INVASIVE SPECIES ON GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

BY JOSE JAVIER VALDIVIESO

INTRODUCTION TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

• The Galapagos islands can be said that is the most beautiful island in all the world, it was introduced by its “founder” Charles Darwin, with his theory of evolution

• It has 19 volcanic islands• It has one of the most interesting and important flora and faun in

the world• Has the big threat of invasive species of the rat, the goat and dogs

in between others.

INVASIVE SPECIES

• Invasive species are a type of animal such as a horse or a rat which is introduced by some boat or settler who brought the animal with it

• Most invasive species are threats to their ecological system they life know in.

• Most of them are ecological threats although others just don’t have higher threats but still have some impact on the place

INVASIVE SPECIES ON GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

• Throughout the Galapagos islands history many animals have had the chance to become part in their ecological system although they don’t necessarily are meant to live there

• Most of the introduced animals to the Galapagos islands where introduced by pirate boats or colonies who passed through the islands leaving their animals there

• Goats, cats, rats and much other are some of the invasive species which are a huge threat to Galapagos ecological system, most of them kill the flora and the native fauna

TABLEName of species How introduced Impact ControlGoats By pirates as source of food The are a “palgue” upon

vegatationBy their predators such as hawks, dogs and feral pigs

Horses By spanish boats who mostly left their horses there

No high ecological impact No control has been taking

Cattle Used for food in long journeys and left there by settlers

Threat to vegetation Their meat is highly considered for selling meat

Dogs Escaped from boats Huge predator impact, dogs attack in small groups killing cattle and marine iguanas

Feral dogs have been eradicated form the most important islands

GOATS AS INVASIVE SPECIES ON GALAPAGOS • One of Galapagos biggest ecological threat is the goat. The goat was

introduced by pirate boats, the goats where used a source of food and know are one of the biggest predators of the Galapagos history

• In 1997 there was an estimate on how many goats there where around Galapagos islands and the estimated number was of: 100,000 to 150,000

• Goats are mostly in huge groups and are a threat to Galapagos ecological system by: eating their plants, causing erosion, eat food native animals need, they reproduce in massive amounts

• Galapagos helpers cant do much in respect of this animals, some of them have gone with guns and tried to kill some of the goats but their reproduction rate is astonishing and they just have to wait until some hawk or wild pig kills them

IMAGES

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VIDEO

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ3q79rD_9U

IMAGES

IMAGES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.galapagos.org/conservation/invasive-species/

• http://familyonbikes.org/educate/lessons/invasive_species.htm

• http://www.galapagosislands.com/blog/endemic-animals-of-galapagos/

• http://www.hear.org/galapagos/invasives/topics/management/vertebrates/projects/goats.html

• http://www.carlospi.com/en/galapagos_documentary_03.html

• http://www.google.com.ec/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Fimages%2Fgoatsandgalapagos2.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Ftopics%2Fmanagement%2Fvertebrates%2Fprojects%2Fpi.htm&h=250&w=400&tbnid=5YYG04JVCXtpeM%3A&zoom=1&docid=E-9xWbY5Iw_2gM&ei=nroZVOKxLM3LgwTa84CoCg&tbm=isch&ved=0CBwQMygBMAE&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=481&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16

• http://www.google.com.ec/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fd.ibtimes.co.uk%2Fen%2Ffull%2F320761%2Finvasive-species-rats-galapagos-islands-photo-galapagos-national-park.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibtimes.co.uk%2Fgalapagos-islands-black-rats-extermination-invasive-species-405258&h=304&w=580&tbnid=7so-hpUzlOnQlM%3A&zoom=1&docid=Ac_-Id-caatI2M&ei=nroZVOKxLM3LgwTa84CoCg&tbm=isch&ved=0CB0QMygCMAI&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=233&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16

• http://www.google.com.ec/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Fimages%2Fcatiguana.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Ftopics%2Fmanagement%2Fvertebrates%2Fprojects%2Fcats.htm&h=255&w=300&tbnid=mU1BTx-3OEv-_M%3A&zoom=1&docid=xuH5SAsm3ifrqM&ei=nroZVOKxLM3LgwTa84CoCg&tbm=isch&ved=0CB4QMygDMAM&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=394&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16

• http://www.google.com.ec/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Fimages%2Fchickenfarm.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hear.org%2Fgalapagos%2Finvasives%2Ftopics%2Fmanagement%2Fvertebrates%2Fprojects%2Fdiseases.htm&h=210&w=250&tbnid=kLpvxZY1Ag1qRM%3A&zoom=1&docid=kqoxKLg7vCemnM&ei=nroZVOKxLM3LgwTa84CoCg&tbm=isch&ved=0CCQQMygJMAk&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=366&page=1&start=0&ndsp=16