The Galapagos Islands: A Precious Biodiversity Hotspot
Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “Life is precious. Life is sacred. And it ought so to be observed.” Hinckley is expressing that every variety of life is exquisite and irreplaceable and it is there for us to observe and utilize to increase the quality of life overall. About six hundred miles off of the coast of Ecuador lay a biodiversity hotspot called the Galapagos Islands. This archipelago of volcanic islands, formed over four million years ago, is known for its tremendous multitude of indigenous species found nowhere else on the planet. It creates the perfect location to observe and study the ecological processes of nature, which Charles Darwin famously took advantage of when studying evolution. Unfortunately, the abundance of different species in the islands is drastically declining due to many intrusive influences. The Ecuadorian government, along with multiple conservancy organizations is working together to sustain the lives and prevent the extinction of these animals. Preservation of the Galapagos Islands, including protection against invasive species, climate change, and over exploitation, is necessary to conserve the biodiversity of the unique and rare fauna that is indigenous to the Galapagos Islands.
The broad biodiversity of the archipelago is under threat and it is essential that preservation of the islands be imposed. Biodiversity is important in any environment, because it boosts the productiveness within an ecosystem where each species has a certain role, or niche, they have to play to maintain the success of their habitat. A more diverse population will result in soil formation and protection, nutrient storage and recycling, climate stability, and efficient re...
... middle of paper ...
...rams such as the Galapagos National Park Service, the Charles Darwin Foundation, the Galapagos Conservancy Program, and the many projects and rules that they promote to preserve the extensive biodiversity of the archipelago. Just as Gordon B. Hinckley once said, something as precious and sacred as life should be adored and glorified.
Works Cited
Barter, James. The Galapagos Islands. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2002. Print
“Environmental Issues of the Galapagos.” Environmental Issues. Galapagos Conservation Trust, n.d. Web. 20 April, 2014
“Galapagos Conservancy.” Galapagos Conservancy. Galapagos Conservancy, n.d. Web. 20 April. 2014.
“Galapagos Islands National Park and Marine Reserve.” Dive the World. Charles Darwin Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 April. 2014
Shah, Anup. “Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares?” Global Issues. 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 April. 2014
The Galapagos Islands and Madagascar compare and contrast in many ways. The Galapagos Islands are made up of twelve smaller islands with larger cliffs. Madagascar is one full island on the coast of Africa with vast ranges of mountains. The Galapagos is in the Pacific and Madagascar is in the Indian. They are both very similar even though they are located on opposite sides of the world. The two islands have unique species of animals and plants. The Galapagos and Madagascar both show evidence of evolution.
One view on preserving biodiversity argues that it is imperative solely because species have intrinsic value. In his “What is Conservation Biology?” Soulé argues that the primary aim of conservation is the protection and continuity of entire communities and ecosystems, with an emphasis on protecting biodiversity because species have intrinsic or inherent value (Soulé 728). While it is valid that species should be conserved because they have value in themselves, it is not enough, nor is it the only aim of conservation. Soulé elaborates, however, that it is also important to improve biodiversity by modifying the rate at which biodiversity is changed because small changes in the present can yield large-scale results in the long run (733). This
Landscape fragmentation contributes to loss of migratory corridors, loss of connectivity and natural communities, which all lead to a loss of biodiversity for a region. Conservation of biodiversity must include all levels of diversity: genetic, species, community, and landscape (CNHP 1995). Each complex level is dependent upon and linked to the other levels. In addition, humans are linked to all levels of this hierarchy. A healthy natural and human environment go hand in hand (CNHP 1995). An important step in conservation planning, in order to guarantee both a healthy natural environment as well as a healthy human environment, is recognizing the most endangered elements.
The 7,109 islands that make up the Philippines have a diverse range of both aquatic and land-dwelling life-forms. The coral reefs there and throughout the world are facing new challenges. Pollution, climate change and destructive fishing methods all threaten the health of fragile coral reefs. This is where Samantha has focused much of her work. She dives, takes amazing photographs and videos, and spreads her excitement about marine biology to teach and encourage others about the importance of conserving our oceans and coral
The Galapagos Islands, located about 600 miles west of continental Ecuador, contain a rich history of settlement and exploration and represent a living example of evolution that is still relevant today. For centuries, this chain of volcanic islands has been used uniquely by various cultures based off distinct needs. What has remained the same however is the fact that island isolation has forced many animal and plant species to adapt differently from one another based off their island’s environmental conditions, creating a living model of microevolution over time. Today, these models tend to be the primary resources used by biology professors when teaching their students evolutionary topics.
