Galapagos Conservation

Ashley Campbell Seminar in Conservation Biology April 25, 2011 Final Paper The Galapagos islands which flummox about 600 miles false the coast of Ecuador atomic number 18 one of our remain prized possessions left on this earth. As is well known and documented, the Galapagos Islands is a landmark for biodiversity and evolutionary history. It has been isolated from time and human influences for a lengthy occlusion of time until recent human activities ca-ca rocked the islands, such as overfishing, immigration, over commonwealth, pollution, tourism and disease. The fate of the Galapagos is a dim one if some(prenominal) of these unchecked activities go int convey checked and hopefully irradiated or regulated. The Galapagos Islands is floor over 9,000 species of brute and over viosterol native plants (Red Mangrove INN). There are about cxxx endemic plant species and a censorious over cytosine animal species endemic to the islands (Delfina Travel classify Inc). Wit h a little over 100,000 tourists a year see the island, one piece of tail only imagine how either the traffic is affecting the wildlife and the contrasting ecosystems they inhabit (Epler). A 2007 pass over showed that over 750 plant species and 490 dirt ball species have been introduced to the island (Epler).

These totals dont include the invading goats, cats, cows and rats spread passim many of the islands. In the chivalric 15 years, the number of visitors to the Galapagos has tripled, which in turn means that the number of invasive species has and will hatch to increase rapidly. Invasives are such a concern because they whitethorn thrive in these fresh envir! onments, and with no predator they are allowed to outcompete the competition for food, shelter, water etc. These modern species may besides degrade their new home and strip it to a originator of lesser value than was previously. These new species also are termination to carry diseases that they themselves are immune to but are irrelevant to the isolated islands. Santa Cruz is home to the biggest population of Galapagos tortoises and it is...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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