Galapagos a Paradise in Peril:Ecological Restoration as a
Conservation ToolPatricia Jaramillo, Leader Galapagos Verde 2050 Project, Charles Darwin Foundation([email protected])
Washington Tapia, Director Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative, Galapagos Conservancy([email protected])
Location
equator
Why isGalapagos an
uniqueecosystem?
Why isGalapagos an
uniqueecosystem?
For its completely volcanic origin
All the islands were formed by volcaniceruptions and isolation
• 100 % reptiles
• 79% mammals
• 56% insects
• 49% birds
• 42% plants
Endemism
But, there areThreats and
problems
But, there areThreats and
problems
Tourism and populationexplosion
1
12
144
1,728
20,736
248,832
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Popu
latio
n
Tour
ism
- Exponential increase of population- Steady increase in tourism
1974
1980
1980
1974
Accelerated population growth
Spatial foot prints
Red Gravel Mine
Abandoned farms
Photo: Daniel ShermanPhoto: Daniel Sherman
Problem 1: Change in land use
Problem 2: Introduced species
• 900 plant species (+50%)
• 536 invertebrate species
• 30 vertebrate species
• 19 avian diseases
Trueman et al. (2010) Biological Invasions.
Floreana
Santa Cruz
San Cristobal
Isabela407 (36%)
248 (47%)
708 (29%)
633 (28%)
Invasive plants on National Park boundary
Weedy time bomb!
Weedy time bomb!
Because people have introduced speciesin their farms, those spread to the otherparts of the island
So, what do we need now?
o Control and quarantine
o Biological control
o New methods of restoration Threatened species in natural areas Promoting sustainable agriculture
o Control and quarantine
o Biological control
o New methods of restoration Threatened species in natural areas Promoting sustainable agriculture
We need interdisciplinaryand applied research
We need interdisciplinaryand applied research
Galápagos Verde 2050:
Technology Innovation in support of EcologicalRestoration
• 11.012 species of birds and plants
• 2050: >50% of species reduce >45% climatic niches; 10% will be extinct
The Galapagos Verde 2050 project combines appliedresearch and management actions to contribute to the
sustainability of Galapagos
The Galapagos Verde 2050 project combines appliedresearch and management actions to contribute to the
sustainability of Galapagos
1Restoration of
species and degradedecosystems
2Ecosystem Services
(sustainableagriculture)
GalápagosVerde 2050
DPNG
ABG
ECOGAL
GobiernoParroquialFloreana
FAE
CNG
Capitaníade Puerto
Ayora
Strategic partners
Galapagos Verde: Goals for 2050
2014 - 2017
2017 - 2027
2027 - 2050
What is this innovativetechnology?
Groasis(Waterboxx)
Constant dailywater supply
Cocoon
Recyclerain water
Species used for restoration
0
50
100
150
200
250
300Ac
acia
mac
raca
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Hum
b. &
Bon
pl. e
x W
illd.
Alte
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ther
a ec
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ceph
ala
(Hoo
k. f.
) Chr
ist
Alte
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a fil
ifolia
(Hoo
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) How
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unth
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nch.
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ook.
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att
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tifid
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ogon
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ntia
ech
ios v
ar. e
chio
s How
ell
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ntia
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ar. g
igan
tea
How
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Park
inso
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acul
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Pisc
idia
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ook.
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How
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Scal
esia
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Har
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Scal
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.) Sa
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ControlGroasis
Planting with Groasis and Cocoon
Planting with Groasis and Cocoon
Virtual Platform and Android Application
www.galapagosverde2050.com
Background of each islandand preliminary results
Santa Cruz
Scalesia affinis
Establishing a new population of Scalesia affinis, athreatened endemic shrub
- Is known to be self-incompatible, cross pollinationwas carried out in the wild to try and augment viableseed production.
- Average seed viability from 22 artificial crosses was0.58 (SE ± 0.043)
- Survivorship from germination was low, with only17% of plants surviving to three months postgermination.
