The Geology of the Galapagos Islands
The Geology of the Galapagos Islands is in part volcanic and made from mantle plumes. Mantle plumes rise from deep within the Earth and are typically responsible for what would become active volcanoes. Reflecting upon this, I find it very interesting that these plumes remain in their place, even though other plates and tectonics within the Earth’s mantle are shifting around it. Therefore, scientists believe that mantle plumes come from much deeper, potentially right from the liquid iron core and at the base of the Earth’s mantle, and that is why they are heated much more greatly to form the mantle plumes. This could also explain why they remain in location. Over time, as the plumes are beginning to reach the surface, through the lithospheric layer of the Earth, they melt, and magma is formed. This forms a volcanic structure with time and reoccurrence. Again, with time and reoccurrence, these events will form the bases of the Islands, and as the volcano itself is shifted away from the magma plume, it becomes extinct and leaves this Island structure, with just the remains of what the volcano once was. Reading deeper into this phenomenon completely opened my eyes to how such structures and islands as the Galapagos Archipelago are formed and led to exist. I did not realize it had anything to do with volcanoes and magma plumes, but upon furthering my research, I was led to understand this greatly. When I step foot onto the Galapagos Islands in January, I will reflect on the idea of what the Islands once were and how their formation came to be.
To reiterate this geological impact, and provide extra insight, it is important in understanding where the Islands lay; the Nazca plate, which is the plate that the Galapagos lies directly atop of, is just south of the mid-ocean ridge that forms the Galapagos Spreading Center, and this influences the broader Galapagos Archipelago. Parts of Galapagos also lay within Cocos region. What I particularly enjoyed about these readings, leading me to this new information, was the reference to geology-biology relationships. It is easy to wonder how any living species could ever manage to find its way onto an island after creation, or how it began the processes of sustaining life there, and evolving to whatever this place had to offer. It is known that the Galapagos are famous for its endemic life species. In part, much of this may be thanks to the Humboldt Current which moves north from the Antarctic region, mixing with the Panama Current coming south, and meeting to form the Southern Equatorial Current which leaves vast nutrients for individuals to thrive off of, as well as diverse wildlife whom have followed the paths to the Islands.
Additionally, islands will sink as they move away from a hotspot. This has been proven true with the Galapagos Islands, and maybe in some way this could play a part in what sort of amphibious and other wildlife was able to become sustained here. The next set of readings on the Galapagos will cover this more greatly.
How did animals get to the Islands?
Many of the complex and unusual endemic species of the Galapagos Archipelago are a result of the unique mix of tropical and temperate areas that the Islands harness. What I learned from this article reiterates the idea of the Galapagos forming, many millions of years ago, from a mantle plume that would form underwater volcanos and eventually the archipelago that we see today, which were completely devoid of plant and animal life. The only two ways in which life could have made its way to these islands is by the way of the sea, or by air. Many mammals living on the islands today which are good swimmers surely must have made their way with the help of swift ocean currents. Some plant species, specifically seen in mangroves, for example, have seeds that are salt tolerant and could have made it to the islands in a similar fashion of the animals. Of course, many seabirds must have flown over, and even some small insects, like snails, could have been simply blown over with the wind. This goes for many island formations although today, there is also introduction by human influence and there is always accidental introduction of things like seeds being deposited in random areas. To say whether everything will survive and reproduce is another story. I am sure that many living things to originally land on the Islands many have perished, if they could not adapt to what the climate of the Galapagos would offer.
Galapagos Biodiversity
The Galapagos Islands are home to an outstanding number of endemic species and many famous occupants like the Giant Galapagos Tortoise or the Galapagos Penguin. From the number of different articles and resources on each main type of species seen on the Galapagos Islands, I have a much better understanding of the challenges some of these species face in order to thrive in the vast and wild "jungle".
Plants- Many people are astonished to see that the main plant life established on the Islands, are desert-like plants, and this is because the Islands sit within the Pacific Dry Belt. Due to this, arid-climate plants are the ones that will thrive on the Islands, unlike on mainland Ecuador, where tropical plants thrive. Any plant species that has been introduced to the Islands, that would not tolerate either the coastal plains, the arid-climate, or the more humid inland areas of the Islands, would soon come to perish.
