Arrival to the Island

The Galapagos Islands are the most studied archipelago in the world. They
have a unique array of environmental conditions, which allow for an extremely
distinct array of biodiversity. It is important to recognize that when the Galapagos
first formed they were completely devoid of life. Also, although the islands are
extremely diverse they are also extremely unbalanced; this makes sense when we
consider that the only two ways life could arrive at the islands, was either by air or
sea.
The animals which arrived by sea, could have made the journey in two
ways: either by swimming, or floating to the island. Some species which were
proficient swimmers, could have actually swam to the island, often with the
assistance of ocean currents (sea lions, sea turtles, etc.). Other animals could have
arrived on the island by floating on rafts of vegetation. Although only a few of
these rafts would have made the journey successfully, only a few would be needed
to establish a population. There were mostly reptiles and some seeds of salt
resistant plants which arrived on these rafts.
Wind would also allow for species to enter the island. Light seeds which
were well equipped for air travel such as mosses, lichens, or members of the
dandelion family, would travel through the air, and made their home on the
Galapagos. Insects and weak land birds, traveled by flying with the assistance of
winds and air currents. Sea bird, with strong wings, simply flew to the mainland,
often bringing insects and heavier seeds with them.

When thinking about the geographic location of the island, it is easy to

understand why there is such an imbalance of species. Amphibians and mammals
would not have had such an easy, or convenient journey; this explains why there
are so few of them in comparison to birds or reptiles.

Invasive Species

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZrFIcWzSEo
The above clip demonstrates the techniques described below.
Introduced mammals such as goats, feral pigs, and feral donkeys, were introduced
to the Galapagos Islands, by pirates, whalers, and even modern residents. These
introduced species have caused extreme harm to the island, and the many rare
species which inhabit them. In order to properly eradicate these species, there have
been long, well thought out plans implemented (not without resistance). The plans,
consist of a combination of aerial and ground hunting techniques (in the case of
donkeys and goats) and ground hunting and poisoning (in the case of feral pigs).
These plans were a success in that they managed to all but eliminate the population
from the islands, however they have been met with resistance.

This is partially because humans keep reintroducing these invasive species

to the island. Also there are environmental activist groups, which fight for the goat,
pig, or donkey, because it is a living thing; without giving much regard to the fact
that because these animals are on the island, the rare island animals are suffering.
This problem of invasive species does not stop with the feral mammal, it is
exposed every time a plane or boat arrives at the island. Tourists bring guests with
them from their home, without even knowing that this is the case. Darwin did not
anticipate this fact when he was originally studying the diversity of the island. This
problem is going to become more of a problem, as there are more people on the
island. The most adaptive and innovative species will have to quickly adjust in
order to survive.

Biodiversity at a Glance
The Galapagos Islands are home to a vast amount of diversity. Although there are
non-invasive mammals or amphibians, there is an incredible array of other species
which are not found in other places. About 80% of land birds, 97% of reptiles and
mammals, and 30% of plant species, are endemic to the islands. Below we will
look at a few different groups of these species.
Plants:
o To date the islands are home to between 552 and 614 native species
of vascular plants, and approximately 825 introduced species.
o There are three different zones which hold extremely different types
of plants:
Coastal Zone- salty conditions, plants such as mangrove trees
are found in these areas.
The Dry Zone- there are desert like conditions in these areas,
which results in plants adapted to dry conditions such as
succulent cacti.
Above dry zones, there are extremely lush and green humid
zones. These zones are typically only found on larger islands.
Giant Tortoises

o These animals have faced a vast array of problems, many of which are
caused by humans. Humans have hunted Tortoises as a way of
substance on long voyages (pirates and whalers), they were able to do
this, because the tortoises can survive without food or water for up to
a year. They are also exploited for oils. These are not the only two
reasons that tortoises are in trouble, but they are contributing factors.
Iguanas and Lizards

o There are two separate types of Iguanas on the island, Land Iguanas
and Marine Iguanas.
Land Iguanas are large, and typically live in dry-desert like
areas. They eat fruit and get water from succulent cactus. Land
Iguanas have the ability to live long lives, however, they are
threatened by feral dogs.
Marine Iguanas are the only sea lizards in the world. The live
and mate on the land, but feed in the sea. Interestingly when
they are starving, they dont just get thinner they also get

shorter. El Nios are the largest cause of mortality in Sea

Iguanas.

