Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Galapagos Islands'

In this thesis the diversity and ecology of the Lepidoptera fauna of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador are investigated. The study covers aspects of Lepidoptera diversity, their interactions with host plant and their seasonality. Diversity: The Galapagos Lepidoptera fauna is characterized by low diversification, a high level of endemism and prolonged geographic isolation. To date, 313 species of Lepidoptera are known to occur on the Archipelago and 64% of the native component of this fauna is endemic. Humans have introduced 62 species accidentally to the Islands. All Galapagos Lepidoptera are of American origin except the few introduced Old World species that are nearly cosmopolitan. Host plant relationships: Host plant data covering 155 species Galapagos species are reviewed, and new records of larvae of 113 species collected in the study area are presented. Most of the species are herbivores (272), with a few detritivores (13) and carnivores (3). Plants of the families Leguminosae and Asteraceae are the most common hosts for Galapagos species. Monophagy at the plant family level appears to be widespread in Galapagos Lepidoptera. Seasonality: The phenology of adult Sphingidae was studied at one locality in the arid zone of the southern slope of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos for a period of 28 months (April 1999--August 2001). A total of 14 species, representing eight genera, was recorded during this study period. Sphingidae moths were more abundant in the wet season (December-May) with peaks occurring mid season. The number of specimens recorded decreased in the dry season (June-November) with the lowest numbers found in August. The seasonality and temporal stability (in terms of species diversity, population abundance and niche breadth) of this community is analysed.

La population de l’Archipel des Galápagos est croissante, tandis que les ressources en eau sont limitées et inégalement réparties. Dans le cadre de ce travail, une approche intégrée combinant géophysique, géologie structurale, suivis hydro-climatologique et piézométrique est utilisée pour caractériser les modèles conceptuels hydrogéologiques d’une île à l’autre et identifier d’éventuelles ressources complémentaires. La géophysique permet d’identifier des zones d’intérêt hydrogéologique. Les données acquises lors de la mission géophysique SkyTEM réalisée en 2006 sur les îles de Santa Cruz et San Cristóbal ont été mises en perspective avec une nouvelle technique d'interprétation. Avec des outils géostatistiques, cette méthode a permis la construction d'une grille 3D de la résistivité électrique pour chacune des deux îles. Des zones d'intérêts ont été cartographiées en 3D et confrontées aux observations structurale, géomorphologiques et hydrologiques. Un paramètre déterminant en hydrogéologie est la recharge des aquifères. Sur les principales îles de l'Archipel, la présence semi-permanente de brouillard pendant six mois de l'année présente un apport supplémentaire aux précipitations classiques. Pour quantifier cet apport, un réseau de suivi hydrométéorologique a été mis en place sur le versant au vent de l'île de Santa Cruz. L’apport du brouillard a été quantifié avec une méthode basée sur un modèle d'interception à base physique. La vitesse du vent est identifiée comme un facteur déterminant pour l’interception du brouillard. A Santa Cruz, un suivi hydrogéologique de l'aquifère de base a été réalisé. Affecté par l’intrusion saline, cet aquifère est soumis aux variations du niveau de la mer et à la dynamique de recharge. La cartographie de la fracturation a été réalisée sur des affleurements sélectionnés. Combinée à l'analyse de la propagation du signal de marée, elle a permis de caractériser les propriétés hydrodynamiques des basaltes.

Invasive species represent a major challenge through their consequences on

biodiversity, human health and economy. Their effects are especially important on fragile and

unique insular biotas such as the Galápagos Islands. Ants in particular are keystone species

implicated in ecosystem functioning and biodiversity and they can be dramatic invaders. In

the Galápagos Islands, the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata is considered a high-impact

invasive species, though it remains surprisingly poorly studied. The objectives of this work

are to document the invasion of S. geminata in the Galápagos Islands by 1) updating its

distribution; 2) determining its reproduction and dispersal strategies and reconstruct its

invasion history throughout the archipelago and 3) evaluating its impact on the native fauna

(focusing on ants and arthropods communities and endemic land tortoises).

First, we added 66 new records of S. geminata in the Galápagos since 2008. It has

now been recorded on seven islands and 11 islets in a wide range of habitats, including

nesting sites of 24 endemic and/or endangered vertebrate species, for which it constitutes a

potential threat.

