Galapagos Island Essay

Galapagos island is located at the Pacific Ocean placed along the equator which is about 1,000 km from the coast of South America. It is composed of 13 main islands, 6 small islands and â€Å"107 islets and rocks. † A province of Ecuador, Galapagos islands’ capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno which is mostly inhabited by an estimated 18,000 people. Some of the islands were formerly active volcanoes but some are still active (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Biodiversity in Galapagos Island Galapagos Island’s seclusion and controlled population contributed to its rich and extensive biodiversity. Because of these factors, the pace of evolutionary changes have accelerated that resulted to diversification and the formation of new species called speciation. The geographical isolation of the island wherein the â€Å"archipelago is isolated from the continent, the islands from each other by different distances, and the habitat types by their climatic differences,† aided in the promotion of different evolutionary tracks resulting to varying terrain, vegetation, animal and plant life between every islands (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). Vegetation in Galapagos is influenced by land habitat and climate but is â€Å"strongly zoned by altitude. † There are four vegetations zones in Galapagos namely: Littoral Zone which is affected by the salt spray alongside the coast; Dry Zone has the biggest scope in the island; Transition Zone is a vegetation of woodland; and Humidi Zone is characterized by highland grasslands and Miconia scrub (Charles Darwin Foundation, 2006, â€Å"Galapagos Land Ecosystems†). A variety of animal and plant life also forms the abundant biodiversity of Galapagos. There are many animals living in the island, in which most of them roam freely because of the absence of predators. Reptiles, terrestrial mammals, birds and fishes are all endemic creatures and consider Galapagos as their home (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). One of the famous specie in this island is a giant pre-historic tortoise called Lonesome George. Galapagos tortoises are part of the species â€Å"Geochelone elephantopus. † These animals have undergone fourteen forms depending on their location at the Galapagos. But bad news for Lonesome George, if experts cant’ produce or obtain a mate for him soon, his species will become extinct. In addition, a wide array of animals have gained popularity within and outside the islands including the marine turtle, marine and land iguanas, lava lizards and others (Galapaguide, â€Å"Galapagos Animals†). Meanwhile, plant life is also as diverse and one of a kind as the animal life. There are many theories on how vegetation started in Galapagos. One possible scenario is when spores and seeds were transported by the wind or through the â€Å"feet, plummage and digestive system of migratory birds† or probably because of the force of the marine current (Galapagos Voyage, â€Å"Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna†). Depending on the vegetation, various species of plants, flowers and trees are present in every island. Some can only be solely found in Galapagos such as passion flower, tomato, guava and cotton. Numerous plant species have changed into an assortment of endemic species which scientists explained as ‘adaptive radiation’ (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). All of these species though diverse have a symbiotic relationship with each other. Galapagos’ rare but exquisite ecosystem had produced a lavish and fertile marine, aquatic, terrestrial, avian and flora and fauna life all over the islands. Furthermore, the distinctiveness and the detachment of the islands from the hustle and bustle of civilization gave Galapagos a unique feature that it can clearly claim for its own. No other place in the world comes close to being as diverse and extraordinary as the Galapagos islands. Conservation and Preservation of Galapagos Island Galapagos Island is one of the best kept secrets of the world. Its captivating beauty and enigmatic charm have lured numerous people ranging from tourists, scientists, fishermen and others. Because of this, the Galapagos have been put on the list of sites that are in danger by the World Heritage. The influx of humans in the islands have caused a domino effect that have immensely affected the plant and animal life and the whole ecosystem as well (People & the Planet, 2007, â€Å"Galapagos Islands put on danger list†). The ecological degradation is caused by the development trends that are in contrasts with the conservation efforts in the islands. Three main factors that affected Galapagos’ ecology were the growth in human population, increase of transportation from the main island to Galapagos and the intensified fishing (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†) . The â€Å"accelerating cycle of economic and population growth pushed by external markets† have elevated the danger to local biodiversity. The increase in demand for â€Å"tourism and marine resources† have caused the emergence of invasive species, too much harvesting of marine life, and pollution. As a consequence, the islands have suffered from social, economical and political stresses due to the amplified desire to use Galapagos’ natural wealth and public services. This was manifested because of tourism mismanagement in the islands. Tourism brought economic growth, however, Galapagos being a fragile ecosystem, was not able to adapt to the changes causing major damages in the biodiversity (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Human intrusion to the delicate biodiversity of Galapagos is very much evident in the modern age but civil groups and the government are drafting efforts to ensure that most or all of forms of life in the islands are conserved and preserved. The presence of marine reserves and the Galapagos national park are the initial drives to protect the endemic species and the pristine environment (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Issues in Galapagos†). More so, the Ecuadorian government have set up significant initiatives the following: 1) migration to the islands was regulated; 2) quarantine inspection system was installed; 3) public funds for ecoparks were increased; and 4) additional monetary support were yielded for conservation projects (Bensted-Smith, 1999, â€Å"A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos Islands†). To further the enterprise for preservation and conservation, there should be numerous researches to be conducted regarding social and biological sciences to help intensify the information drive on Galapagos biodiversity. Through this, environmental awareness will be increase thus reducing the possibility of disruption of the ecosystem. Also, there should be local and national agencies that would consolidate all conservation forces in the islands and ensure its effective management . Another solution would be putting up â€Å"sustainable and equitable businesses† to make sure that humans don’t abuse the natural resources and Galapagos’ ecology (Galapagos Conservation Trust, 2008, â€Å"Explore Galapagos†). Meanwhile collective efforts are very powerful in conserving and preserving, however as an individual, you can also contribute by donating to institutions that help foster the growth of Galapagos biodiversity. Also, in today’s technological era, you could use the internet to raise awareness about the environmental problems plaguing Galapagos to awaken the senses of millions and millions of people all over the world. Another contribution for the advancement of conservation and preservation is by joining organizations whose objectives are to save the animal and plant life of Galapagos. Galapagos island is indeed a place where all living species exist in peace but the constant threat of human intervention can increase the possibility of Galapagos having a tragic death. If things will not be controlled and modulated, this pristine archipelago will soon be extinct. The existence of endemic plants and centuries old animals in Galapagos are the most crucial elements that can’t be replaced and renewed once they have been exterminated. These environmental gems are the key to future development of other living organisms. Without them, things will not be the same and we would be depriving future generations the chance to experience and study these unique and bountiful ecosystem. So to prevent this from happening, we must start within ourselves by promoting and practicing preservation and conservation of our natural resources and this will have a chain effect wherein every living being would experience existing in a sustainable environment. References Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. (2006). Galapagos Land Ecosystems. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. darwinfoundation. org/en/galapagos/land Bensted-Smith, R. (Ed). 2002. A biodiversity vision for the Galapagos Islands. CDF: Galapagos. Galapaguide. Galapagos Animals. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapaguide. com/islas_galapagos_fauna. htm Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Explore Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/intro. html Galapagos Conservation Trust. (2008). Issues in Galapagos. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. gct. org/issues. html Galapagos Voyage. Galapagos Island Animal, Flora & Fauna. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://www. galapagosvoyage. com/page_content. asp? id_page=149 People & the Planet. (2007, July 07). Galapagos Islands put on danger list. Retrieved March 11, 2008, from http://peopleandplanet. net/doc. php? id=3061