How are the Galápagos Islands affected by climate change?
Climate change predictions Higher sea surface temperature: As the ocean absorbs excess heat from the atmosphere, the temperatures of the upper layers of the ocean are likely to increase. This would mean that the water surrounding the Galapagos Island would also get warmer, affecting marine species significantly.
How does climate change affect Iguanas?
They are also threatened by the impacts of climate change. Sea level and air temperature rise can affect their beach nesting habitat and the iguanas’ ability to regulate its body temperature while on land, as well as interfere with egg development.
How often does the environment change in the Galápagos Islands?
In the Galapagos Islands El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon which occurs approximately every seven years involving the cycle of warm and cold temperatures.
How has the Galápagos Islands changed over time?
In Galapagos, the Earth’s crust is moving from west to east over the hot spot. Therefore, the islands that are furthest to the east, such as San Cristóbal, are the oldest: they were formed many thousands of years ago. Because these older islands are no longer over the hot spot, they are no longer volcanically active.
What is happening in the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands face many environmental threats. Ecosystem degradation could be caused by: climate change, deforestation, pollution, overfishing, eutrophication and the introduction of invasive species.
What is the climate like in the Galapagos Islands?
The Galápagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometers (600 miles) west of Ecuador, have a peculiar climate, tropical and semi-arid, with a hot, relatively rainy season from January to May and a cool, dry, cloudy, and misty season, from July to November.
What is the biggest threat to marine iguanas?
Specifically, the most severe threats are environmental contamination such as oil spills, oceanic changes due to climate change, and expected increases in the severity of El Niño events.
Why are iguanas endangered?
Iguanas are among the world’s most endangered animals. The threats they face include severe habitat degradation by human development and invasive species, as well as harvesting for human use. Because iguanas are important seed dispersers for many native plants, their protection is vital to ecosystem health.
What is the climate like in the Galápagos Islands?
How does climate change affect Galápagos penguins?
El Niño heavily influences the Galapagos penguin populations as it makes the waters around Galapagos warmer, making their food less abundant. Increasing frequency and severity of El Niño weather events due to global climate change is a major threat to the Galapagos penguin, especially when they are at low numbers.
What type of ecosystem is the Galapagos Islands?
On the Galapagos Islands, there are three major ecosystems: terrestrial, coastal and marine. In the years of El Niño, the ecosystems show their characteristic behaviours. In the terrestrial zone predominate heavy rains, which has a positive effect on the animals and plants in this zone.
What is the ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands?