Joseph Davy Outline, with examples, the effects of human activities on the animal and plant populations in the

Galapagos Islands. At first glance it would appear that humans have had a negative impact on the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands. In 2006-7, 48% of the animal population of the islands were considered vulnerable to extinct by the IUCN after research conducted by the Charles Darwin Foundation, and the Galapagos National Park. In the same report it found that 60% of the plant life of the Galapagos was vulnerable to extinct. One of the main factors of this decline in numbers is due to foreign species entering the islands when the first travellers arrived. The kind of animals that were accidentally introduced were not dangerous or deadly in themselves, but when placed in a fragile ecosystem where life took thousands of years to evolve, have had dramatic consequences. Feral dog, introduced as pets of early settlers, conquistadors, and pirates, have been a threat to tortoise eggs, iguanas, and almost every other species on the Islands. Four goats were introduced onto the Santiago Islands in the early 1800s and one estimate calculated there population rose to 100 000 before their culling in the early 21st Century, it is believed that the introduction of the goat lead to the extinction in the wild of the Pinta sub-species of tortoise. The goats devoured the Pintas food, leaving Lonesome George as the last hope. In recent years, humans have made a more conscious effort to repair, or at least slow the damage done. Since the turn of the century there has been large scale eradication of non-native species. On the Santiago Islands pigs and goats have been eradicated, and there is currently a large scale weeding operation to eradicate foreign plant life. Since the disappearance of the goat and pig the flora of the Santiago Islands have started growing back, unfortunately this includes invasive species such as the blackberry, as well as Galapagos rail returning. Feral dogs on the Isabela Island have also been eradicated following the action taken by the Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos National Park, and Ecuadorian government. Another way in which humans have had an impact on the Galapagos Islands is our own high demands for water, energy, and food, which the Ecuadorian authorities are struggling to meet. It was this high demand for resources, which caused the oil spill in 2001. The spill was one of the worst disasters to affect the Galapagos Islands. On many of the archipelagos islands seals, sea lions, birds, and turtles were caught in the oil. The oil can result in long-term damage to the animals, as they try to clean themselves they ingest oil, which is toxic and carcinogenic. There are also concerns that oil could prevent the growth of algae and disrupt the food chain. Immediately after the spill teams were sent to try and contain the oil, however this failed and oil reached the shores of Santa Fe, one of the central islands in the archipelago. Ecuadors environment minister at the time said the accident caused extremely severe damage. This is because the Galapagos is an environment, which is under high pressure anyway due to the negative impacts of human life, and has been stretched further due to the oil catastrophe. The usual high strain of the Galapagos is caused by the need for food and housing for the 25 000+ people that call the Galapagos Islands their home and the 100 000 tourists that visit every year. On some islands forests of endemic plant life have been almost completely wiped out to make way for agricultural land. It also reduces the amount of fresh water available to native species. Humans have also exploited the islands resources. In the 19th Century South American whalers set up residence on the islands, particularly Floreana. The species were killed faster than

Joseph Davy they could reproduce and during the period of the whalers saw the near extinction of the sperm whale and the reduction of the elephant tortoise. Another species hunted to near extinction is the Galapagos tortoise; in fact it took 300 years to give the species a scientific name because they were so tasty they did not last the journey back to be named. The decline of the tortoise continues due to a mixture of the above reasons and illegal poaching. In recent years attempts have been made to reintroduce and replenish the Galapagos tortoise back onto the islands. However, the main goal of these efforts is to find a mate for Lonesome George and save the Pinta sub-species. Recently, overfishing or illegal fishing has become a large issue. When migrants do not find work in tourism they resort to fishing. The sea cucumber and sharks of the Galapagos have become targets, both are popular in Asia for their aphrodisiac or medicinal qualities. Due to the sharp decline in numbers in the 1990s the GNP ordered a ban on fishing sea cucumbers, this was met with strikes and violence from the fishermen. To this day the fishermen ignore the quotas set and regularly challenge them so they can exploit the ecosystem for their own profit.

In conclusion, humans have over the years had a disastrous impact on the islands. We have caused both directly and indirectly the extinction or near extinction of many endemic species which have long lasting effects. Now we are trying to rectify the situation but the few who are trying to save the islands are swimming against the tide with the majority of people on the island more interested in earning money than saving the archipelago. More and more invasive species enter the island wreak havoc on the ecosystem, an invasive wasp species has recently been spotted on the islands and with it has seen the fall of the numbers of caterpillar larvae which is the main food source for Darwins finches. Numbers of humans on the islands continue to rise with an estimated 40 000 by 2014, this would only further increase the damage on the islands. Humans have settled on the islands and are now there to stay and further destroy the islands despite the good work of a few.