Secondly, by combining Bayesian clustering methods, coalescent-based scenario

testing using microsatellite data and historical records, we determined that genetic diversity

of populations of S. geminata collected in Galápagos Islands is significantly lower than the

genetic diversity of populations from native areas (Costa Rica). The Galápagos populations

form three clusters corresponding to an island or groups of islands. They appear to be the

result of a single introduction in the first half of the 19th century, probably from mainland

Ecuador, which acted as a bridgehead population to two subsequent introductions within the

archipelago, corresponding human colonization fluxes in the archipelago.

We sampled ants in all main habitats of Santa Cruz Island. Introduced ant species

were largely prevalent, and S. geminata was the dominant species and was associated with

low evenness of ant communties and lower abundance of native ants. We found that

Galápagos’ ant communities are determined by the vegetation type and altitude, but found

only little evidence for competitively structured assemblages, except in disturbed areas.

The arthropod diversity was investigated in two agricultural sites of Santa Cruz Island

by combining three complementary sampling techniques. More than half of the species were

either endemic or native, but introduced species constituted the majority of the catches.

Solenopsis geminata was by far the most abundant and common species.

Finally, we investigated the mortality of Cheloidis land tortoise’s eggs and hatchlings

in an area infested by S. geminata on Santa Cruz Island with regard to the abundance of fire

ants and the duration of incubation. Egg survival was negatively associated with longer incubation times but we found no direct relation between ant density and tortoise mortality

despite a high abundances of fire ants in the vicinity of the majority of the tortoise burrows.

Our work allows addressing ecological and genetical aspects of the invasion of S.

geminata in the Galápagos Islands. We analyzed our results in the light of an ecoevolutionary

framework presenting different invasion scenarios and discussed S. geminata

as an invasive ant. This provided us with information useful for the study and management of

this invasive species in the Galápagos Islands.

/

Les espèces invasives constituent un défi majeur à cause de leur impact sur la

biodiversité, la santé humaine et l’économie. Leurs effets sont particulièrement importants

sur les environnements insulaires fragiles et uniques comme les île Galápagos. Les fourmis

en particulièr sont des espèces clé de voûte du fonctionnement des écosystèmes et de la

biodiversité. Elles peuvent de ce fait devenir des envahisseurs spectaculaires. Dans les îles

Galápagos, la fourmi de feu tropicale Solenopsis geminata fait partie des espèces invasives

à haut impact et cependant elle a été étonnamment peu étudiée. Les objectifs de ce travail

consistent à documenter l’invasion de S. geminata dans l’archipel des Galápagos: 1) en

mettant à jour sa distribution; 2) en déterminant ses stratégies de reproduction et de

dispersion et en reconstruisant l’histoire de son invasion dans l’archipel et 3) en évaluant son

impact sur la faune native (particulièrement sur les communautés de fourmis et

d’arthropodes et sur les tortues terrestres endémiques).

Tout d’abord, nous avons ajouté 66 nouveaux relevés de S.geminata aux Galápagos

depuis 2008. À ce jour, la fourmi a été observée sur 7 îles et 11 îlots, et ce dans une grande

variété d’habitats. On la trouve également sur les sites de ponte de 24 espèces de vertébrés

endémiques ou en voie de disparition, qu’elle menace ainsi potentiellement.

Ensuite, en combinant des méthodes bayésiennes de regroupement et des

comparaisons de scénarios en se basant sur des séquences microsatellites et des données

historiques, nous avons montré que la diversité génétique des populations de S. geminata

des Galápagos est significativement inférieure à celle des populations des zones d’indigénat

(Costa Rica). Les populations des Galápagos - réparties en 3 groupes correspondant à une

île ou un groupe d’îles – sont le résultat d’une introduction unique ayant eu lieu dans la

première moitié du 19ème siècle. Elles proviennent vraisemblablement de l’Equateur

continental et constituent une population “tête de pont” pour deux introductions ultérieures au

sein de l’archipel. Ces mouvements correspondent aux flux de populations humaines.

Nous avons échantillonné les fourmis dans tous les principaux habitats de l’île de

Santa Cruz. Les fourmis introduites sont largement prévalentes. Solenopsis geminata

constitue l’espèce dominante et se trouve associée avec une faible équitabilité des

communautés de fourmis ainsi qu’avec une diminution de l’abondance des fourmis natives.

