Are The Galapagos Islands Tropical
| Galápagos Islands xeric scrub | |
|---|---|
 Punta Pitt on San Cristóbal Isle | |
 Map of the Galápagos Islands | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Neotropical |
| Biome | deserts and xeric shrublands |
| Geography | |
| Area | 8,032 km2 (3,101 sq mi) |
| State | Ecuador |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Disquisitional/endangered[one] |
| Global 200 | yes |
| Protected | 100%[two] |
The Galápagos Islands xeric scrub, also known as the Galápagos Islands scrubland mosaic,[2] is a terrestrial deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion that covers the Galápagos Islands. The Galápagos Islands are volcanic in origin, and remote from continents and other islands. The ecoregion is well known for its unique owned species, including giant tortoises, birds, and marine iguanas, which evolved in isolation to accommodate to islands' environments.
Geography [edit]
The Galápagos Islands prevarication in the Pacific Body of water, about 960 km due west of the S American mainland. They are politically office of Ecuador.
The Galápagos archipelago consists of 128 named islands. At that place are xiii islands larger than ten kmtwo, 19 larger than i km2, 42 islets smaller than i km2, and at least 26 emergent rocks.[i] The total land area of the archipelago is 8032 km2.[two] Isabela is the largest and highest island, with an area of 4,588 km2 and reaching an superlative of 1,707 meters.[ane]
The islands are volcanic in origin, formed by the Galápagos hotspot. The eastern islands are by and large older, dating back 3 to vi million years, while the western islands are less than 1 million years one-time. Surface geology consists of volcanic rock, typically basalt, and includes pumice, ash, and tuff ejected from volcanoes. The mural has volcanic features like crater lakes, lava fields, lava tubes, fumaroles, and sulfur vents. Soils are by and large young and thin.[1]
Four islands – Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Floreana – are permanently inhabited. The islands take approximately xxx,000 permanent residents. There are docks on all the inhabited islands, and an airport on San Cristóbal. Baltra Isle has an aerodrome, military base, tourism dock, and fuel facilities.[3] [1]
Climate [edit]
The climate is tropical, oceanic, and semi-arid, influenced by the annual movements of ocean currents. There are two primary seasons. The dry out or garúa (misty) flavour generally lasts from May to December, influenced past the cool Humboldt Current coming from the south. The dry out flavour is characterized past cooler temperatures and lower rainfall. Mist and drizzling rain, known every bit garúa, occurs during this flavour, peculiarly in the highlands. Baronial is typically the coolest and driest month, with temperatures as low equally 18°C and as little equally 5 mm of rainfall.[i]
The hot and wet flavour extends Dec to May, influenced by the warm Panama Current from the north shifting to surround the islands. This season brings warmer temperatures and higher rainfall. March is typically the warmest and wettest calendar month, with temperatures as loftier as xxx°C and as much as 80 mm of rainfall.[one]
Temperature and rainfall vary with elevation, creating a range of microclimates on the higher islands. Average annual temperature declines an average of 0.9°C for every 100 meters of elevation, and rainfall increases. Boilerplate annual rainfall for the archipelago is 356 mm at sea level and 1092 mm at 200 meters elevation.[1]
Flora [edit]
Most of the Galápagos is covered in semi-desert vegetation, including shrublands, grasslands, and dry woods. A few of the islands have high-elevation areas with cooler temperatures and higher rainfall, which are dwelling to humid-climate forests and shrublands, and montane grasslands, or pampas, at the highest elevations. At that place are virtually 500 species of native vascular plants on the islands, including 90 species of ferns. About 180 vascular plant species are endemic.[ane]
Littoral plant communities are generally low-growing shrubs and herbs which are tolerant of drought and salt spray. Typical plants include the shrubs saltbush (Cryptocarpus pyriformis) and Maytenus octagona. Herbaceous seashore plants include the widespread beach morning time glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae) and Sesuvium portulacastrum, and the endemic Galápagos carpet weed (Sesuvium edmonstonei).[1]
Mangroves abound in calm inlets and lagoons. Typical species include carmine mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), and white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) and button mangrove (Conocarpus erectus).[1]
The arid zone lies inland of the coastal zone and extends to 200 meters elevation or college. It covers near of the archipelago. It includes copse, shrubs, cacti, and herbs adapted to dry out conditions. Common copse include the palo santo (Bursera graveolens) and paga paga (Pisonia floribunda), and the endemic trees guayabillo (Psidium galapageium) and Bursera malacophylla, which is found just on Seymour, Baltra and Daphne islands. Cacti include several owned species of Opuntia – Opuntia echios, O. helleri, and others – and the endemic genera Jasminocereus and Brachycereus. Ground embrace plants include low shrubs, like the owned bitterbush (Castela galapageia) and species of the endemic genus Lecocarpus, and herbaceous plants. Herbaceous arid zone species include the endemic genera Tiquilia and Chamaesyce, Galápagos tomato (Solanum galapagense), and stinking passion blossom (Passiflora foetida).[1]
On islands that attain higher elevations, at that place is transition zone between the arid and humid zones between 200 and 300 meters peak. Transition zone plants include Pisonis floribunda and Psidium galapageium at lower elevations, and P. galapageium with Scalesia trees closer to the humid zone.