Mammals
o There are only six Native Mammal species native to the island.
Sea lions which are the largest species on the island
Fur Seals, which are morphologically similar to sea lions,
except that they have a thick coat of fur. This coat has caused
them problems as a result of overhunting
Rice Rats, which have experienced increased populations
problems. Only four of the original seven species of rice rat
remain, all of which reside on islands without human
inhabitation. This reduced population of Rice Rats, have
affected the Giant Tortoises.
There are two separate species of bats, the Lasiurus cinerus, and
the Lasiurus brachyotis. They are able to live in similar areas
because the L. cinerus forages high in the trees, whereas the
L. brachyortis, forages low to the ground.
There are also whales and dolphins found near the islands.
Birds
o There are a multitude of birds each with their own set of adaptations
the environmental conditions on the islands. The two main types are
Sea Birds and Shore Birds; two interesting birds which live on the
islands are the Galapagos Penguins and the Galapagos Flamingo.
These species along with many other species of birds endemic to the
island are extremely vulnerable to El Nios. They are also often
dramatically affected by overfishing.

Formation of the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are chain located off the coast of Ecuador. The chain
consists of thirteen major islands, which were formed as a result of plate tectonics.
Plate Tectonics explains how large masses of the Earths crusts move against or
under each other. This movement directly influences formations of mountains,
deep ocean ridges, and in the case of the Galapagos Islands, long chains of Islands.

There is a subduction zone when the Nazca and Cocos plates, is sinking
beneath the American and Caribbean Plates. The Galapagos are located above the
Nazca Plate, which is moving in a south-southeast direction. This movement of the
plate explains why the oldest island is Espanola, which is the furthest in the southsoutheast.
As a result of the plate tectonics, a mantle plume occurred. As the magma
flows upward out of this plume, pressure is put on the crust, which results in a
volcano. As more magma flows out of the plume, or hot spot, islands form. These
hot spots are generally stationary, so the longer the islands stays on top of the hot
spot, and the more magma that flows out the larger the islands will become. As the
island moves away from the hot spot, it will erode, and eventually sink.
The islands are located on the Equator, so it should have an extremely hot
and tropical climate. However, although it is warm, the climate is not exactly
tropical. There are two separate seasons, the wet season from December to May,
and the dry season from June to November. During the wet season, temperatures
are hot, and rain is frequent but typically does not last long. During the dry season,
skies tend to be cloudier, but it only rains in the high altitudes of the larger islands.

References:
Climate of the Galpagos Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2015, from
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/galsite/research/projects/ader/

Galapagos Conservancy. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.galapagos.org/

Geist, D., Harpp, K. (2011, July). The Galapagos as a Laboratory for the Earth Sciences.
Retrieved
from
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~dgeist/Chapman/ChapmanFieldTripGuide.pdf
Giant Tortoise. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2015, from
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-tortoise
In Photos: 10 Reasons To Visit The Galapagos Islands In Spring. (n.d.). Retrieved
December 21, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/viator/in-photos-10reasons-to-v_b_5227384.html
Radiolab. (n.d.). Galapagos. Retrieved from https://www.wnyc.org/radio/#/ondemand/388850
Sea Lizards in the Galapagos. (n.d.). Retrieved December 21, 2015, from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrishuggins/5465207755
White, W. (1997). A Brief Introduction to the Geology of the Galapagos. Retrieved
http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/GalapagosWWW/GalapagosGeology.html

from