and ‘greening’ landscapes, screening undesirable views, reducing noise pollution and mitigating the effects of aerial pollution, especially from vehicle emissions. They contribute hugely to people’s perceptions about their quality of life.

1.1.4 Their contribution to biodiversity is to a large extent dependent upon their context. Suburban areas with large numbers of scattered trees in proximity to shrubs and bushes, large gardens or parkland are especially valuable, particularly to mobile animals. Such areas provide important nest
and feeding sites for birds and feeding and roost sites for bats. Native species are of greatest importance since they usually support a larger diversity of invertebrates.

1.1.5 Ancient trees are often of great cultural and historical significance and can not be replaced.

1.2 Local

1.2.1 None of the local authorities has a complete database of its urban tree stock. However, Liverpool has an estimated 12,300 park and street trees and 2550 privately-owned trees are covered by Tree Preservation Orders.

1.2.2 The variety of species is very large and includes a number of unusual exotics. Most urban trees are probably not locally native species.

1.2.3 Most major planting schemes were carried out in the latter part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. In many areas the stock is therefore evenly aged and declining in condition.

1.2.4 In areas of Southport, Formby and Blundellsands urban trees, particularly in gardens, provide important habitat for Red Squirrels.

Green infrastructure (GI) is defined in the North West Green Infrastructure Guide (GRITT 2007) thus:

“Green infrastructure is the region’s life support system – the network of natural environmental components and green and blue spaces that lies within and between the north west’s cities, towns and villages and provides multiple social, economic and environmental benefits.”

Urban green infrastructure is a holistic way of thinking about the natural resources and ecosystem services that support our way of life in Merseyside. Biodiversity is an integral part of our urban green infrastructure, fulfilling vital roles in ecosystem services and contributing, in myriad ways, to the well-being of the people who live and work here.

Despite the importance of our urban biodiversity, the existing BAP framework is not the ideal mechanism to look after it. The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution noted this failing at both national and local levels stating: “national conservation policies fail fully to recognise the special nature of urban habitats. Implementation of the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) (1994), national BAPs and the designation of SSSIs currently provide less protection to urban sites than rural ones” and “many urban BAPs fail to identify the potential for maximising biodiversity through advocating green infrastructure, ecosystem function, and integrating features onto existing buildings and new development” (RCEP 2007).