Iguanas and Lizards- There are many different species of land and marine iguanas that inhabit the Galapagos, all of which most likely stem from a common ancestor. Additionally, there are the Galapagos lava lizards, which inhabit all islands within the archipelago although which island they live on is very significant to their species. Color and gender variation are greatly dependent on which island they inhabit; this is one of the most interesting aspects that I took away from this reading. When it comes to iguanas, they are plentiful especially in marine regions but throughout the Islands as well. The greatest mortality in marine iguanas on the Islands is due to El Nino events, which occurs irregularly but with a 70% mortality rate to marine iguana species on the Islands when it does.
Giant Tortoises- There are currently 15 different species of the Giant Tortoise on the Galapagos. They have continued to evolve since the time of discovery but overall, they are the best and most well-known species that inhabit the Islands, and they should be protected at all costs. During intense drought, these large but lazy creatures can be seen sleeping for weeks at a time. Their activity level is largely based on seasonality and their available food and water supply. Climate change would greatly affect these creatures as they can only adapt so much and so fast, and would most likely perish quite rapidly due to their lack of extreme mobility; an advantage that other animals may have over them.
Mammals- The number of mammals on the Islands is limited, which is not surprising for an Island setting that is far off from the mainland. The 6 different species seen on the Galapagos Islands are sea lions, fur seals, rice rats, bats, dolphins, and whales. These mammals need to be advanced with salinity conditions, able to fly, or a rat which would make its way across the water with the tides. Like the Giant Tortoises, and many other species that inhabit the Galapagos, or any other set of islands, may be extremely impacted by advanced climate changes and the rise of sea levels. When you are confined to a set of islands, there is no where to go, and you must either adapt and evolve, or perish. These mammals are facing constant risks but seem to be healthy for now.
Land Birds; Sea and Shore Birds- 13 of the 22 endemic land birds on the Galapagos Islands are Darwin’s Finches. Otherwise, there are 4 mockingbird species and a variety of other bird species along with the 56 native shore bird species, of which 80% are endemic to the Islands. The birds of the Galapagos are some of the Island’s most important and cherished species in that they are largely endemic, and we see them in great numbers. Three species in this category, which are the Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, and the Red-footed Boobies, are three of the species in which I am personally most excited to encounter on my journey through the Galapagos Archipelago. They are amazing creatures, with a downside in that island birds are one of the groups most subject to extinction worldwide, and this is all due to the arrival of humans. Imagine what the Islands could have been, or better yet, what they once were, before the introduction of the human species on them?
Marine Life and Invertebrates- Invertebrates of the Galapagos are particularly amazing in that they are the most diverse among all the Islands, and they thrive on these Islands. Their ecological role is evidently important, as they act as the pollinators for the Islands, as well as a food source for predators, and even the organic matter that will eventually become decomposed to create new soil formations. The Marine life on the Islands are more so special, in that they are mixed and mingled from three completely different ocean currents that meet to surround the Galapagos; these are nutrient rich cool waters from the south, warm currents from the north, and the deep cold current from the west. This introduces creatures like the hammerhead shark, tunas, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, and of course, the fur seals, penguins, and marine iguanas. These unique and very different creatures all call the Galapagos their home because the Islands themselves are quite diverse and unique.
Challenges in eradicating feral pigs, donkeys from the Islands
F. Cruz et al. / Biological Conservation 121 (2005) 473–478 , Biodiversity and Conservation (2007) 16:437–445
Challenges were faced on the Galapagos Islands regarding the eradication of feral pigs and donkeys. The reason these creatures needed to be eradicated so prominently, was because upon increased knowledge of the species, and through observation, it is understood that omnivorous creatures, like the feral pig, would increase extinction and ecosystem change. Similarly, herbivorous creatures like the donkey would be seen to drive ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. Feral pigs and donkeys would not contribute to the intense and biodiverse ecosystems throughout the Galapagos, they would simply lower biodiversity through unsustainable eating habits and, more specifically, the predation of feral pigs. The same instances are seen on other islands throughout the world, so it is no surprise that the Galapagos would come to work towards a complete eradication, as they are some of the most biodiverse Islands on earth.
Life in the Mangroves
Mangroves play an extremely prominent role around land formation, and act as a true buffer between the land and the sea. They are the barrier that prevents soil erosion, and they can propagate very easily through the ocean currents which lead to much easier spread of species authority in different areas. They are home to the mangrove trees, commonly red and black, which always have roots inundated by saltwater. The mangroves are also home to juvenile fish and marine invertebrates, many species of bird, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and even some mammals, and make for a very favorable habitat for creatures as such.
