Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands

1. Background

   • in the Pacific Ocean: 1,000km from the South American continent
   • 13 major islands, 6 smaller and hundreds of islets
     • over 12,000 humans inhabit the islands
     • holds over 1,300 unique species
   • formed by seismic activity- led to the creation of unusual species
     • a stationary hot spot created a chain of volcanoes when the Nazca plate moved like a conveyor belt

2. Threats/ Issues

   • Tourism
     • the number of annual visitors has increased rapidly: 12,000 to 160,000 since 1978
       • increased demand for more resources puts stress on the environment
       • increased transport around the islands erodes and disturbs habitats- the pollution created also has a negative effect on land and in sea from boats
   • Poaching/ illegal fishing
     • can lead to the destruction of ecosystems and wildlife due to exploitation of resources, e.g. food, materials
     • the hunting of species places them under threat of extinction, which would change the entire food web and affect many ecosystems
   • Invasive species
     • approx. 543 alien insects have intruded on the islands
       • (including fire ants and wasps)
       • caused serious issues for both humans and the animal species native to the islands
   • Increasing population
     • the increasing human population places pressure on natural resources
       • exploitation of resources affects biodiversity and sustainabiity

3. Management/ Solutions

   • limited number of tourists allowed to visit each year
     • contains the amount of destruction and transport, etc to minimise the impact on the environment
     • a restriction was also placed on the amount of boats allowed to pass around and to the islands
       • this reduces the damage that can be created by disturbing marine life and pollution created
       • the number, size and location of the boats has been restricted
   • Invasive Species Fund
     • a £10 million fund
       • means that the spread of invasive species can be prevented using methods and materials funded by the money
   • Project Pinta
     • aims to introduce species of reproductive tortoises
       • to restore the environmental balance in the islands and prevent extinction
   • SICGAL (Galapagos Inspection and Quarantine System)
     • in the 1990s, they started inspecting boats and cargo ships for invasive species
       • this occurred to attempt to reduce the number of invasive species, especially insects, from travelling the islands from abroad and impacting the native wildlife
   • Galapagos Conservancy's Ecosystem Restoration
     • set up management strategies to uphold the sustainability of the islands
     • work alongside the Charles Darwin Foundation and local non-profit organisations
       • seeks to rebuild healthy and balanced plant and animal environments to their 'pre-human' condition

4. Conservation

   • inspired Darwin's theory of evolution after he visited in 1835
   • declared one of the World's first Heritage sites in 1978

5. Climate

   • temperatures range from 21C to 30C
   • warm wet season: Jan-June
   • cool dry season: Jul-Dec