- Survival following transplanting out in the wildwas also low, with just 19% of plants (11 out of 57)alive after one year.
Atkinson, R. Tapia, W. and Jaramillo, P. 2010
We walked all over theisland using equidistant
points
Last 71 Scalesia affinis individuals
Garrapatero: Impact of invertebratesfor a year of drought (2016)
Santa Cruz: preliminary results
• 10,000 seeds of Scalesia affinis were collected• 250 plants from Garrapatero and El Mirador locations are monitored monthly,
with their biological data inputted by the CDF team into the virtual platformmade for the project.
Survival analysis
Floreana
Restoredfarm
Basurero
Black Granite Mine
Garbage Dump Black Granite Mine
Garbage Dump
Phase 1
Floreana: Mine
Agosto 2014 Agosto 2015Agosto 2016
Floreana: preliminary results
• 116 native and endemic plants were planted
Baltra and South Plaza
SOUTH PLAZA
Referenceecoystem
(Control): NorthSeymour
Referenceecoystem
(Control): NorthPlaza
Phase 1: Baltra and SouthPlaza
Phase 12014-2017
Phase 12014-2017
FamilyNombrecientífico
Commonname
Origen Ecological or functional role
BurseraceaeBursera malacophylla
palo santo Endemic Food and bird nest
AsteraceaeScalesia crockeri
lechoso EndemicHost of native and endemic invertebrates. Attract
pollinators
Boraginaceae Cordia lutea muyuyo Native Food and bird pollination
CaesalpinaceaeParkinsonia aculeata
palito verde NativeNitrogen fixation, with showy flowers that attract
endemic butterflies
SimaroubaceaeCastela galapagensis
amargo EndemicPioneer species in arid zone, facilitate the colonization of
other target species such as Scalesia and Opuntia.
Cactaceae Opuntia echios echiosopuntia Endemic Food for land iguanas and birds
Mimosaceae
Solanum cheesmaniae
acacia NativeNitrogen fixation, with showy flowers that attract
endemic butterflies
VerbenaceaeAcacia macracantha
rodilla de caballo NativeFood for land iguanas and birds. Fruits three times a year
every four months.
MimosaceaeProsopis juliflora
algarrobo NativeNitrogen fixation, with showy flowers that attract
endemic butterflies
Solanaceae Ipomoea triloba Lycium EndemicAttract pollinators and provides soil stability and coverageprotection. Fruits two times a year .
Key species to restore
Quarantine processes
Baltra
Iguana populations• Declined in the early XIX• Habitat destruction by introduced goats• Population went extinct after World War II• During 1932 to 1933, 70 individuals were transferred from Baltra to
North Seymour
Background
Current situation in Baltra Island
Ecological restoration ofBaltra
20 Km ²Restorable
Starting with5 Ha
Minimum
3000plants ofdifferentspecies
Minimum
3000plants ofdifferentspecies
Background
Location of plots Phase 12014-2017
Site 2: Old garbage dump
Jan-Apr 2016: 2850 seedlings planted between
Garbage Dump Eolico site
2.93 Ha
Baltra
Preliminary results with Cocoon
Soil variation different sites(Cocoon)
Species selectionCocoon = planting tool for early tree
establishmentTimely connecting to moist substrata for
independent tree life
General analysis in Baltra
Good
Bad
Dead
Regular
Status
South Plaza
Background
a) (Above), central part of the island, aphotograph taken in 1967 by RobertBowman,
b) (Below), photograph taken from thesame position as Bowman (S00 ° 35.005,W90 ° 09.941 W) now Sulloway in 2007.Of the 340 cactus visible in the image,1967, 181 (53%) died over a period of40 years (Sulloway et al. , 2013).