Darwin noticed that birds on a different Galapagos island also have similarities and differences. He believed that these birds were once the same species but because of evolution they became different species. He noticed, “the different species show different beak morphologies (size and shape) that are well suited for exploiting different food resourc...
Brainstorm: surgery, injection, long lines, months, medical appointment, death, out of medicines, pain, happiness, sadness, family
“Saving Wild Places - Latin American and the Caribbean - Yasuni National Park, Ecuador” Wildlife Conservation Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Now, Darwin was not the first to land on this group of islands, but rather was the first to document an extensive analysis on everything from animals, plants, habitat, and climate. The majesty held by the landscape described by Darwin is unparalleled by no other known to human kind, even today.“Imps of Darkness” that emerge from the depths of the sea, giant tortoises whose size are incomparable to any European tortoise and specimen of finches indigenous to its own respective island are examples of Charles Darwin’s analysis upon his first encounter with the archipelago, Galápagos. Countless years have passed since those fateful days Darwin resided in the Galápagos, but was Darwin accurate in his depiction? How much has changed since then? What new discoveries have been made upon Darwin's analytical visit?
The destruction of this forest releases 340 million tons of carbon per year according to the World Wildlife Foundation, or WWF, which in turn causes climate changes everywhere around the world. Undiscovered species can hold the key to curing a plethora of diseases, but if those species become extinct, those keys are lost forever. If nothing is done to prevent this, the world’s treasure trove of bio-diversity will cease to exist, creating irreversible damage to not only the South American people, but also the rest of the world. Conversion of the tropical forest into cropland and pasture began a long time ago in Ecuador, before its secession from Spain. Their major crop was cocoa, which was grown along the waterways to be exported as their main source of trade.
Darwin’s observations from the islands made him want to come up with some explanation to why this occurred. He began to do research of each the species that had lived on these islands and observe all of the characteristics that had. He noticed that the islands h...
Vandermeer, J. & Perfecto, I. Breakfast of Biodiversity. The Institute for Food and Development Policy: Oakland, CA, 1995.
PNG is located along the tropical geographic region of the Pacific Ring of Fire between 0o and 12o latitudes, where it receives rainfalls that range between 950 and 10,000 mm per annum (map). This equatorial location along with favorable natural and anthropogenic conditions allowed for a great number of astounding diversity of terrestrial vegetations to evolve and dictate PNG’s landscape. PNG’s landscape is dominated by multiple ecological formations, primarily forests that cover 78% of the total land area. Furthermore, the diversity of PNG’s terrestrial vegetation starts with beach grasses, on coastal lines, moving inland towards lowland tropical forest, and ending in mountaintop alpine forests (table). For thousands of years, these affluent terrestrial vegetations have provided the habitat and patronage elements that were essential for the survival of the Papuan people.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (hereafter: “CBD”) is an international treaty adopted by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and came into force on December 29, 1993. Initially when it came into force there were 168 members now it is 193 in total. The aim to protect biodiversity and the dramatic steps taken for conservation, sustainable use and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits attracted the world communities to become members (History of the Convention, n.d). In principle the convention on biological diversity changed the ownership concept of biodiversity protection i.e. (“common heritage of humankind”) to the “sovereign right” of each member country (Hirsch, 2012). It is the responsibility of the each member to develop and implement policies in a way that helps in the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. It also recognizes the knowledge of local and indigenous people for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (Brahmi et al., 2004).The article 8(j) of CBD has an important provision which gives the member state rights to “respect, preserve and maintain” traditional style and knowledge about the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The protection must promote the wider application of such knowledge and stimulate innovation and also ensure that the benefits are shared in fair and equitable manner to the communities.
Nowadays it is common to read articles in newspapers and magazines regarding biodiversity issues. Human beings have been knowingly and unknowingly destroying biodiversity since their existence. Biodiversity is the measure of the variety of species of animals living in an area. Forests are usually areas with high biodiversity while deserts are the opposite. Human beings have always destroyed biodiversity either by deforestation, or by some other means. Biodiversity depletion is a natural phenomenon. But the present levels of biodiversity depletion are many times higher than the natural rate. Recently the levels of loss in biodiversity have started causing global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth.