Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T09:21:37.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

16 - Ecology, demography and conservation in the Galapagos Islands flora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2011

By
Ole Hamann
Edited by
David Bramwell  and
Juli Caujapé-Castells
Ole Hamann
Affiliation:
Botanical Garden of the Natural History Museum of Denmark
David Bramwell
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo' - Unidad Asociada CSIC
Juli Caujapé-Castells
Affiliation:
Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo' - Unidad Asociada CSIC
Get access

Summary

The islands

The Galapagos are true oceanic islands, which except for the two northernmost, Darwin and Wolf, rise from a relatively shallow submarine platform. The oldest islands are composed of uplifted lava flows and are about 4.5 million years old (Ma): they are found in the eastern part of the archipelago (Española, Santa Fe, Plazas, Baltra, Seymour and a narrow strip along the northeast coast of Santa Cruz). All the other islands are formed by great volcanoes and are much younger; no rocks older than 0.7 Ma have been found on Fernandina, Isabela, Santiago, Pinta, Genovesa, Marchena and Darwin, and Fernandina could even be as young as 60 000 bp, according to Geist (1996). The islands consist typically of one or several shield volcanoes culminating in craters or large calderas. Eruptions are frequent, particularly in the westernmost islands, Isabela and Fernandina, and the landscape displays a variety of craters, huge, barren fields of lava, ash or scoria, and vegetated areas.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Biology of Island Floras , pp. 385 - 424
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adsersen, H. 1989 The Rare Plants of the Galapagos Islands and Their ConservationBiol. Conserv. 47 49Google Scholar
Adsersen, H. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Mo. Bot. Gard. 32 67Google Scholar
Arsiniegas-Fuertes, M. O. 1996 Caracterizacion, evaluacion y conservacion de cuatro especies de plantas endemicas que se hallan en peligro de extincion en las Islas Galápagos: Calandrinia galapagosa, Lecocarpus darwinii, Scalesia helleri, Scalesia retroflexaIngeniero Forestal thesisUniversidad Tecnica Luis Vargas Torres, Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Atkinson, I. A. E. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Mo. Bot. Gard. 32 101Google Scholar
Blanton, C. 1995 Informe de la Directora de la Estación Cientifica Charles Darwin, Noviembre de 1994–Marzo de 1995Charles Darwin FoundationGalápagos, Ecuador
Bowman, R. I. 1961 Morphological differentiation in the Galápagos finchesUniv. Calif. Publ. Zool. 58 1Google Scholar
Calvopiña, L. H.de Vries, T. 1975 Estructura de la población de cabras salvajes (Capras hircus L.) y los daños causados en la vegetación de la isla San Salvador, GalápagosRevista Univ. Católica (Quito) 3 219Google Scholar
Darwin, C. 1839 Journal of researches into the geology and natural history of the various countries visited by H.M.S. Beagle, Under the Command of Captain FitzRoy, R.N. from 1832 to 1836London
de Vries, T.Calvopiña, L. H. 1977 Papel de los chivos en los cambios de la vegetación de la isla San Salvador, GalápagosRevista Univ. Católica, Quito 5 145Google Scholar
de Vries, T.Tupiza, A. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Mo. Bot. Gard. 32 137Google Scholar
Eliasson, U. 1968 On the influence of introduced animals on the natural vegetation of the Galapagos IslandsNotic. Galápagos 11 19Google Scholar
Eliasson, U. 1972 Studies in Galápagos Plants XII. On the Vegetation of Fernandina before the Eruption in 1968Bot. Notiser 125 49Google Scholar
Eliasson, U. 1974 Studies in Galápagos Plants XIV. The genus Scalesia ArnOpera Botanica 36 1Google Scholar
Eliasson, U. 1984 Perry, R.Key Environments. GalápagosOxfordPergamon Press
Eliasson, U. 1995 Vitousek, P. M.Loope, L. L.Adsersen, H.Islands, Biological Diversity and Ecosystem FunctionBerlinSpringer (Ecological Studies)
Geist, D. 1996 On the emergence and submergence of the Galapagos IslandsNotic. Galápagos 56 5Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 1974 Contributions to the Flora and Vegetation of the Galapagos Islands III. Five New Floristic RecordsBot. Notiser 127 309Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 1979 On climatic conditions, vegetation types and leaf size in the Galapagos IslandsBiotropica 11 101Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 1979 Dynamics of a stand of Scalesia pedunculata Hooker fil., Santa Cruz Island, GalápagosBot. J. Linn. Soc. 78 67Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 1981 Plant Communities of the Galapagos IslandsDansk Botanisk Arkiv 34 1Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 1986 Robinson, G.del Pino, E.El Niño en las Islas Galápagos: el evento de 1982–1983QuitoEcuador, CDF
Hamann, O. 1995 Centres of Plant Diversity. A Guide and Strategy for Their ConservationCambridge, UKIUCN
Hamann, O. 1997 Touchell, D. H.Dixon, K. W.Conservation into the 21st CenturyProceedings of the 4th International Botanic Gardens Conservation CongressPerth, Western Australia