Surviving plants
New recruits
(Snell, et al. 1994)
Ecological restoration ofPlaza Sur
13 HaMinimum
600cacti
Minimum
600cacti
Background
426
We serveyet entere island
12
3
410 seedlings O. varechios echios wereplanted in threeareas of South Plaza
South Plaza
South Plaza
Española
Viability and germination tests
Isabela Norte
- N = 1600 seeds (100%)- N = 160 viability test (10%)
Research community Action
Social
Environment
Economy
Ecoturism
Education
Galápagos Verde 2050 is part of the solution
¡Thank you very much!
Restoring theGiant Tortoise Dinastyof the Galápagos
Seed DispersersEcological Engineers
Why is recovering this population necessary?
Originally there were 15 different species of thesame Genus (Chelonoidis)
C. Zeigler NGS
Carapace Adaptations
Actually, Saddlebackcarapace is an adaptation thatcan only be found inGalapagos
Domed form: Humid andhigh islands
Saddleback form: low and dryislands
Unfortunately Giant tortoises are Endangered
1: Up until the 19th century, they were often hunted bysailors (Pirates and Whalers) who needed fresh meat to eat
Pirates
Whale hunters
Unfortunately Giant tortoises are Endanger
Habitat destroyed by goats
3: From pirates age to the present introduced speciesdestroy their eggs and habitat
2: Until 1959 colonists killed them for meat and oil
Killed tortoises by Colonist(1905)
Tortoise Population Decline
It is estimated that the population could have beenas high as 200000, dropping to 3000 in the 1970
Now = 11 living species
porteri
donfaustoi
and 4 extinct
X
XTortoise Restoration 50years ago became aConservationChallenge
With 4 extinct species and ~ 10% of historicalnumbers
X
X
How could we recover this species complex?One island at a time…and all islands at once!
1965-Charles DarwinFoundation and GalapagosNational Park ServiceEstablished a CaptivityBreeding and RearingProgram as aconservation strategy
Basically with Españolaand Pinzón tortoises
This program was very succesfuland helped to recover thesespecies
After 50 Years, starting with 15 adults (12Females and 3 males)
Now we have 2000 repatriated toEspañola
~ 50% survival20% offspring now from repatriates
But we don´t really know what happenedwith the other populations not included inthe program
Española Tortoises Case
2014
Giant TortoiseRestoration Initiative
(GTRI)
2014 - 2024This program overthe next 10 yearsseeks to restorepopulationsthroughout theGalapagos Islands,combining appliedresearch withmanagement
2014 - 2024
Using thefollowingstrategies
Repatriation
1. Continue with breeding, rearing andrepatriation programs with 3 centres
Breeding Rearing
(Santa Cruz = 5 species)(Isabela = 2 species)
(San Cristóbal = 1 species)
2. Population monitoring andcensus
3. Use exclosures to study ecosystem changesand interactions between tortoises, cacti andwood vegetation
4. Use “analogue” tortoisesto repopulate islands
Use genetics asa tool fortortoisesconservationand restoration
Example 1:Description a new species of Galapagostortoises, help to take management decisions
Poulakaskis et al. 2015
SANTA CRUZ
LA CASETAporteri
CERRO FATALdonfaustoi
Puerto Ayora
Example 2: In a sample of nearly 1700 C. beckitortoises…
Above: Purple = tortoises with C. elphantopus ancestry which are extinct
Wolf Volcano
Opportunity to take animals with partial ancestry ofFloreana from Wolf to start a breeding program andrecover a species that has been extinct for 150 years
And opportunity to discover tortoiseswith partial ancestry of other extinctspecies like Pinta
Giant TortoiseRestoration Initiativemain Conservationtarget…
Contribute to recover tortoises population~ 90% of historical numbers and originaldistribution by year 2200
These projects are possible thanks to thecoopeation of many institutions andresearchers
Many thanks for your atention
Oppotunities to colaborationand voluntering
• Galápagos Verde 2050 contact to: PatriciaJaramillo [email protected]
• Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative contactto: Washington Tapia [email protected] www.galapagos.org