The Geology of the Galapagos Islands is in part volcanic and made from mantle plumes. Mantle plumes rise from deep within the Earth and are typically responsible for what would become active volcanoes. Reflecting upon this, I find it very interesting that these plumes remain in their place, even though other plates and tectonics within the Earth’s mantle are shifting around it. Therefore, scientists believe that mantle plumes come from much deeper, potentially right from the liquid iron core and at the base of the Earth’s mantle, and that is why they are heated much more greatly to form the mantle plumes. This could also explain why they remain in location. Over time, as the plumes are beginning to reach the surface, through the lithospheric layer of the Earth, they melt, and magma is formed. This forms a volcanic structure with time and reoccurrence. Again, with time and reoccurrence, these events will form the bases of the Islands, and as the volcano itself is shifted away from the magma plume, it becomes extinct and leaves this Island structure, with just the remains of what the volcano once was. Reading deeper into this phenomenon completely opened my eyes to how such structures and islands as the Galapagos Archipelago are formed and led to exist. I did not realize it had anything to do with volcanoes and magma plumes, but upon furthering my research, I was led to understand this greatly. When I step foot onto the Galapagos Islands in January, I will reflect on the idea of what the Islands once were and how their formation came to be.
To reiterate this geological impact, and provide extra insight, it is important in understanding where the Islands lay; the Nazca plate, which is the plate that the Galapagos lies directly atop of, is just south of the mid-ocean ridge that forms the Galapagos Spreading Center, and this influences the broader Galapagos Archipelago. Parts of Galapagos also lay within Cocos region. What I particularly enjoyed about these readings, leading me to this new information, was the reference to geology-biology relationships. It is easy to wonder how any living species could ever manage to find its way onto an island after creation, or how it began the processes of sustaining life there, and evolving to whatever this place had to offer. It is known that the Galapagos are famous for its endemic life species. In part, much of this may be thanks to the Humboldt Current which moves north from the Antarctic region, mixing with the Panama Current coming south, and meeting to form the Southern Equatorial Current which leaves vast nutrients for individuals to thrive off of, as well as diverse wildlife whom have followed the paths to the Islands.
Additionally, islands will sink as they move away from a hotspot. This has been proven true with the Galapagos Islands, and maybe in some way this could play a part in what sort of amphibious and other wildlife was able to become sustained here. The next set of readings on the Galapagos will cover this more greatly.
How did animals get to the Islands?
Many of the complex and unusual endemic species of the Galapagos Archipelago are a result of the unique mix of tropical and temperate areas that the Islands harness. What I learned from this article reiterates the idea of the Galapagos forming, many millions of years ago, from a mantle plume that would form underwater volcanos and eventually the archipelago that we see today, which were completely devoid of plant and animal life. The only two ways in which life could have made its way to these islands is by the way of the sea, or by air. Many mammals living on the islands today which are good swimmers surely must have made their way with the help of swift ocean currents. Some plant species, specifically seen in mangroves, for example, have seeds that are salt tolerant and could have made it to the islands in a similar fashion of the animals. Of course, many seabirds must have flown over, and even some small insects, like snails, could have been simply blown over with the wind. This goes for many island formations although today, there is also introduction by human influence and there is always accidental introduction of things like seeds being deposited in random areas. To say whether everything will survive and reproduce is another story. I am sure that many living things to originally land on the Islands many have perished, if they could not adapt to what the climate of the Galapagos would offer.
Galapagos Biodiversity
The Galapagos Islands are home to an outstanding number of endemic species and many famous occupants like the Giant Galapagos Tortoise or the Galapagos Penguin. From the number of different articles and resources on each main type of species seen on the Galapagos Islands, I have a much better understanding of the challenges some of these species face in order to thrive in the vast and wild "jungle".
Plants- Many people are astonished to see that the main plant life established on the Islands, are desert-like plants, and this is because the Islands sit within the Pacific Dry Belt. Due to this, arid-climate plants are the ones that will thrive on the Islands, unlike on mainland Ecuador, where tropical plants thrive. Any plant species that has been introduced to the Islands, that would not tolerate either the coastal plains, the arid-climate, or the more humid inland areas of the Islands, would soon come to perish.
