Darwin's
 Galapagos

Google
This site Web

Home | Galapagos pictures | Travel basics  Travel - details | Seasons / weather | History | Site map | Voyage of the Beagle
Request Information about a Galapagos trip

 

Galapagos Pictures - Santa Cruz Island

Other thumbnail pages: 1 - Boobies and other birds | 2 - Marine iguanas | 3 - Tortoises | 4 - Seals | 5 - Landscapes

In the same way that the Galapagos has many unique varieties of animal and animals that are obviously similar to those found elsewhere in the world, although they are unique in a novel Galapagos way, so the plants are also subject to the same unique selection pressure that give new types and novel variations on a somewhat familiar theme.

The native plants are also susceptible to similar problems from introduced species as the animals are. The assault comes in two ways, firstly as competition from other non-native plants that elbow the native species out of the way denying them the space to grow, and secondly from non-native animals such as goats that are able to reach and eat plants in ways that the native large herbivores, the Galapagos Tortoises in their many varieties could never manage.

Picture courtesy NOAA

Previous      Next


Galapagos Cruises

Books
Galápagos: Natural History
Galápagos Wildlife: Visitor’s
The Beak of the Finch: Story of Evolution in Our Time
Voyage of the Beagle
A Guide to the Birds of the Galápagos Islands


Galapagos pictures to buy

 


copyright © 2005 - 2007 Paul Ward  |  privacy policy