...The Galapagos Islands Axia College of University of Phoenix May 6th, 2009 For the purpose of this paper I will attempt to provide interesting information on the birds, plants and snails of the Galapagos Islands. I will discuss the biological interrelations between the species to include how they are affected by the human intrusion. I will also share some information on the conservation groups that are trying to preserve these islands for the future. The Galapagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles off the west coast of South America. The Galapagos Archipelago consists of 4,897 square miles of land over 28,000 square miles. There are 16 islands that provide tourists and visitors with many spectacular species to look at. These species are comprised of birds, marine life, tortoises, sea lions, iguanas, snails and flora such as cactus and mangroves. (Galapagos Online, 2009) The Galapagos Islands are home to many species of birds. Some of these birds are the Blue-Footed, Red-Footed, and Masked boobies; Darwin’s Finches which are comprised of 13 different species belonging to 4 genera; the Albatross and the Galapagos Penguins. (Galapagos Online, 2009) The three varieties of boobies are different in nature. The Blue-Footed Booby’s natural habitat extends from Peru to Mexico. They nest in colonies. They can be seen breeding on most islands north of the equator. (Galapagos Online...
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...Culture of Ecuador and the Glapagos Islands Meghan Lazor Ecuador is South America’s second smallest country and is regarded as one of the most geographically and ethnically diverse countries on the continent. The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador with a small population of only 10,000 people. Both culture-rich countries are largely uncharted, making them an exciting and adventurous place to visit. Ecuador is located in the northwest corner of South America with the Galapagos Islands to the west. The equator runs across the country which is what gave Ecuador its name. The variation in climate transfers into the lifestyle of its people causing a large range of cultures throughout the country. The diversity in geography for both countries affects how and where the country is inhabited. In Ecuador main cities can sit alone in the center of large rain forests making travel from one city to another often dangerous on roads for hours at a time. Sometimes native tribes may reside in the forests that surrounded the civilized lands. These indigenous people live in wooden shacks with no electric or running water and will occasionally walk the city streets. Ecuador can be split up into four parts, geographically; the Costa (coast), the Sierra (highlands), and El Oriente (the east; which includes the Amazonic region). The Galápagos Islands, or Archipiélago de Colón, also belong to Ecuador.(Encyclopedia, 103) The official language of Ecuador is Spanish, but fortunately in tourists...
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...Both pieces of writing from the nineteenth century describe and discuss the Galapagos Island, off the coast of Ecuador. The two pieces of writing have many stylistic and rhetorical differences. Both passages describe Galapagos Islands as a very hot, dry, and barren place. If one did not know the place being described, they could assume that both places were describing hell. The first passage reads and appears to be like a journal entry. It states multiple descriptive facts about the island. The writer has no strong connection to the islands he is simply there to make scientific observations of the landscape and animal life. Some of the words choices to describe the island, such as “leafless”, “rugged”, and “sun-burnt”, can be perceived to have a negative connotation to them. This helps to contribute to the theory that the writer has no personal relation and love for the Galapagos Islands. Where as, the second has more of a poetic style and tone to it. The author of this piece seems to writing a story about the islands, not a journal entry. The writer personifies the Galapagos Islands by phrases and words he uses to describe them. For example, “ice shows beautifully as malachite” and “still the magic of the their changeable tides” are two phrases that normally wouldn’t be used to describe piece of land. I think the author uses personification in order to show the love he has for the island. Even though, these two passages where written about the same topic and written...