The boiling zone lies above 300 meters tiptop. It has higher rainfall than lower-height areas, and the dry out-season garua fogs reduce plants' loss of moisture through evaporation and provide some moisture from condensation. Woodlands of Scalesia trees, five to 15 meters tall, are predominant from 300 to 500 meters elevation, with over 20 species of the owned genus across the high islands of the archipelago. The low tree true cat'due south claw (Zanthoxylum fagara) is most abundant between 500 and 600 meters meridian, in the transition between the Scalesia woodlands beneath and the Miconia shrublands above. The endemic shrub Miconia robinsoniana is predominant between 600 and 700 meters meridian, particularly on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal islands, forming shrublands 3 to 4 meters high.[one]
High-superlative grasslands, known equally pampa, are found to a higher place 900 meters elevation. The pampa is lush with grasses, ferns, sphagnum moss, and orchids. Purthieva maculata is ane of eleven species of orchids establish here. The endemic tree fern Cyathea weatherbyana is a pampa native.[1]
Creature [edit]
The Galápagos is abode to many endemic species of reptiles, birds, mammals, land snails, insects.[1]
At that place are 19 resident seabird species, including 5 endemic species. Endemic seabirds include the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), waved boundness (Phoebastria irrorata), flightless cormorant (Nannopterum harrisi), swallow-tailed gull (Creagrus furcatus), and lava gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus).[i]
The islands are home to 29 native species of land birds, 24 of which are endemic. Endemic species include the Galapagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis), Galapagos dove (Zenaida galapagoensis), Galapagos rail (Laterallus spilonota), Galápagos martin (Progne modesta), and four species of mockingbirds from genus Nesomimus.[1] There are nearly xviii distinct species of endemic tanagers on the island, collectively known as Darwin's finches.
At that place are 22 owned reptile species in the Galápagos. Notable species include the giant Galápagos tortoise (Geochelone spp.), which evolved 14 or 15 distinct species, of which 11 remain. Other endemic reptiles include the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) and three species of snakes, the Galápagos racer (Pseudalsophis biserialis), Pseudalsophis dorsalis, and Pseudalsophis slevini.[ane]
There are nine known species of terrestrial mammals – four surviving and 3 extinct species of rice rats, and two species of bats.
The 4 surviving species of rice rat live on uninhabited islands –Nesoryzomys fernandinae and Nesoryzomys indefessus narboroughi on Fernandina, Nesoryzomys swarthi on Santiago, and Aegialomys galapagoensis on Santa Fé. The other species were driven to extinction past competition with introduced black rats (Rattus rattus).
The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is an insect-eating species that roosts on mangroves and shrubs. It is constitute on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela, Santiago, and Floreana. The Galápagos blood-red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii brachyotis) inhabits Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, where feeds nearly the footing on insects.
Conservation and threats [edit]
Virtually of the islands' country and marine area is permanently protected. Invasive species are considered the greatest current threat to the Galápagos' native animals and plants. Non-native species compete with native ones for habitat, and some prey on natives unadapted to predation. Non-native species have been introduced since the islands were first visited by humans, and the islands' growing human population and increasing move of goods and people to the islands are introducing new not-native species at a high charge per unit.[3] [1]
Protected areas [edit]
97% of the islands' state expanse is in Galápagos National Park, which was created in 1959. Human settlements are limited to the remaining 3% of the islands, located on the 4 permanently inhabited islands. Access to the uninhabited islands is strictly controlled, and visitor numbers and itineraries are express and planned by authorities. Approximately 170,000 people visit the islands each year.[3]
In 1986 the Galápagos Marine Reserve was created, with an area of 70,000 km2. In 1998 the marine reserve was enlarged to 133,000 km2.[three]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d east f g h i j thousand l yard due north o p q r southward "Galápagos Islands xeric scrub". Terrestrial Ecoregions. Globe Wild animals Fund.
- ^ a b c "Galápagos Islands scrubland mosaic". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 11 August 2021. [1]
- ^ a b c d "Galápagos Islands". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1/?
Are The Galapagos Islands Tropical,
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands_xeric_scrub
Posted by: gomezmores1955.blogspot.com
0 Response to "Are The Galapagos Islands Tropical"
Post a Comment