Galapogas Islands

Question 1

Where are the islands and what are they made up of?

Answer 1

Chain of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean

Question 2

What relevance does Charles Darwin have?

Answer 2

He studied all the endemic species there and used them for his theory of evolution

Question 3

What are the effects of ecotourism?

Answer 3

Mass tourism
Pop. increase
Brings fishing and tourism employment

Question 4

What are some key features of the islands?

Answer 4

World Heritage Site
Bird domination
Isolated islands
No large land predators - tortoises evolve into giant species

Question 5

Why are small rice rats the only mammals?

Answer 5

Isolated islands so few mammals could make it there

Question 6

What alien animals were introduced?

Answer 6

Feral pigs and Norwegian rats - predate on eggs of birds & turtles
Plants - Compete and shade out endemic plants, remove bird habitats

Question 7

What human impacts are there?

Answer 7

Illegal fishing - damages food chain
Tourism - increases hotels, water, fuel, imported food demand
Oil for fishing vessel boats & tourists causes oil spill which has LT effects on breeding populations

Question 8

What do the donkeys, goats & the wild dogs do?

Answer 8

Eat the soft pulp from the cactus and destroy them
Wild dogs wiped out 500 land iguanas
Goats competed with Pinta giant tortoise for grazing and only 1 tortoise left of its kind called ‘lonesome George’

Question 9

What are the effects of climate change?

Answer 9

Temperature change causes change in bird migration
El Nino causes fish migration change
Change in nutrient availability in food chains has disastrous knock on effects

Question 10

What was the project?

Answer 10

National Park
Zoning plan (general, fishing, nature reserves, marine enjoyment)
Galapagos Biological Marine Resources Reserve
Declared RAMSAR site