From the beginning of
class to
present date, Las Iguanas Team 1 has decided to collect necessary
background
data to first learn the apparent problems and then decide how we shall
tackle
these complex problems.
The team separated into two major groups namely; Political (those
members who
would tackle obtaining pertinent information concerning the
establishment of the Governing Body )
and Environmental ( members who would seek information on our
assigned islands )
I was assigned to gather information on GENOVESA
also known as Tower Island.
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General Description |
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TheArchipiélago de Colón –(Galápagos) Biosphere Reserve (also a National Park and a World Heritage site), is situated in the east Pacific Ocean, 1,000 km from the mainland of Ecuador, with the equator running through the Wolf and Ecuador volcanoes on Isabella Island. Situated on the Galapagos Submarine Platform, the Galapagos Islands consist of 13 islands. These islands were formed 4 million years ago by volcanic processes and most represent the summit of a volcano, some of which rise over 3,000 meters from the Pacific Ocean floor. The larger islands typically comprise one or more gently sloping shield volcanoes, culminating in craters or calderas and the terrain are generally composed of uplifted marine lava flows. More than 250 species are non-native introductions occurring predominantly around human settlements. Coastal vegetation, influenced by the presence of salt, occurs along beaches, salt-water lagoons and low, broken, boulder-strewn shores. The endemic fauna includes invertebrate, reptile and bird species. There are a few indigenous mammals. All the reptiles are endemic, except two marine tortoises, and include giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus) , terrestrial iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus and C. pallidus), and marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). The 1999 resident population numbered some 15,600 persons. Freshwater is a critically limiting factor, and only San Cristobal has adequate perennial supplies for the local human population. Tourism, cattle grazing and fishing are key components of the islands' economy. Immigration from the mainland is uncontrolled and increasing. Approximately 49,000 foreign and 14,000 national tourists visited the islands in 1997. The Government of Ecuador, IUCN and UNESCO - WCH, support the Charles Darwin Research Station jointly and work in programmes, which assist in the management of the reserve. |
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Major ecosystem type |
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Tropical humid forests / Marine archipelago |
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Major habitats & land cover types |
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Littoral zone; arid habitats; Scalesia forest composed of S. pedunculata, S. microcephala and S. cordata; Miconia communities with M. robinsoniana; Matazarno forest with Piscidia carthagenensis; fern- and sedge communities; marine habitats; agroecosystems with coffee, tomato, pepper, fruit etc.; pasture land. |
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Location |
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North: Darwin Island: 01°39'N; 92°00'W |
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Area (hectares) |
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Total |
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14,761,844 |
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Core area(s) |
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65,040 |
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Buffer zone(s) |
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696,804 (defined as primitive-, special use- and visitor use zone) |
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Transition area(s) when given |
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14,000,000 (marine reserve zone) |
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Altitude (metres above sea level) |
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0 to +1,707 |
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GENOVESA
Also known as Tower Island.
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Area |
14km^2 |
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Altitude |
76m |
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Population |
0 |
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Geographicalfeatures |
An active but dormant volcano |
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Temperature/Climate |
Sea temp (18-30^C) |
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Visitor sites |
Darwin Bay |
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Activities |
Scuba diving |
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Fauna |
Boodies |
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Flora |
Crotton Bushes |
A few aspects that the team should focus on.
Control of in reduced species ;
preventing new introductions and controlling the spread of existing
ones.
In depth monitoring ; to help
discover now introduced species and assisting in eradicating them.
Find alternate methods of controlling introduced
species other than bringing in controlling agents. eg. ladybug
and the mealybug.
Border control ; to minimize and even eliminate
illegal fishing.
Education/Awareness campaigns ; this would actively
involve the residents of the Galapagos islands in
both conservation and restoration efforts.
CHARLES DARWIN FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2003 (SUMMERY)
The main focus of 2003 was the ability to control introduced species
and the
eradication of those species that are invasive or harmful to the native
species. Long term goals were also in focus as to protect the island
from
future invasions, this was conducted by a body called
SICGAL. These goals were obtained by conducting intense critical
research,
designing and implementing conservation plans. Extensive reports,
filled with
scientific facts and statistics, were published based on research done
and
surveys conducted. These publishings helped the CDF
to secure further opportunities for scientist to publish their
findings,
increasing the awareness of the residents and the global community at
large
about the occurances and the sensitivity of the Galapagos Islands. They
also helped the CDF to forge necessary alliances and
to secure funding for future in depth research endeavors.
