Transcript Galapagos Islands: A Protected Territory

Protected Territory:
From what? From Whom?
What is a protected territory?
•It is an area managed by the
government to ensure that the
forests, the wildlife, the marine life,
the ecosystems, the landscapes
and the seascapes are protected
What is a national park?
 It is land that is protected because it is a
natural heritage.
 Natural heritage sites have little to no
development*.
*Urban or commercial development is
limited/lots of restrictions (i.e. no Wal-Marts!)
 Sites are being preserved for future
generations.
 Ecosystems* are protected and constantly
monitored by national agencies.
*Ecosystem:
 It is a community of animals, plants, insects,
and micro-organisms that depend on each
other for survival.
 The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is
an international organization that
evaluates sites and recommends that
a territory be protected.
 Applications are made/approved by
IUCN.
What happens when an area is
declared a natural park by IUCN?
A) Land is developed by adding hiking
trails, camp sites etc.
B) Regulations (rules) for each park are
written.
 Hunting, fishing and picking plants may
be prohibited in some parks.
Jasper national Park
 Located in the Canadian Rocky
Mountains.
 This park is listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
 Has protected ecosystems/wildlife.
UNESCO* World Heritage List
 UNESCO stands for: United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
The Galapagos Islands is on
the UNESCO World Heritage
List
To make it on the list, a park
must be considered a world
heritage- natural and
cultural treasures belonging
to the world
Why are these territories protected?
1. Symbolizes a province or country
2. Extraordinary landscapes (Iguazu National
park, Argentina-Brazil)
3. Rich and rare ecosystems (The
Pontoons, Tlell River, Haida Gwaii, Northern BC)
4. Recreational and educational areas
for visitors
5. Sites for admiring nature (inspiration)
6. Traces (evidence) of ancient human
activities or societies (Mesa Verde National
Park, U.S.A.).
7. Contain fossils or evidence of a natural
phenomena (volcanic eruption).
8. Scientific research – plants used for
medicine.
9. They provide economic benefits, such as
tourist activities and jobs.
10. Symbol of our identity.
Galapagos Islands:
A Protected Territory
http://www.goparoo.com/south-america/ecuador/attractions/galapagos-islands/images/galapagos-islands-home.jpg
History of Galapagos:
 South American aborginals probably first
to set foot on Galapagos Islands.
 Tomas de Berlanga, the Bishop of
Panama wrote first report on the
Galapagos islands in 1535.
Pirates:
 They used islands in the 1680s as a refuge
and/or a base.
 They attacked European ships carrying
gold stolen from the Incas.
 They ate iguanas and tortoises.
 Ships brought over black rats to the islands.
Whalers and Hunters (1790-1870):
 Fur seals came very close to extinction.
 Tortoises were killed for their meat or to
make cooking oil.
Charles Robert Darwin:
 Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19
April 1882) was an English naturalist who
realized and presented compelling evidence
that all species of life have evolved over time
from common ancestors, through the process
he called natural selection. (From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia)
Then and Now:
 In 1835, only 200-300 human inhabitants lived
on the islands.
 Islands were being used as a penal colony.
 Close to 40,000 people live in the archipelago
today.
 Most of them work in the fishing, tourist and
farming industries.
Archipelago:
 A group of many islands in a large body of water.
The Galapagos Islands:
 Located 1000 km off the west coast of
Ecuador, South America.
 Its an archipelago (13 large islands, 6
smaller islands, 107 rocks and islets).
 Believed that first island formed between 510 million yrs ago.
 Isabela and Fernandina are the youngest
Islands that are still being formed.
 Volcanic eruptions still occur!
Location/Climate:
 Islands are aligned with the equator.
 Islands are a long distance from Ecuador.
 Closest land mass is the continent of South
America.
The climate is unique:
 The ocean currents around the islands affect
the climate.
 Larger islands have trees, while others are
barren areas (no trees, hardened lava).
 Two (2) main seasons: a cool dry season and
a warm wet season.
Conservation Laws:
 Home to many endemic animals, plants,
and insects.
 Endemic means they are only found on
those islands.
 Laws were passed to protect these species
by the Ecuadorian Government.
(i.e. $100 visitors fee)
 The Galapagos Islands is a National Park
 It’s a World Heritage Site!
 The Charles Darwin Research Station was
built (1964) on Santa Cruz island in
Galapagos, and scientists now come from
all over the world to study the plants and
animals, and help to conserve them.
 The ocean around the Galapagos Islands
was made a Marine Reserve in 1998 to
protect the marine life.
Threats to the Wildlife:
1. Illegal fishing/hunting or over-fishing/overhunting.
2. Native animals (i.e. turtles) are competing
with foreign animals (i.e. sheep) for the
same food (plants).
3. Growing population on the islands (over
20,000 inhabitants).
4. Tourism (number of tourists visiting the
Islands each year is growing – 60 000).
5. Pollution and littering
 The tanker Jessica ran aground in the
Galapagos archipelago in January 2001.
 Immediate damage to marine life was
largely averted as the split oil was soon
dispersed, but marine iguana populations
in the vicinity fell by more than half during
the following year.
Magazine Report on the Galapagos
Islands:
 David Pouilloux, a journalist, wrote a report
on the degradation (deterioration) on the
Galapagos Islands.
 He entitled his report, “State of Emergency
in the Galapagos Islands”.
 This report outlines the five (5) reasons why
the Galapagos Islands is being threatened
in the 21st century.
1. Population Growth:
 The human population in the Galapagos
Islands has risen to 20,000 today.
 Due to immigration of Ecuadorians
looking for better living conditions.
 Possibility of jobs in tourism and
commercial fishing.
2. Pollution:
 Organised tourist cruises require fuel.
 The presence of oil tankers and cruise
ships have increased the risk of oil slicks.
 In 2001, oil tanker Jessica ran aground on
a sandbank close to san Cristobal and
spilt over hundreds of thousands of litres
of oil.
 This polluted the waters and harmed
marine life.
3. Overfishing:
 Galapagos fishers over-fish swordfish, tuna,
shark, and sea cucumbers.
 This occurs despite the fact that
commerical fishing is forbidden by law.
4. Invading species and predators:
Humans have introduced foreign species
to the islands.
 Native species are threatened by foreign
species in two (2) ways:
a) Both are competing for the same food
b) Native species have become prey to
foreign species (predators).
 Most dangerous invaders are: goats,
donkeys, pigs, dogs, cats, ants, wasps,
black rats, and mice.

5. Tourism:
 Approximately 70,000 tourists visit the islands
per year.
 They require entertainment and transport
(fuel used to power boats and buses is
harmful to the environment).
 They walk among seabird eggs and disrupt
their reproductions.
 At sea, they throw plastic bags overboard.
 Tortoises fatally mistake these bags for
jellyfish and swallow them.
 More garbage in residential areas.
Protected Territory: With or
without residents?
 To conserve nature, should we forbid
people to live in protected areas?
YES, people should be forbidden to live
in protected areas because…
 Some people believe humans have a negative
impact on ecosystems.
 People should simply not be allowed to live in
protected areas.
 People can only destroy or deteriorate the
environment by using up all of its resources,
polluting its lakes, rivers, forests etc.
 People simply get in the way of nature
conservation.
NO, people should be allowed to live in
protected areas because…
 People should be allowed to live in
protected areas and participate in its
conservation efforts.
 Locals are in the best position to protect
the environment because of their
experience and knowledge.