in the Pacific
Ocean: 1,000km
from the South
American
continent
13 major
islands, 6
smaller and
hundreds
of islets
over 12,000
humans
inhabit the
islands
holds over 1,300
unique species
formed by
seismic
activity-
led to the
creation
of unusual
species
a stationary hot spot
created a chain of volcanoes
when the Nazca plate
moved like a conveyor belt
Threats/
Issues
Tourism
the number of annual visitors
has increased rapidly: 12,000 to
160,000 since 1978
increased demand for more resources
puts stress on the environment
increased transport around
the islands erodes and disturbs
habitats- the pollution created
also has a negative effect on
land and in sea from boats
Poaching/
illegal fishing
can lead to the destruction of ecosystems
and wildlife due to exploitation of
resources, e.g. food, materials
the hunting of species places them under
threat of extinction, which would change the
entire food web and affect many ecosystems
Invasive
species
approx. 543 alien
insects have intruded
on the islands
(including fire
ants and wasps)
caused serious issues for both humans and
the animal species native to the islands
Increasing
population
the increasing
human population
places pressure on
natural resources
exploitation of
resources affects
biodiversity and
sustainabiity
Management/
Solutions
limited number
of tourists
allowed to visit
each year
contains the
amount of
destruction
and
transport, etc
to minimise
the impact
on the
environment
a restriction
was also
placed on
the amount
of boats
allowed to
pass around
and to the
islands
this reduces the damage that can be created
by disturbing marine life and pollution created
the number, size and location
of the boats has been restricted
Invasive
Species
Fund
a £10
million
fund
means that the spread of invasive species can be prevented
using methods and materials funded by the money
Project Pinta
aims to
introduce species
of reproductive
tortoises
to restore the
environmental
balance in the
islands and
prevent
extinction
SICGAL (Galapagos
Inspection and
Quarantine System)
in the 1990s, they
started inspecting
boats and cargo ships
for invasive species
this occurred to attempt to reduce the
number of invasive species, especially
insects, from travelling the islands from
abroad and impacting the native wildlife
Galapagos
Conservancy's
Ecosystem
Restoration
set up
management
strategies to
uphold the
sustainability
of the islands
work alongside the
Charles Darwin
Foundation and
local non-profit
organisations
seeks to rebuild healthy and
balanced plant and animal
environments to their
'pre-human' condition
Conservation
inspired Darwin's theory of
evolution after he visited in 1835
declared one
of the World's
first Heritage
sites in 1978