Humans And The Galapagos

Question 1

How have animal and plant populations in the Galapagos been affected by human activities?

Answer 1

• explorers and sailors that visited the islands in the 19th century directly affected the populations of some animals by hunting and eating them
- a type of giant tortoise found on floreana Island was hunted to extinction for food
• non-native animals introduced to the islands eat some native species which has caused a decrease in the populations of the native species
- dogs, cats and black rats eat young giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas
- goats have eaten much of the plant life on some of the islands
• non native plants have been introduced to the islands which compete with the native plant species causing a decrease in their populations
- quinine trees are taller than some native plants so they block out the light to the native species which struggle to survive
• fishing has caused a decrease in the populations of some of the sea life around the islands
- populations of sea cucumbers and hammerhead sharks have been reduced because of overfishing
- Galapagos green turtle numbers have been reduced because of overfishing and they’re accidentally killed when caught in fishing nets, now an endangered species
• an increase in tourism has led to an increase in development on the islands
- the airport on baltra Island had been redeveloped to receive more tourists which causes damage to the ecosystems are more land is cleared and pollution is increased
• population on the islands has increase due to the increased opportunities for tourism which could lead to further damage to the ecosystems