Nos résultats indiquent que les communautés de fourmis des Galápagos sont structurées

par le type de végétation et l’altitude, alors que les assemblages de fourmis ne sont pas

structurés compétitivement, à l’exception des zones perturbées.

Nous avons investigué la diversité arthropodienne de deux sites agricoles de l’île de

Santa Cruz en combinant trois méthodes d’échantillonnage complémentaires. Plus de la moitié des espèces collectées étaient soit endémiques, soit natives. Les espèces introduites

ont toutefois constitué la majorité des individus collectés. Solenopsis geminata était de loin la

plus abondante et la plus commune des espèces récoltées.

Enfin, dans une zones infestées par S. geminata sur l’île de Santa Cruz, nous avons

mis en relation la mortalité des oeufs et juvéniles de tortues terrestres Chelonoidis avec

l’abondance des fourmis de feu et la durée d’incubation des oeufs. Le taux de survie des

oeufs est négativement corrélé à leur durée d’incubation. Cependant, malgré de très hautes

abondances de fourmis de feu à proximité des nids de tortues, nous n’avons pas trouvé de

relation directe avec leur mortalité.

Pour conclure, ce travail aborde les aspects génétiques et écologiques de l’invasion

de la fourmi de feu tropicale dans les îles Galápagos. Nos résultats sont analysés au sein

d’un cadre éco-évolutif présentant différents scénarios d’invasion. Nous discutons également

de S. geminata en tant qu’espèce invasive. Nous espérons apporter des informations utiles

dans le cadre de l’étude et du contrôle de cette espèce invasive aux Galápagos.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Thesis advisor: Ernesto Livon-Grosman
This dissertation takes a literary and cultural studies model to explain the textual representation of these unique islands since their discovery until present day. The main argument suggests that the depiction of this crucial space for modernity in Western thought, given the rhetoric of travel and fiction writers, deploys the insular area with the intention of conceiving new forms of political displacement and identity endeavors in addition to those of the nation building project that took place in the mainland. As a result of colonial enterprises, scientific excursions, exile, tourism, journalistic pieces, expeditions, etc., travel writings of the Galápagos record the experience of reshaping this space à propos of a theory of travel and travel writing mediated by narratives that complement the formation of the state and its national imagery. The insular space functions as a vacant signifier where travelers are able to communicate their own signified upon narrating the experiences of their journeys. This phenomenon creates a profound conceptual and political division between the identity of the isles and the nation of Ecuador, and the findings of this study can be extrapolated to a historical specificity of explorations and representations that deal with narrative constructions of highly condensed spaces throughout Latin America as a whole, if one can claim they are a case study of an "unfinished" modernity. This separation created a rupture leading to fundamental variations in the manner in which local inhabitants and foreign entities interpret the insular province nowadays. The literature of the Galápagos reflects the scale of friction, migratory tendencies into the islands, and how global interests prevail in the appropriation of the space, reshaping the subjective individuality of the host culture. The first chapter examines texts of discovery written during the colonial enterprise of Spain. Given the anthropological void in the Galápagos, these initial pieces of writing emphasize the monstrosity of the landscape and the biota, but also portray a possibility to find riches. This description ignites a dichotomist infernal-paradisiacal appraisal of the archipelago, and recreates it as a warped textual space which, in turn, develops an imagery that demonstrates the flexibility of the deserted island: writers set forth almost any form of representation that favors imperial interests. The second chapter analyzes travel literature written in English during the nineteenth century. These texts define the islands as a world within itself rather than as a province of Ecuador, and have a major impact on its imagery given the authority of its writers. In the midst of Latin-American independence, the nation-building project, and the quest for a cosmopolitan state, foreign texts are detached from the social and political reality of the entourage, and transmit a fallacious notion of desertedness, which allows for future occupations of transcontinental scope. These books also create a bilingual literature that preludes the migratory movement and touristic commerce that currently defines this province. The final chapter focuses on three books written by local authors and how they combat or appropriate previous insular narratives providing a native perspective. A historiographical novel, defined as a "foundational fiction" that portrays the Galápagos as a prison and pirate hideout, exhibits the violent environment of the newborn Ecuadorian Republic. This piece generates a fissure in the international community that regards the islands as paradise and still is, therefore, largely ignored. A second narrative shows how the Galápagos occupation of the United States during World War II is crucial for interpreting and understanding the archipelago during the twentieth century. It preludes current international interests that dominate policy-undertakings, particularly the ones concerning tourism, environmental, and geopolitical endeavors. Finally, a quarto book exemplifies how texts have enticed and caused not only a critical political and national divorce between the nation and the insular region, but also a market-oriented global milieu triggering migration towards this zone. The discussed works include Tomás de Berlanga's "Carta a su majestad describiendo su viaje" (1535), Sarmiento de Gamboa's Historia de los incas (1572), Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle (1839), Melville's The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles (1854), Manuel Bilbao's El pirata del Guayas (1855), Bolívar Naveda's Galápagos a la vista (1952), and Hugo Idrovo's Galápagos: huellas en el paraíso (2005). I use critical theory from Adorno, Bartkowski, Bloom, De Certeau, Deleuze, Edmond, Mignolo, Molloy, Musgrove, O'Gorman, Pratt, Sommer, Todorov, Van den Abbeele, and others to show the impact of the construction of an imaginary space that morphs incessantly and responds more to writers' interests than to the inherent qualities of the isles
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Romance Languages and Literatures