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...RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE OSTACLES FACING THE GALAPAGOS CONSERVANCY? What are the obstacles facing the Galapagos Conservancy? "Ninety-five percent of the reptiles, 50% of the birds, 42% of the land plants, 70% to 80% of the insects and 17% of the fish live nowhere else in the world" according to Michael D. Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman in their article “Can the Galapagos Survive” (Lemonick and Dorfman). The Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean are in danger. Excessive tourism, the growing encroachment of invasive species introduced by immigrants and the overfishing of the surrounding waters are taking a toll on the biodiversity of the islands. These are three major obstacles which face the Galapagos Conservancy in their efforts to preserve the Galapagos Islands. One of the threats to the biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands is the rising number of visitors. Tourism numbers are "growing 8% a year" claims Lemonick and Dorfman (Lemonick and Dorfman). While this tourism brings the anticipated turnover for the government, the quantity of tourists may be damaging the Galapagos Islands. To accomodate the staggering number of tourists more hotels are being built, public transportation is increasing and the waste and pollution levels are growing. According to Michael Buckley in his article, "Islands of Wonder and Shame", "Tourism is a two-edged sword: it brings in much-needed revenue to the tune of $75 million a year, but excessive tourism simply won't work in a natural...
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...Galapagos Sea Lion The Galapagos sea lion is found on islands in the Galapagos Archipelago and off the coast of Ecuador where a population has been introduced, they have also been found in Costa Rica. The Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki is the scientific name, is fundamentally a coastal animal and is rarely found more than 16 kilometers out in sea. And these sea lions are now on the endangered species list (proquest.com). I think people should be held accountable for hunting and killing an endangered species and we should use any resource possible to save the Galapagos sea lion. The population fluctuates between 20,000 and 40,000 animals. A census in 1978 submitted a population size of about 40,000, but a recent survey in 2001 found a 50% decline from this earlier estimate (Alava and Salazar 2006). The running differences might exist between counts over this period, but this decline suggested is cause for serious concern (proquest.com). The Galapagos sea lion are active during the day and hunt in mostly shallow water, where they feed on fish, octopus, and crustaceans. Sea lions are also capable of making extremely deep dives of up to 200 meters and for 20 minutes or longer, then rapidly surfacing with no ill health effects. When the animals are on shore, the Galapagos sea lions rest on the sands of the beaches and rocky areas in colonies of usually groups of thirty or more (life-sea.blogspot.com). They are extremely social animals and pack together on the shore...
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...Culture of Ecuador and the Glapagos Islands Meghan Lazor Ecuador is South America’s second smallest country and is regarded as one of the most geographically and ethnically diverse countries on the continent. The Galapagos Islands are part of Ecuador with a small population of only 10,000 people. Both culture-rich countries are largely uncharted, making them an exciting and adventurous place to visit. Ecuador is located in the northwest corner of South America with the Galapagos Islands to the west. The equator runs across the country which is what gave Ecuador its name. The variation in climate transfers into the lifestyle of its people causing a large range of cultures throughout the country. The diversity in geography for both countries affects how and where the country is inhabited. In Ecuador main cities can sit alone in the center of large rain forests making travel from one city to another often dangerous on roads for hours at a time. Sometimes native tribes may reside in the forests that surrounded the civilized lands. These indigenous people live in wooden shacks with no electric or running water and will occasionally walk the city streets. Ecuador can be split up into four parts, geographically; the Costa (coast), the Sierra (highlands), and El Oriente (the east; which includes the Amazonic region). The Galápagos Islands, or Archipiélago de Colón, also belong to Ecuador.(Encyclopedia, 103) The official language of Ecuador is Spanish, but fortunately in tourists...
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...Exchange Rate * The currency was changed in 2000 in Ecuador to use US dollar. Five Major Tourists Sites * Mitad Del Mundo- 30-meter-tall monument * The Galapagos Islands- Beautiful Beaches * Amazonia- It has Rainforests * Cuenca- Historical area * Cotoeaxi- It is a stratovolcano located near Quito. Sources: http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107479.html http://www.historyofnations.net/southamerica/ecuador.html Ecuador By: Carrie Large Ecuador is divided into three continental regions: the Costa (coast), Sierra (mountains), and Oriente (east). Also the Galapagos Island is considered Ecuador. Each region has different factors that affect its climate. The Costa is influenced by the warm or cool ocean currents. The Sierra changes because the altitude. The Oriente climate slightly changes from the other two regions. Climate in the Galápagos Islands is by the ocean currents and affected by altitude. * When traveling to Ecuador the different regions require different clothing. The Costa and Galapagos Islands requires tropical clothing. * The Sierra requires warm clothing because it is a mountainous area. * The Oriente requires both depending on the weather that day. Geography and Climate The best way to get around * Chifles (Plantain chips) about 1.10 * Arroz con Menestra y Carne (Beef with rice and beans) 4-10 $ * Bollos de Pescado (Fish and peanut wrapped in banana leaves) It ranges * Muchines de Yuca (Stuffed...
