Download Galapagos Islands: A Protected Territory

It is a natural heritage that is protected by the
government.
 A natural heritage is a natural environment
(mountain, fossil beds, hot springs etc.) of great value
that people want to preserve.


Protected areas are planned natural spaces. This is
done to not only to ensure their conservation
(protection), but to open them up to scientists,
outdoor enthusiasts (people who love nature) and
tourists.
A natural environment managed by the government
of a province or country.
 It is regulated (controlled or managed) by laws to
preserve and protect it.
 People are allowed to visit it.


Things that are supplied by nature and that are useful to
us in various ways.

Coal, oil, water, forests and trees are natural resources.
 The care and protection of forests, water, and other
natural resources.
 The diversity of species (animals, plants and microorganisms) found in a natural environment.


All the animals, plants, and bacteria that make up a
particular community living in a certain environment.
The parts of an ecosystem depend on one another to live.

Natural environments can be managed and protected
by creating facilities that allow people to visit the site
while respecting it.
 All amenities (Information centres, restrooms,
camping sites etc.) and infrastructure (roads, bridges,
etc.) that allow people to visit a natural park

People visiting these protected territories would have
to follow regulations (rules).
 These rules are put in place to preserve a natural site.
Creating zones is key to protecting national parks, like
Mont-Tremblant.
 Zoning divides the park into several areas.
 Regulations and the types of activities allowed can
differ from zone to zone.
 Regulations must be followed in these zones.

Feeding wild animals, hunting and fishing are
forbidden in some national parks.

Giving access to the public is important for those of us
who are fans of outdoor activities and ecotourism (an
environmentally friendly form of tourism).
 It attracts the public – providing income for the park.
 As a result, it generates economic spin-offs for the
surrounding area.
Income from entry fees collected by park
2. Job opportunities, and therefore income, for the
local population
3. Nearby services, such as grocery store or
pharmacy
4. Health services, such as medical clinic
5. Cultural activities, such an educational centre,
conferences, etc.
1.

Natural parks are at a risk for all kinds of threats.

Some threats can occur naturally (i.e. wild fire) while
other types of threats can be linked to human
activity.

The following are examples of practises that are
harmful to the environment:

The overexploitation (overuse) of natural resources
like timber, minerals and fossil fuels

Pollution from pesticides, fertilizers, wastewater etc.

Poaching, such as illegal hunting or fishing

Too many visitors in a park

Introducing foreign species that compete with
species found in that environment

Deforestation to clear land for farming, resorts and
urbanization.

Infrastructures (i.e. roads and industries) close to
natural parks that threaten habitats.
It is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
 It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 It has protected ecosystems and wildlife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9x0GSWKygw
Banff National Park Accomodations
 UNESCO
(United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization).
 The
Galapagos Islands is on the UNESCO
World Heritage List.
 To make
it on the list, a park must be
considered a world heritage- natural and
cultural treasures belonging to the world.
1.
It may symbolize a province or country.
2. It may have extraordinary landscapes
(Iguazu National park, Argentina-Brazil).
BBC Natural World - The Falls of Iguacu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_hmnOK5DYk
3. It may have rich and rare ecosystems (The
Pontoons, Tlell River, Haida Gwaii, Northern BC).
4. It may provide recreational and educational areas for
visitors.
5. It may have beautiful sites for admiring nature
(inspiration).
6. It may have traces of ancient civilizations. (Mesa
Verde National Park, U.S.A.)
7. It may contain fossils or evidence of a natural
phenomena (volcanic eruption).
8. It may provide plants that are needed for medicine.
9. They may provide economic benefits, such as tourist
activities and jobs.
10. It may be a symbol of our identity.

South American
aborginals probably the
first people to set foot on
Galapagos Islands.

Tomas de Berlanga, the
Bishop of Panama wrote
first report on the
Galapagos islands in
1535.
Used islands in the 1680s as a refuge/base.
 Attacked European ships carrying gold
stolen from the Incas.
 They ate iguanas and tortoises.
 Ships brought over black rats to the islands.

Fur seals came very close to extinction.
 Tortoises were killed for their meat or to make
cooking oil.