Small changes in the sea-surface temperature (SST) distribution in the equatorial Pacific are known to have large consequences for the weather and climate on regional and even global scales. A detailed knowledge of the SST patterns is therefore necessary if we are to understand and predict these effects thoroughly. Effort has hitherto been concentrated on understanding the dynamics of the West Pacific Warm Pool, but attention is now shifting to the eastern Cold Tongue region. This thesis contributes to this programme by assessing the impact of one unique feature of the equatorial East Pacific; the presence on the equator of a medium-sized island group - the Galapagos Archipelago. The project is carried through using a combination of: in situ oceanographic data from ships and moorings; satellite SST and colour images; and diagnostics from both a sophisticated ocean general circulation model and a simplified (reduced gravity) model. Each model was run both with and without a representation of the Galapagos. It is found that under typical conditions the islands form the eastern boundary of the cold tongue; the lowest equatorial SSTs in the Pacific occur on the west coast of the main islands of the group. As well as preventing the cold tongue from extending any further east, the islands also cool the sea surface still further for a distance of some 1000 km to the west. For the first 100 km or so the cooling is of the order of 1C; on the larger scale it is more like 0.1C. This cooling is a result of hydraulically enhanced upwelling of waters from the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), which is best explained by a Bernoulli-type (non-rotating, non-linear) theory. This theory also predicts that water parcels in the EUC will undergo vertical excursions on their passage around the north and south coasts of the islands; these excursions are observed in at least one numerical model. Downstream of the archipelago the EUC usually reunites and executes inertial oscillations, meandering about the equator. Transport in the EUC is also reduced because of the presence of the islands, by 30-50% to the east of the islands and by up to 20% to the west. Enhanced SST variability north and south of the equator immediately to the west of the Galapagos indicates that tropical instability waves (TIWs) are more active here than they would be were the islands absent. This is due to a pair of barotropically unstable zonal jets originating at the northern and southern tips of the islands. These jets are consistent with the theory of low-frequency flow past equatorial islands on the beta plane (which predicts that the South Equatorial Current will split into two such jets on encountering such an island), although weaker jets are found in models with no representation of the Galapagos. As with the cold tongue, the islands form the eastern limit of the region where these jets are found.