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...The Galapagos Islands is a wonderland of unusual and fascinating wildlife, and it seems impossible to choose five. However, since the animals inhabit all the islands, you may need to choose your destination. Five Animals of the Galapagos That You Must See The Galapagos Islands is a treasure trove of endemic species of birds, mammals and amphibians. Renowned for its unique wildlife, it is no wonder Charles Darwin became fascinated. Many of the species that exist today evolved into new species from animals that drifted to the islands millions of years ago. Galapagos Tortoise The Galapagos tortoise is the most famous creature on the islands. It represents the islands all over the world, and when the Spanish arrived it was so ubiquitous, they named the islands Tortoise or in Spanish, Galapagos. It is the largest tortoise species in the world and lives more than 170 years. It had no natural predators for millenniums, so it developed a docile temperament, which made it easy to exploit for the first humans to arrive on the islands. There were around 250,000 roaming the islands as recently at 200 years ago, but today, there...
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...BIOL-108 Island Biogeography Lab Write-Up Purpose of lab: Calculating how many species were migrating to different islands Hypotheses: The main factors are island size and distance from the island. We hypothesized that islands close to a source area should have a higher number of species than islands further from the source area for islands of equivalent areas. Larger islands should have more species than smaller islands for islands located at similar distances from the source area. Data table—compiled with other groups* Table 1: Island Biogeography Lab Data (fill this in) | Close (2m) | Middle (3m) | Far (4m) | Small (0.25 m2) | 1 | 3 | NA | Medium (.5m2) | 10 | 10 | 6 | Large (1.0 m2) | 15 | 16 | 16 | Graph for ONE simulation—for YOUR GROUPDATA---include title, label axes, write legend (i.e.-medium island at 3M supports 12 species) Legend: The linear trend lines did not intersect. Therefore, data is not available. Questions Based on your data and personal observations, answer the following questions. 1. Does your data support the basic theory of island biogeography? Explain why or why not. * When increasing the island size, the data supports the basic theory of island biogeography. With regards to the distance factor, the data does not support this theory because there is not a steady increase of distance; the distance measurements are very scattered. 2. How does competition affect number of species present on an island? *...
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...For a few small islands that offer some of the best outdoor adventure and wildlife siting in the world, you can also look forward to some fun and entertaining nightlife during your visit. The Best Nightlife on the Galapagos People from all over the world visit the Galapagos Islands to see the amazing and extraordinary wildlife that seems to welcome visitors. Most of the animals go about their business simply ignoring the humans who are so fascinated. In the evening, and when they want a break from all the outdoor adventure, many people look for the places that offer the best nightlife on the Galapagos. Puerto Ayora is the main city for visitors, and it definitely has the best nightlife. Puerto Ayora Puerto Ayora is located on Santa Cruz Island and is the largest town in the Galapagos Islands. It is...
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...Question 1. What is the explanation for the fact that although the GDP for the Province of Galapagos increased over a six-year period from 1999 to 2005, the per capita GDP for the same period showed a modest increase of less than 2 percent? Essentially, the increase in GDP can be explained by examining the following: tourism, the destruction of the marine ecosystem, and the preservation, or lack thereof, of the Galapagos Islands. The number of tourists increased from 68,850 per year in 2000, to 108,400 in 2004 and this was, in large part, good for the economy. The arrival of each tourist to the island catapulted the economy to new heights. Additionally, the renovation of an old military airstrip on the island of Baltra was a significant contributor to the economic boost of the area. Commercial airlines established regular flights to the islands, and the Ecuadorian government along with the National Parks Service had to, as a means of coping with the influx of tourists, implement strict visitation rules for tourists of the islands. The increase in tourism generated hundreds of tourism-related projects, such as constructing new hotels, and at one point, many immigrants came to Galapagos to seek work in this burgeoning environment. The marine ecosystem was not immune to the effects of tourism either. In fact, bottom fishing and illegal catching caused the depletion of marine reserves. The destruction of fish stocks and China’s increasing thirst for shark fins and sea cucumbers...