Darwin (1809 – 1882)
realized and presented
evidence that all species
of life have evolved over
time from common
ancestors, through the
process he called natural
selection.
In 1959, approximately 1,000 to
2,000 people called the islands
their home.
 In 1972 a census was done in the
archipelago and a population of
3,488 was recorded.
 By the 1980s, this number had risen
to more than 15,000 people, and 2006
estimates place the population
around 40,000 people.

 Most
of the present-day
inhabitants moved to the islands
from the Ecuadorian mainland
during the last 20 years.
 Most
of them work in the fishing,
tourist and farming industries.
A
group of many islands in a large
body of water.

Located 600 km off the west coast of Ecuador,
South America.
Consists of 13 large islands, 6 smaller islands, 107
rocks and islets.
 First island formed between 5-10 million years
ago.
 Isabela and Fernandina are the youngest Islands
that are still being formed.
 Volcanic eruptions still occur!

Islands are aligned with the equator.
 Islands are a long distance from Ecuador.
 Closest land mass is the continent of South
America.

The climate is unique.
 The ocean currents around the islands affect
the climate.
 Larger islands have trees, while others are
barren.
 Two main seasons: a cool dry season and a
warm wet season.


These islands are home to many endemic animals &
plants, etc. (a plant or animal that is only found
in that country or area).

Laws were passed to protect these species by the
Ecuadorian Government (ex. $100 visitors fee).

The Galapagos Islands is both a National Park and a
World Heritage Site!

The Charles Darwin Research Station
was built (1964) on Santa Cruz island in
Galapagos, and scientists now come from
all over the world to study the plants and
animals, and help to conserve them.

The ocean around the Galapagos Islands was
made a marine reserve/park in 1998 to protect
the marine life.
1.

Illegal fishing or over-fishing.
Quotas (limites) are placed on the number of fish
that can be fished each year.
2. Native animals (i.e. turtles) are competing with
foreign animals (i.e. sheep) for the same food (plants).
3. Growing population on the islands (over 26,000
inhabitants).
4. Tourism (number of tourists visiting the Islands each
year is growing – 180 000).
5. Pollution and littering


The tanker Jessica ran aground in the Galapagos
archipelago in January 2001.
Immediate damage to marine life was largely
averted as the split oil was soon dispersed, but
marine iguana populations in the area fell by more
than half during the following year.
David Pouilloux, a journalist, wrote a report on the
degradation (deterioration) on the Galapagos Islands.
 He entitled his report, “State of Emergency in the
Galapagos Islands”.
 It outlines the 5 reasons why the islands are being
threatened today.

 The
human population in GI has risen to over
26,000 today.
 Ecuadorians
are migrating to the Galapagos
Islands because they are looking for better
living conditions.
 Possibility of
fishing.
jobs in tourism and commercial
 Organised
 The
tourist cruises require fuel.
presence of oil tankers and cruise ships
have increased the risk of oil slicks.
 Galapagos fishers
over-fish swordfish, tuna,
shark, and sea cucumbers.
 This occurs despite the fact that commercial
fishing is forbidden by law.
Humans have introduced foreign species to the
islands.
 Native species are threatened by foreign species
in two ways:
a) Both are competing for the same food.
b) Native species have become prey to foreign
species (predators).


More than 180,000 tourists per year

They require entertainment and transport (fuel
used to power boats and buses is harmful to the
environment).
They walk among seabird eggs and disrupt their
reproductions.
 At sea, they throw plastic bags overboard
 Tortoises fatally mistake these bags for jellyfish
and swallow them.
 More garbage in residential areas.

 To
conserve nature, should we forbid people
to live in protected areas?

Some people believe humans have a negative
impact on ecosystems.

People should simply not be allowed to live in
protected areas.

People can only destroy or deteriorate the
environment by using up all of its resources,
polluting its lakes, rivers, forests etc.

People simply get in the way of nature conservation.

People should be allowed to live in protected
areas and participate in its conservation efforts.

Locals are in the best position to protect the
environment because of their experience and
knowledge.
That’s all folks!