Management actions to mitigate the impacts of invasive plant species require knowledge of the mechanisms influencing invasion success and anticipating interactions with various control options. To meet this need, I examined the impacts of the invasive plant Rubus niveus on the native communities of the Scalesia forest of Santa Cruz Island; its competitive abilities compared to some native, woody, species; and, factors affecting the invasion process. This knowledge was then used to evaluate and understand the failure of a five year eradication attempt of R. niveus on Santiago Island. Increasing densities of R. niveus had a negative effect on plant diversity and abundance also resulting in changes of forest structure. Experimental plots were used to elucidate mechanisms of how it displaced native species. Rubus niveus showed a faster growth rate and biomass production than native woody species; it also had a vastly larger seed bank. Increasing sunlight positively affected the growth, biomass production and reproduction of adult plants whereas germination was optimal at intermediate light conditions. Conversely, water stress affected mainly the performance of R. niveus whereas native species were more resilient. Although increasing native canopy cover negatively affected density of R. niveus, it still survived under low light conditions. The implication is that R. niveus rapidly invades after individual tree-falls or stand dieback but also is capable of invading undisturbed forest. After five years of intensive management of R. niveus in Santiago Island eradication seems unlikely. The invasion area continues to expand because: a failure to find all plants before they fruit, bird dispersal over long distance and the ability to colonize undisturbed areas and outcompete native vegetation. Furthermore, management actions have altered ecosystem processes. A more strategic paradigm in needed for R. niveus in Galapagos.

La présente thèse a pour ambition d’interroger les fondements de la protection de la nature à l’ère de l’anthropocène. Le postulat de départ est que l’incapacité à répondre aux enjeux écologiques reflète les contradictions de l’ontologie naturaliste, laquelle s’est imposée comme la conception hégémonique des rapports entre humains et non humains (Descola 2005). L’argumentaire repose sur une analyse critique des politiquesdéveloppées dans un territoire emblématique du naturalisme : l’archipel des Galapagos (Équateur). Lieu fondateur des sciences naturelles, il représente l’archétype le plus abouti des figures, elles-mêmes archétypales, de l’île-laboratoire et de l’île-conservatoire. Il abrite depuis 1959 un parc national couvrant 97% des terres émergées et depuis 1998 une réserve marine parmi les plus vastes au monde. Archipel tropical le mieux conservé du monde, c’est aussi celui qui connaît la dégradation écologique la plus rapide (Snell et al. 2002). Les territoires protégés ont servi de support au développement d’un tourisme de naturequi a enclenché une intégration croissante des îles à l’économie-monde et au reste de l’espace équatorien, rompant ainsi brutalement l’isolement géographique qui garantissait leur intégrité écologique (Grenier 2000). Le tourisme a surtout été le moteur d’une croissance économique et démographique ayant engendré une rapide anthropisation des enclaves peuplées et une profonde transformation de l’espace archipélagique. Bref, les Galapagos représentent un condensé, dans le temps et l’espace, des logiques ayant conduit à entrer dans anthropocène.La thèse propose d’aborder, à travers l’exemple des Galapagos, les enjeux environnementaux de notre époque par une approche renouvelée de la géographie. Fondée comme la science des relations entre les sociétés et leur environnement, cette discipline a été une victime tardive du grand partage entre Nature et Culture se matérialisant actuellement, à propos des questions environnementales, par un tiraillement entre une géographie naturaliste et une géographie du naturalisme. Le présent travail esquisse une voie alternative à ce dualisme en posant les bases d’une géo-graphie de l’anthropocène, c’est-à-dire une étude conjointe des empreintes humaines sur terre et des récits que les acteurs et les sociétés construisent autour de celles-ci. La première partie traite successivement du rôle des territoires insulaires dans l’émergence et l’évolution des politiques de conservation, de la progressive naturalisation des Galapagos et du cadre théorique et méthodologique qui a guidé l’analyse. La deuxième partie montre comment l’ouverture géographique impulsée par l’essor du tourisme de nature a propulsé l’archipel dans l’anthropocène, mettant ainsi à l’épreuve le modèle conservationniste. La dernière partie s’intéresse à la manière dont la nature et le fait insulaire participent à l’affirmation d’un sentiment identitaire (Ospina Peralta 2001) et à des logiques multiformes et multiscalaires l’insularisation entraînant une archipellisation des Galapagos
The emergence of the conservation movement in the late XIXth century in North America turned natural protected areas into a privileged tool for preserving the living. Designed in the first place as islands of nature shielded from human hold,they were progressively integrated in the 1970s to global environmental policies aiming at reconciling conservation and development. Such a dynamics both led to the increase and diversification of protected areas. However, until now, the development of those structures did not prevent from stopping the reduction of biodiversity, a paradoxical situation that isapplying to all the ecological issues. In spite of a strong global environmental consciousness and an increase of actions, measures and environment-oriented policies, we would have entered into a new epoch characterized by the general and irreversible mark of human activities on the earth : the Anthropocene (Crutzen et Stoermer 2000).This thesis aims at questioning the foundations of nature protection in the Anthropocene era. The starting postulate is that the incapacity to meet environmental issues reflects the contradictions of the naturalist ontology which stood out as thehegemonic conception of the relationships between humans and non-humans (Descola 2005). The argumentation is based on a critical analysis of the policies developed in a territory which is quite emblematic of naturalism, i.e. the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador. Being a founding place of natural sciences, it represents the most accomplished archetype of the figures (themselves very archetypical) of the laboratory-island or theconservatory-island. Since 1959, the Galapagos have been sheltering national park covering 97% of the land areas and since 1998 a marine reserve, which is among the largest in the world. As the best-preserved tropical archipelago on earth, it also is the place where the environment deteriorates most rapidly (Snell et al. 2002). The protected areas were used to develop a nature-based tourism leading to an increasing integration of the islands to the world-economy and the rest of the Ecuadorian territory, thus breaking up brutally the geographical isolation that was securing their ecological integrity (ibid.). Above all, tourism was the driving force of the demographic and economic growth, which led to a quick anthropization of populated enclaves and a deep change of the archipelago’s space. In other words, the Galapagos can be seen as a concentrate, in time and space, of the logics leading to the Anthropocene.Through the example of the Galapagos, the thesis deals with the environmental issues of our epoch in order to propose a renewed approach of geography. This discipline, originally founded as the science of the relationships between societies and their environment, was later victim of the great share between Nature and Culture, whichpresently expresses itself by conflicts between a naturalist geography and a geography about naturalism. The present research suggest an alternative way to such a dualism and sets down the bases of a geography of the Anthropocene, i.e. a joint study of the human marks on the earth and the narratives that stakeholders and societies produce about them. The first part successively tackles the role played by insular territories in building conservation policies, the progressive naturalization of the Galapagos and the theoretical and methodological framework conducting our analysis. The second part deals with the way the geographical opening threw the archipelago into the Anthropocene, thus challenging conservation policies. The third part shows how nature and the insular issues pertain to multiform and multiscalar logics, leading to the archipelization of the Galapagos