Iguanas and Lizards- There are many different species of land and marine iguanas that inhabit the Galapagos, all of which most likely stem from a common ancestor. Additionally, there are the Galapagos lava lizards, which inhabit all islands within the archipelago although which island they live on is very significant to their species. Color and gender variation are greatly dependent on which island they inhabit; this is one of the most interesting aspects that I took away from this reading. When it comes to iguanas, they are plentiful especially in marine regions but throughout the Islands as well. The greatest mortality in marine iguanas on the Islands is due to El Nino events, which occurs irregularly but with a 70% mortality rate to marine iguana species on the Islands when it does.
Giant Tortoises- There are currently 15 different species of the Giant Tortoise on the Galapagos. They have continued to evolve since the time of discovery but overall, they are the best and most well-known species that inhabit the Islands, and they should be protected at all costs. During intense drought, these large but lazy creatures can be seen sleeping for weeks at a time. Their activity level is largely based on seasonality and their available food and water supply. Climate change would greatly affect these creatures as they can only adapt so much and so fast, and would most likely perish quite rapidly due to their lack of extreme mobility; an advantage that other animals may have over them.
Mammals- The number of mammals on the Islands is limited, which is not surprising for an Island setting that is far off from the mainland. The 6 different species seen on the Galapagos Islands are sea lions, fur seals, rice rats, bats, dolphins, and whales. These mammals need to be advanced with salinity conditions, able to fly, or a rat which would make its way across the water with the tides. Like the Giant Tortoises, and many other species that inhabit the Galapagos, or any other set of islands, may be extremely impacted by advanced climate changes and the rise of sea levels. When you are confined to a set of islands, there is no where to go, and you must either adapt and evolve, or perish. These mammals are facing constant risks but seem to be healthy for now.
Land Birds; Sea and Shore Birds- 13 of the 22 endemic land birds on the Galapagos Islands are Darwin’s Finches. Otherwise, there are 4 mockingbird species and a variety of other bird species along with the 56 native shore bird species, of which 80% are endemic to the Islands. The birds of the Galapagos are some of the Island’s most important and cherished species in that they are largely endemic, and we see them in great numbers. Three species in this category, which are the Blue-footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, and the Red-footed Boobies, are three of the species in which I am personally most excited to encounter on my journey through the Galapagos Archipelago. They are amazing creatures, with a downside in that island birds are one of the groups most subject to extinction worldwide, and this is all due to the arrival of humans. Imagine what the Islands could have been, or better yet, what they once were, before the introduction of the human species on them?
Marine Life and Invertebrates- Invertebrates of the Galapagos are particularly amazing in that they are the most diverse among all the Islands, and they thrive on these Islands. Their ecological role is evidently important, as they act as the pollinators for the Islands, as well as a food source for predators, and even the organic matter that will eventually become decomposed to create new soil formations. The Marine life on the Islands are more so special, in that they are mixed and mingled from three completely different ocean currents that meet to surround the Galapagos; these are nutrient rich cool waters from the south, warm currents from the north, and the deep cold current from the west. This introduces creatures like the hammerhead shark, tunas, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, and of course, the fur seals, penguins, and marine iguanas. These unique and very different creatures all call the Galapagos their home because the Islands themselves are quite diverse and unique.
Challenges in eradicating feral pigs, donkeys from the Islands
F. Cruz et al. / Biological Conservation 121 (2005) 473–478 , Biodiversity and Conservation (2007) 16:437–445
Challenges were faced on the Galapagos Islands regarding the eradication of feral pigs and donkeys. The reason these creatures needed to be eradicated so prominently, was because upon increased knowledge of the species, and through observation, it is understood that omnivorous creatures, like the feral pig, would increase extinction and ecosystem change. Similarly, herbivorous creatures like the donkey would be seen to drive ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. Feral pigs and donkeys would not contribute to the intense and biodiverse ecosystems throughout the Galapagos, they would simply lower biodiversity through unsustainable eating habits and, more specifically, the predation of feral pigs. The same instances are seen on other islands throughout the world, so it is no surprise that the Galapagos would come to work towards a complete eradication, as they are some of the most biodiverse Islands on earth.
Life in the Mangroves
Mangroves play an extremely prominent role around land formation, and act as a true buffer between the land and the sea. They are the barrier that prevents soil erosion, and they can propagate very easily through the ocean currents which lead to much easier spread of species authority in different areas. They are home to the mangrove trees, commonly red and black, which always have roots inundated by saltwater. The mangroves are also home to juvenile fish and marine invertebrates, many species of bird, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and even some mammals, and make for a very favorable habitat for creatures as such.