Galapagos Islands: A Protected Territory

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Protected TerritoryFrom what? From Whom?
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What is a protected territory?

• It is a natural heritage that is protected by the
  government.
• A natural heritage is a natural environment (i.e.
  mountain, lake, etc.) of great value that people
  want to protect and preserve.

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What is a national park?

• 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.

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What is a natural resource?

• Things that are supplied by nature and that are
  useful to us in various ways.
• Coal, oil, water, forests and trees are natural
  resources.

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What does conservation mean?

• The care and protection of forests, water, and
  other natural resources.

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What does biodiversity mean?

• The diversity of species (animals, plants and
  micro-organisms) found in a natural environment.

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What is an ecosystem?

• 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.

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Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
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Creating a protected Territory
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1. Creation of facilities

• A facility is a space (building) or equipment
  necessary for doing something.
• These facilities need to be built so that people
  can visit these parks
• Amenities - info centre, restroom, camping site
• Infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.)

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2. Establishing regulations

• Regulations are rules.
• Visitors must follow the established rules of the
  national park.
• These rules are put in place to preserve a
  natural site.

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National parks are zoned

• A section of an area or territory established for
  a specific purpose.
• Zones are created to protect national parks.
• Zoning divides the park into several areas.
• Each zone has different rules and offers
  different activities. (Ex no fishing, hunting
  or hiking)

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Protecting a territory gives it new life
(revitalizes it!)

• It attracts people who love doing outdoor
  activities.
• It also supports ecotourism

Protecting a territory is good for the regions
economy

• The national park provides jobs for locals (ex
  organizers for outdoor activities, info center
  receptionists, ski patrollers, etc.)

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Benefits of creating national parks?

1. It makes generates money from entry fees
2. It provides job opportunities for locals (people
   are hired to work at the national park)
3. Services for locals close to the national park
   are established (ex grocery stores, pharmacies,
   restaurants, clinics, gas stations, etc.)
4. Supports cultural activities in the area (ex
   sugar shacks)

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Threats to a natural park

• 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.

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Human activities that threaten national parks

1. Removing natural resources from the territory
   (ex timber, minerals)
2. Pollution from chemicals (ex pesticides
   fertilizers)
3. Poaching (illegal hunting or fishing)
4. Visitors litter, vandalize destroy property.

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1. Introducing foreign species that compete with
   endemic species for food.
2. Deforestation to clear land for farms, resorts
   and expanding neighborhoods.
3. Building roads and industries close to natural
   parks that threaten habitats.

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Jasper national Park

• It is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
• It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It has protected ecosystems and wildlife.

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http//www.youtube.com/watch?v1Go2b40YsOwBanff
National Park
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vk9x0GSWKygw Banff
National Park Accomodations
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UNESCO World Heritage List

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific
  and Cultural Organization).

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• To make it on the list, a park must be considered
  a world heritage- natural and cultural treasures
  belonging to the world.

Dinosaur Provincial Park - World Heritage
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What is UNESCO World Heritage Site?

• A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as
  a forest, mountain, lake, island, desert,
  monument, building, complex, or city) that is
  listed by the UNESCO as of worthy of attention
  because it is special in some way.

Cloud-covered Machu Picchu is another of the
treasures counted amongst UNESCO's World Heritage
inscribed sites
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UNESCO SITES Natural vs. Cultural

• Go to Dinosaur Provincial Park (Canada)
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vlww6Y4hlQR4
• Go to Palace of Versailles (Cultural Site in
  France)
• https//www.youtube.com/watch?vXxIzMr2Ekpo

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Why are these territories protected?

1. It may symbolize a province or country.

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• 2. It may have extraordinary landscapes (Iguazu
  National park, Argentina-Brazil).

BBC Natural World - The Falls of Iguacu
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vN_hmnOK5DYk
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• 3. It may have rich and rare ecosystems.

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• 4. It may provide recreational and educational
  areas for visitors.

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• 5. It may have beautiful, inspirational sites.