xv, 151 p. : ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.
To explain the origin of several distinct aspects of the Galápagos volcanic hotspot, such as the broad geographical extent of recent volcanism and the unusual pattern of geochemical anomalies, we conducted seismic tomography studies of the upper mantle and crust beneath the Galápagos Archipelago. The studies combine measurements of group and phase velocities of surface waves and delay times of body waves. We find that upper mantle seismic velocities are lower than those beneath other regions of comparable age in the Pacific and consistent with an excess temperature of 30 to 150°C and ∼0.5% melt. We attribute the excess temperature and presence of melt to an upwelling thermal mantle plume. Crustal seismic velocity is up to 25% lower than that of very young crust at the East Pacific Rise (EPR) and is comparable to that of Hawaii, which we attribute to heating by increased intrusive activity above the Galápagos plume and the construction of a highly porous volcanic platform. In addition, we find that the Galápagos hotspot is underlain by a high-velocity region whose thickness varies from 40 to 100 km. The tomographic images reveal that the upwelling mantle plume tilts northward (towards the nearby Galápagos Spreading Center) as it rises and then spreads laterally when it reaches the bottom the lid. The lid, which we attribute to residuum from melting, is thickest where it is farthest from the spreading center, suggesting that ridge processes may affect the generation and amount of thinning of the residuum layer. In addition, the thickness of the lid correlates well with the geographical pattern of geochemical anomalies of erupted lavas, suggesting that the lid may control the final depth of decompression melting. We conclude that many of the distinct characteristics of the Galápagos can be attributed to the interaction of the upwelling plume with the lid and the nearby ridge. We further suggest that the ridge affects the geometry of plume upwelling in the upper mantle and also the pattern of lateral spreading of the plume due to its effect on the thickness of the residuum layer. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material.
Committee in charge: Dr. Douglas R. Toomey, Chairperson; Dr. Eugene Humphreys, Member; Dr. Emilie Hooft Toomey, Member; Dr. Paul Wallace, Member; Dr. John Conery, Outside Member

