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New Era Galapagos Foundation
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GALAPAGOS NEWS
*Eradication of Introduced Species in Cerro Crocker
In the sectors of Media Luna, Cerro Croker and el Puntudo on Santa Cruz Island, sites which are considered to be of great ecological value, park rangers are eradicating blackberry bushes, cinchona and guayava trees. “Each plant is controlled by a specific method. For example, the cinchona is eradicated by the “pica aplica” method, by which it is uprooted and a controlled substance is applied to the affected area. So far we have cleared 10 hectares," said Carlos Carvajal, head of the unit in charge of controling introduced plants in the Galapagos National Park. After applying the plant killer the cinchona enters a death cycle. The first phase is “chlorosis” where the leaves turn red. During the second stage, ”defoliation”, the leaves are already dry and begin to fall off the plant. The third phase, "death," is when the tree dies. The “toconeo astillamiento” method is applied to the guayava trees, as their wood is more resistant, requiring the removal of the entire tree and all its roots. 80 hectares are currently clear of guayava trees. The whole of the red zone is covered with miconia robinsoniana, an endemic plant of the Galapagos Islands. The green zone is occupied by cinchona, a plant which was introduced to Santa Cruz around 1940 for medicinal purposes. Once on the summit of Cerro Croker one can clearly appreciate how the miconia robinsoniana, the helecho aerborio, and other endemic species have flourished in the areas where the park rangers have eliminated the cinchona and guayava trees. Working conditions are difficult and the removal of invasive plants moves slowly, but with good results.
Invasive plants can only be successfully controlled by the replanting of
vegetation and avifauna habitat, such as the Galapagos
petrel, field owls, pachai and finches. By eliminating the introduced
species, the native and endemic species can flourish in a stable environment.
On December 5, an airplane, donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arrived in the Galapagos. The plane, to be officially commissioned on December 15, will help enable Galapagos National Park personnel to better monitor industrial fishing in the 40 nautical miles surrounding the archipelago known as the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The aircraft, which is capable of emergency water landings and 4-5 hours of uninterrupted flight, will greatly enhance the Park's ability to monitor the Reserve.
The official ceremony will take place on the island of Baltra, and attended
by Lars Klassen, Director, Ecuador, USAID, Kirstie Kenney, US Ambassador
to Ecuador, and various other provincial authorities. The US government is
also financing the repair and maintenance of the GNP's "Guadalupe River" patrol
boat, also used to monitor the Marine Reserve.
The land iguanas population that inhabits Cartago Bay on Isabela Island was monitored by park rangers from the Galapagos National Park and scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation at the end of September. The park rangers and scientsts collaboratively carried out the survey because the reptiles are endemic to the Galapagos Islands, and have been threatened over time. Consequently, there are only three colonies of land Iguanas left, located in Cartago Bay, Cerro Dragon, and on the island of Baltra. The group listed and marked the reptiles between the 23rd and 30th of September. The park rangers were successful in capturing 170 iguanas, from which they were able to determine that 71.2% of them had been born in their natural environment. The process involved capturing the reptiles, weighing and measuring them, and tagging them with microchips under their skin.
The work was carried out were in Cerro Cartago, Cerrito and the shores of the bay.
The results of the survey have shown that the natural reproduction of this population
of land iguanas is satisfactory.
Kofi Anan, the General Secretary of the United Nations, and his wife have visited the Galapagos Islands for the first time under strict security measures. The esteemed guests visited some of the tourist sights of this Natural Patrimony of Humanity. From the giant tortoise breeding centre in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Anan sent a message to the whole world in which he highlighted the great value of the Galapagos Islands for humanity and praised the Ecuadorian government for protecting this treasure. “The Galapagos are unique. It is a showcase of interdependence of one of the world’s most renowned ecosystems” said Annan He also emphasized in his message that the United Nations is trying to help the whole world to carry out the transition from an untenable present to a sustainable future. Annan added that the conservation of the Galapagos Islands has taught the rest of the world much about conservation. “The Galapagos Islands can still teach the rest of the world a lot. The lesson that I hope we learn is that now is the time to give the conservation and security of future generations the priority that they deserve” stressed Annan.
The visit by Koffi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations,
highlights the importance of the Galapagos Islands in the eyes of the rest
of the world. His message strongly emphasized the importance of preserving
this legacy of humanity.
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