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• 6. It may have traces of ancient civilizations.

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• 7. It may contain fossils or evidence of a
  natural phenomena (volcanic eruption).

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• 8. It may provide plants that are needed for
  medicine.

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• 9. It may provide economic benefits, such as
  tourist activities and jobs.

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• 10. It may be a symbol of our identity.

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Galapagos Islands (GI)A Protected Territory
https//www.youtube.com/watch?vl6EZN4szlqM
https//www.youtube.com/watch?vRAZ0D8Srl1A
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Geographical Location of Ecuador in South America
https//maps.google.ca/maps?outputclassicdgbrw
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History of Galapagos

• 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.

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Pirates

• 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.

https//www.youtube.com/watch?vrR4ElV2Jz7A
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Whalers and Hunters (1790-1870)

• Fur seals came very close to extinction.
• Tortoises were killed for their meat or to make
  cooking oil.

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Charles Robert Darwin

• 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.

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Human population increase in the archipelago Human population increase in the archipelago
959 Approximately 1000-2000
1972 3488
1980s 15 000
2006 Approx. 25 000
2015 Over 30 000
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• Most of the present-day inhabitants moved to the
  islands from the Ecuadorian mainland during the
  last 25-30 years.
• Most of them work in the fishing, tourist and
  farming industries.

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Archipelago

• A group of many islands in a large body of water.

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The Galapagos Islands

• Located 600 km off the west coast of Ecuador,
  South America.

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• 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!

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Volcanoes located on several Islands
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Location and Climate

• Islands are aligned with the equator.
• Islands are a long distance from Ecuador.
• Closest land mass is the continent of South
  America.

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• 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.

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Conservation (protection) Laws

• These islands are home to many endemic animals
  plants, etc. (plant or animal that is only found
  there).
• Ecuadorian Government passed conservation laws to
  protect these species (ex. 100 visitors fee).
• GI is both a National Park and a World Heritage
  Site!

http//whc.unesco.org/en/list/1
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• 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.

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• The ocean around the Galapagos Islands was made
  a marine reserve/park in 1998 to protect the
  marine life.

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Threats to the Wildlife

• Illegal fishing or over-fishing
• Quotas (limits) are placed on the number of fish
  that can be fished each year.

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• 2. Endemic animals (ex turtles) are competing
  with foreign animals (ex sheep) for the same
  food (plants).
• 3. Growing human population on the islands (over
  26,000).
• 4. Growing number of tourists (180 000 per year).
  

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• 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.

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Magazine report on the GI

• David Pouilloux, a journalist, wrote a report on
  how the condition of the islands is deteriorating
  (worsening).
• Title of report, State of Emergency in the GI.
• Outlines the 5 reasons why the islands are being
  threatened today.

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1. Human Population Growth

• Population has risen to over 26,000 today.
• Ecuadorians are migrating (moving) to the GI
  because they are looking for jobs in tourism and
  commercial fishing.

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2. Pollution

• Cruise ships require fuel.
• Oil tankers cruise ships increase the risk of
  oil spills.

https//www.youtube.com/watch?v9g3PtEDg-mo
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3. Over-fishing

• Fishers over-fish swordfish, tuna, shark, and sea
  cucumbers.
• This occurs despite the fact that commercial
  fishing (catching fish for profit) is forbidden
  by law.

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4. Invading species and predators

• Foreign species threaten endemic species in two
  ways
• Both are competing for the same food.
• Endemic species become prey to foreign species
  (predators).

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5. Tourism

• More than 180,000 tourists per year

• Ex Require transportation (fuel used to power
  boats buses is harmful to the environment).

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• 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.

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Protected Territory With or without residents?

• To conserve (protect) nature, should we allow or
  forbid people to live in protected areas?

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Yes, they should be forbidden because...

• Some people believe humans have a negative impact
  on ecosystems.
• People should simply not be allowed to live in
  protected areas.

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• 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.

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No, humans should be allowed because...

• 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.