The strategy of controlling invasive species took the form of three
steps:-
- The prevention of new introductions and the spread of existing
species by
fortifying the SICGAL Inspection and Quarantine System of the Galapagos
Islands.
-Mitigating the harmful effects of existing introduced species.
-Setting up infrastructure for long term existence of
the control strategy.
Research and data collection was broken down into four main groups:-
-Land vertebrates :- introduced frog on Isabella Island, cats on Baltra,
feral pigeons of Santa Cruz, black rats.
-Land invertebrates:- fire ants on Marchena,
mealy bug and control agent ladybug on Baltra,
black fly , aedes aegypti
-Botany:- goats on Isabela
-Marine:- sea cucumbers, spiny lobster
The Threat of Introduced Species
One of the main threats to the Galapagos Islands is the introduction of
foreign species to the islands. Because of the islands' remoteness and
the dependence on the main land to obtain necessities, cargo ships,
planes and boats frequent the islands. These usually act as a vector, a
mode of transportation of these foreign species to the islands.
Causes of concern and methods of control:-
- Inspection and quarantine: this is the only way
to decrease and even eliminate the introduction of new species via the
ports and harbors. Currently SICGAL is the body responsible for this
but the lack of funding compounded with the lack of resources have
retarded the effiency of this body. In the future we must look for ways
to strengthen SICGAL.
- Effective methods of detection must be devised
to sense any and all of the new introduced species. This could include
more labor intensive field research and adequate means of cataloguing
research findings.
- Stabilizing or reducing the population, this would inturn lassen the
boarder traffic and hence reduce the chance of new inroductions.
- Educate the residents about potentially harmful consequences of their
actions and promote a sense of preservation among the residents.
Education is the only way to effectively involve the residents in this
restoration and preservation drive. With the residents involved and
well educated about the subject the task at hand would be much easier,
cooperation is key.
-The need to reduce the island'sdependence on the main land is clear.
This will also assist in lessening the border traffic in and around the
islands.
FIGHT AGAINST INTRODUCED PLANTS
It is not surprising to the least that introduced species is inclusive
of plant species. As most other introduced species, plants compete with
native species for light, nutrients, water and even soil space.
Introduced plants are even more harmful because many species have the
ability to fertilize native species and hence forming new hybrid
species which are usually more resilient. These hybrid species
cangreater effectively compete for resources adn therefore they have a
selective advantage resulting in a shift of the evolutionary direction
of plant species on the islands.
Some invasive plants:-
Guava, quinine,sauco.
INSIDIOUS INTRODUCED SPECIES
The detection of mammals and other large species is fairly
straightfoward and relatively simple but many other species are
introduced into the islands more secrectively. These are namely
cockroaches, ants and other small insects. The detection of their
presence may go unmeasured for months or even years because of their
small size. These species can prove quite detrimental as some of
them are rather resilient, as they can withstand unfavorable conditions
for long periods of time. Also many of these species have a quick turn
over rate, as a direct result of the ability to produce copious numbers
of offspring at once accompanied by short gestation periods
and maturation phases. They can therefore quickly populate an
area and effectively compete with native species.
FISHING
As expected one of the most thriving industries in the galapagos
islands is the fishig industry (running a close second to tourism).
Many of the residents attain their livelyhood through subsistance
fishing, which when considered in isolation does not appear harmful but
collectively it is. Consider the number of subsistance fishermen that
ppopulate these islands, their cumulative effect can take a heavy toll
on the environment putting an enormous strain on the marine ecosystem.
There is also heavy commercial fishing within the coastal waters of the
galapagos. This occurs on a massive scale with its main focus as
profit. Numerous large ships often exceed the cotas set by the
government within several weeks of the opening of the specific fishing
seasons, leaving several species with population numbers well
deminished. The more popular species currently targeted by
commercial fishermen are sea cucumbers and lobsters. These species are
heavily exploited and their numbers are decreasing rapidly, they are
often sold in a lucrative market to asia where they are used in exotic
dishes and delicacies.
Commercial fishermen have very harmful cycle of "down the food chain
fishing". They usually overfish a specific species to the brink of
extinction or so severely that with the numbers remaining it is almost
impossible for species recoperation. This was seen in the past as
Gropers were the last target of commericial fishing but currently their
numbers are so low, they can not even be sucessfully fished anymore. It
is now feared that the sea cucumber and the lobster might share the
same faith and sadly current trends suggest that this might be so.
There is also concern for other species which may become the targets of
commercial fishing such as urchins, conches and chitons.