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The

Galapagos

Islands

Our lesson today

Today we will be learning

about:

Galapagos Islands

• (^) The group of islands are located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador , in South of America
• (^) There are 13 larg e islands, 6 smaller ones and 107 rocks with a total land area about 8,000 square kilometres
• (^) Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, where his observations later inspired his theory of evolution.
• (^) One of the most volcanically active areas in the world

Overview of the ecosyste m 01

Let's get started

Ecosystem on the Galapagos Islands

Majority of the animals on the islands are reptiles Over millions of years, these animals have adapted and are now unique to the island. These include:

• The Galapagos giant tortoise ( Chelonoidis nigra ), which can grow up to 150 cm in length
• (^) The flightless cormorant ( phalacrocorax harrisi ), whose reduced wings were better, when flight was not needed to escape mainland predators
• (^) The marine iguana ( amblyrhynchus cristatus). The iguana has a useful mutation compared to a land iguana because they can swim effectively. The iguana appears black/grey, which allows them lay in the sun to raise their body temperature to approx. 36C before swimming in the cold sea. The higher the temperature of the iguana’s body. The longer they can forage for food. Galapagos giant tortoise Flightless cormorant Marine iguana Key term : Ectotherm - animal that relies on external sources of body heat e.g marine iguana

Tourism 02 Tourism at the Galapagos Islands

Tourism

People visit the islands to see a natural landscape unlike any other in the world. There are many animals that only exist in the Galapagos islands. Until the 19th century , the islands were hardly visited by humans. Due to the whaling trade, this has all changed. As a result, the fragile ecosystem has been disrupted. The Galapagos National Park was established in 1959. With tourism in the Galapagos Islands, there has been many good and negative impacts.

Positive impacts of tourism

• (^) One of the biggest benefit tourism brings to the island is money. The islands now generate approx. US$143 million a year through tourism.
• (^) Economic migrants come to the Islands from the Ecuadorian mainland seeking jobs and opportunities.
• (^) Many tour operators and tourists also contribute, donating to conservation projects across Galapagos.
• (^) There are entrance fees to the National Park: US$100 per adult and US$50 for children in 2014 ). This tax goes towards supporting a variety of organisations.
• (^) The increasing number of visitors supports a broad range of economic activities that ensure the employment of many residents of the Galapagos eg. hotel, catering etc.

A chart to show how the $ entrance fee paid by tourists is distributed across the Islands (data from 2011)

Negative impacts of tourism

• (^) In addition to the positives, tourism also has some negative impacts on the islands
• (^) There has been an increasing number of tourists choosing hotels rather than ships which has meant that there are growing concerns about the amount of litter being created
• (^) Often parasites, germs and or invasive species can enter the islands through ships or lugguages eg. a parasitic fly suck the blood of fledgling finches, resulting in malformation and higher mortality

Measure s put into place 05

Answers to the workshe et 06

1. 600 miles off coast of Ecuador, in South of America
2. In 1835
3. Galapagos giant tortoise, flightless cormorant and marine iguana
4. They can swim effectively. The iguana appears black/grey, which allows them lay in the sun to raise their body temperature to approx. 36C before swimming in the cold sea. The higher the temperature of the iguana’s body. The longer they can forage for food.
5. Animal that relies on external sources of body heat 6. Coastal zone - salt tolerant species eg. mangrove and saltbush Arid zone - drought tolerant species eg. cacti and carob tree Humid zone - contains dense cloud-fores t. These trees support populations of moses and liverworts.