Hamann, O. 2001 Demographic studies of three indigenous stand-forming plant taxa (Scalesia, Opuntia and Bursera) in the Galapagos IslandsBiodivers. Conserv. 10 223Google Scholar
Hamann, O. 2004 Vegetation changes over three decades on Santa Fe Island, Galápagos, EcuadorNord. J. Bot. 23 143Google Scholar
Hendrix, L. B. 1981 Post-eruption succession on Isla Fernandina, GalápagosMadroño 28 242Google Scholar
Hendrix, L. B.Smith, S. D. 1986 Post-eruption revegetation of Isla Fernandina, Galápagos: IINatl. Geogr. Res. 2 6Google Scholar
Huttel, C. 1995 Vegetación en coladas de lava, Islas Galápagos, EcuadorFundación Charles Darwin para las Islas Galápagos & ORSTOMQuito, Ecuador
Itow, S. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard 32 47Google Scholar
Itow, S. 1992 Altitudinal change in plant endemism, species turnover, and diversity on Isla Santa Cruz, the Galapagos IslandsPac. Sci. 46 251Google Scholar
Itow, S. 1995 Phytogeography and ecology of Scalesia (Compositae), endemic to the Galapagos IslandsPac. Sci. 49 17Google Scholar
Itow, S. 2003 Zonation pattern, succession process and invasion by aliens in species-poor insular vegetation of the Galapagos IslandsGlob. Environ. Res. 7 39Google Scholar
Itow, S.Weber, D. 1974 Fens and bogs in the Galapagos IslandsHikobia39Google Scholar
Itow, S.Mueller-Dombois, D. 1988 Population structure, stand-level dieback and recovery of Scalesia pedunculata forest in the Galapagos IslandsEcol. Res. 3 333Google Scholar
Jäger, H.Tye, A.Kowarik, I. 2007 Tree invasion in naturally treeless environments: impacts of quinine (Cinchona pubescens) trees on native vegetation in GalápagosBiol 140 297Google Scholar
Jørgensen, P. M.León-Yanez, S. 1999 Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of EcuadorSt LouisMissouri Botanical Garden Press
Kastdalen, K. 1982 Changes in the biology of Santa Cruz Island between 1935 and 1965Notic. Galápagos 35 7Google Scholar
Lawesson, J. E. 1988 Stand-level dieback and regeneration of forests in the Galapagos IslandsVegetatio 77 87Google Scholar
MacFarland, C.Cifuentes, M. 1996 Dompka, V.Human Population, Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Science and Policy IssuesWashington, DCAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science, International Directorate
Macdonald, I. A. W.Ortiz, L.Lawesson, J. E.Nowak, J. B. 1988 The Invasion of Highlands in Galápagos by the Red Quinine-Tree Cinchona succirubraEnviron. Conserv. 15 215Google Scholar
Macdonald, I. A. W.Loope, L. L.Usher, M. B.Hamann, O. 1989 Drake, J. A.Mooney, H. A.de Castri, F.Biological Invasions: A Global PerspectiveChichester, UK
Mauchamp, A.Aldaz, I.Valdebenito, J.Ortiz, E. 1998 Threatened species: a re-evaluation of the status of eight endemic plants of the GalápagosBiodivers. Conserv. 7 97Google Scholar
Mueller-Dombois, D.Fosberg, F. R. 1998 Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific IslandsNew YorkSpringer
Nowak, J. B.Lawesson, J. E.Adsersen, H.de Vries, T. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Mo. Bot. Gard 32 123Google Scholar
Shimizu, Y. 1997 Competitive relationships between tree species of Scalesia (S. pedunculata, S. cordata, S. microcephala) and introduced plants (Cinchona succirubra, Psidium guajava, Lantana camara) with reference to regeneration mechanism of Scalesia forests in the Galapagos IslandsReg. Views 11 23Google Scholar
Snell, H. M.Rea, S. 1999 The 1997–98 El Niño in Galápagos: can 34 years of data estimate 120 years of pattern?Notic. Galápagos 60 11Google Scholar
Stewart, A. 1911 Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905–1906. II. A Botanical Survey of the Galapagos IslandsProc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1 7Google Scholar
Stewart, A. 1915 Some observations concerning the botanical conditions on the Galapagos IslandsTrans. Wisconsin Acad. Sci. 18 272Google Scholar
Tye, A. 2003 Plant Research for Conservation in Galápagos. Report for the years 1998–2003Puerto AyoraGalápagos, Ecuador
Tye, A. 2006 Restoration of the vegetation of the Dry Zone in GalápagosLyonia 9 1Google Scholar
Tye, A.Aldaz, I. 1999 Effects of the 1997–98 El Niño Event on the Vegetation of GalápagosNotic. Galápagos 60 22Google Scholar
Tye, A.Snell, H. L.Peck, S. B.Adsersen, H. 2002 Bensted-Smith, R.A Biodiversity Vision for the Galapagos IslandsPuerto AyoraGalápagos
van der Werff, H. 1978 The Vegetation of the Galapagos IslandsRijksuniversiteitUtrecht
van der Werff, H. 1979 Bramwell, D.Plants and IslandsLondonAcademic Press
van der Werff, H. 1980 The vegetation types of Santa Cruz and AlcedoNotic. Galápagos 31 11Google Scholar
van der Werff, H. 1990 Lawesson, J. E.Hamann, O.Rogers, G.Botanical Research and Management in GalápagosMonogr. Syst. Bot. Mo. Bot. Gard 32 79Google Scholar
van der Werff, H. H.Adsersen, H. 1993 van der Maarel, E.Ecosystems of the World 2B. Dry Coastal EcosystemsLondonElsevier
Wiggins, I. L.Porter, D. M. 1971 Flora of the Galapagos IslandsStanford, CAStanford University Press
Wium-Andersen, S.Hamann, O. 1986 Manglares de las Islas GalápagosRevista Geografica 23 101Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×