University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...
University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...
University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature<br />
Baquerizo Moreno on San Christobal Island, although the largest town is Puerto<br />
Ayora on Santa Cruz. Five <strong>of</strong> the islands are inhabited, with a total population <strong>of</strong><br />
around 15.000 people.<br />
The Galapagos Islands is a very unique place, because it has been deserted<br />
for many years. Species <strong>of</strong> plants and animals have evolved differently on<br />
approximately 14 islands. That means the islands contain many endemic species.<br />
The nature is still in a pristine state, (though it is endangered by tourists and<br />
immigrants), and because <strong>of</strong> that it is an ideal place to study evolution and other<br />
ecological issues.<br />
3.1.2. Nature<br />
Three to five million years ago volcanic eruption gave birth to a new<br />
archipelago. This new group <strong>of</strong> islands had flat shorelines and mountain<br />
interiors, but despite <strong>of</strong> equatorial location, the habitat <strong>of</strong> several <strong>of</strong> the islands<br />
was desert like. But plant and animals migrated to Galapagos and nowadays it is<br />
home to many unique, endemic species.<br />
Though Galapagos sites equator it also lies in the path <strong>of</strong> a cool nutrientrich<br />
current, so corals, manta rays and other plants and animals <strong>of</strong> tropical seas,<br />
share islands with penguins, fur seal lion and other cool-water species.<br />
Galapagos have many different habitats, such as forests, beaches, volcanic<br />
craters, mangrove forests etc. The mangrove has rich concentrations <strong>of</strong> nutrients<br />
and plankton flow in and out with the tides, making the forest an important<br />
breeding and nursery ground for fishes and invertebrates. The mangrove is also<br />
used as nesting sites by many birds.<br />
a. Flora<br />
Plants entering the islands tend to be pioneer species, hardy plants which<br />
successfully cross oceans and manage to establish themselves in the <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
40