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...contributions of natural selection to the theory of evolution and his interest in the Galapagos Islands due to the adaptation of species. Darwin’s career was highly influenced by his childhood. His family helped Charles with their financial and moral support aboard the H.M.S. Beagle, “the voyage [which] took nearly five years, from December 1831 to October 1836” (American Museum of Natural History). In particular, the Galapagos and South America greatly intrigued Darwin, where he discovered species such as, “the marine iguana, the giant tortoise, the finch, and the blue-footed booby” (Cappadocia). It was due to the research and persisting feeling on Darwin’s behalf that allowed him to come to the conclusion “that all [finches] came from one ancestral species”. Ultimately, this means that there must have been other species who have originated from one ancestral species. Darwin was extremely intelligent, and it was all due to this infamous man’s childhood. Charles Darwin was born on the 12th of February, 1809 in Shrewsbury of Shropshire, England. This was the birthdate for another important historical figure: Abraham Lincoln. Charles Darwin was born to Dr. Robert Darwin and Susannah Darwin. Darwin was quite rich as...
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...forests are the most species-rich biome. It is home to 10% of the world’s known biodiversity. History and age shows that older and least disturbed ecosystems, is where there is generally higher biodiversity, especially in the tropics, where there are few physical constraints on productivity. Older ecosystems have a greater biodiversity as there is a longer time period for new species to evolve. Not only for new species, but also for migratory species such as birds. Disturbed ecosystems, where deforestation and land reclamation occurs, decreases biodiversity by destroying habitats and food chains. Geographical locations, particularly on remote islands, reduces the number of species but encourages endemism as the remaining species develop in a distinct way known as evolution, for example in the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the highest levels of endemism. Around 97% of reptiles and land mammals are endemic. Favourites include the marine...
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...as Chile, the Galapagos Islands, and Australia where he noticed remarkable things not only about the geography, but also about the animals that inhabited these areas. His most prominent discovery was that of the birds from the Galapagos Islands and Chile. He noticed that the birds from the different islands of the Galapagos seemed to be similar, but had different features, such as different beak shape and length. Upon closer inspection of the specimens, an ornithologist concluded that they were in fact all types of finches. This led Darwin to create the ideas of what we now know as the mechanism of natural selection and the theory of evolution. Darwin was unable to publish his findings in depth for fear of being labeled as a heretic and instead waited for a more opportune time when his findings would be socially accepted. He even left a note to his wife stating that if she were to do anything if he died suddenly, it was to take 400 pounds and publish the rest of his findings. Chapter Questions: 1. The experiences of his youth that helped Darwin prepare for the voyage on the Beagle were not only his curious nature and rebellious spirit, but his connection with his mentor Reverend John Steven Henslow. Henslow further nurtured Darwin’s interest in cataloging and collecting species (the beetles) and travel and was the reason Darwin ended up on his great journey around the world. 2. Darwin witnessed an Earthquake which pinpointed how some islands are formed by...
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...It has four different regions: Costa, Sierra, Oriente, and Archipelago, which is known as the Galapagos Islands (Williams, 9-10). There are two main mountain ranges; Cordillera and Western Cordillera. The Central Valley separated the two mountain ranges. The valley has 50 plus volcanoes, and many of them are active. Chimborazo is the highest but is extinct and, Cotopaxi is the highest that is still active. The Costa, also known as a costal plain, is west of the Andean range, and north of Guayaquil. The Sierra has many volcanoes and highlands and is a central trough. The Oriente includes a third of Ecuador's area. The Galapagos Island is west of Ecuador. These islands are made up of huge volcanoes, and some are still active today. Fernandina is the most active on eon the islands (Ecuador Weather, Climate, and...
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