Coral mortality caused by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity and its related disturbances has been researched throughout the Eastern Pacific. In the past three decades, disturbances related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have been shown to influence coral growth in the Eastern Pacific. In the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, more than 97% of corals experienced mortality after the severe 1982-1983 ENSO episode. However, two of the most dominant coral species found in a coral community adjacent to Devil’s Crown; Psammocora stellata and Diaseris distorta survived this severe ENSO event. By reconstructing sediment cores of the coral community, this study assessed how the coral assemblage has changed over the past 7,700 years of the Holocene epoch. The historical reconstructions were then related to existing records of Holocene ENSO variability in order to determine if changes in the relative abundance of coral species were related to ENSO activity and disturbances. We observed high variability in the relative abundances of P. stellata and D. distorta in the cores, including an increase in the abundance of D. distorta at approximately 2,200 yBP. Between the two species, opposite abundance trends were observed and supported by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) ordination analysis. Overall, the high variance in coral composition at the site throughout the Holocene documents repeated disturbance events in this region.

Small isolated populations are of particular conservation interest due to their increased extinction risk. This dissertation investigates two small wild bird populations using genetic approaches to inform their conservation. Specifically, one case study investigated a Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population located in northwest Wyoming near Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park. Microsatellite data showed that the Jackson sage-grouse population possessed significantly reduced levels of neutral genetic diversity and was isolated from other Wyoming populations. Analysis with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellite data provided further evidence that the population's timing of isolation was relatively recent and most likely due to recent anthropogenic habitat changes. Conservation recommendations include maintaining or increasing the population's current size and reestablishing gene flow with the nearest large population. The second case study investigated the genetic distinctiveness of the Floreana island population of the Galápagos Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus galapagoensis). Mitochondrial DNA sequence data did not detect differences across nine island populations, yet microsatellite and morphometric data indicated that limited gene flow existed with the population and surrounding island populations, which appeared asymmetric in direction from Floreana to Santa Cruz with no indication of gene flow into Floreana. These results have important conservation implications and recommend that the Floreana Short-eared Owl population be held in captivity during the rodenticide application planned for an ecosystem restoration project in 2018. The population is less likely to receive immigrants from surrounding island populations if negatively effected by feeding on poisoned rodents.

Darwiniothamnus (Asteraceae:Astereae), one of seven plant genera endemic to the Galipagos Islands, has until recently had an unknown origin, number of species, and conservation status. The purpose of this master's thesis was to determine the origin and phylogenetics of Darwiniothamnus and to outline the major ecological factors influencing the survival of this genus. Material for this thesis was sequenced from the ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region of 18-26S nuclear ribosomal DNA of putative sister taxa from South, Central and North America, Mexico and the Caribbean. A molecular phylogeny was then constructed using fifty-four representatives from the tribe Astereae. Sequence data suggested that Darwiniothamnus is polyphyletic, nested within the paraphyletic Erigeron-Conyza complex, and stems from two separate introductions into the Galapagos. Additional information regarding the current biological threats on extant populations of Darwiniothamnus, nomenclatural suggestions for potential new taxa, and hypotheses on the disjunct distribution of Darwiniothamnus throughout the archipelago are also provided within the thesis.

Les concepts de durabilité (ou développement durable) et de la conservation de la biodiversité visent à la protection des écosystèmes naturels. Bien que les deux concepts soient intrinsèquement liés, les différences pratiques concernant leur conceptualisation et leur mise en ouvre amènent le risque de divergence entre les objectifs de conservation et de la durabilité. Ceci est lié à la compréhension multidimensionnelle du concept de développement durable et aux approches bio-centriques de la conservation, qui ont eu tendance à déconnecter les systèmes humains des systèmes naturels, au lieu de considérer ces premiers comme une partie intégrante des systèmes naturels. Pour surmonter ces défis, il faut comprendre les liens entre les systèmes sociaux et les systèmes écologiques. Cependant, ces liens sont complexes et interagissent à différents niveaux. Simultanément, des processus de gouvernance interagissent à plusieurs à plusieurs échelles (du niveau local au niveau global). La compréhension de ces liens nécessite l'échange et la production de connaissances cohérentes et actionnables; connaissances qui sont idéalement pertinentes dans toutes les disciplines scientifiques, ainsi que pour la société. De cette façon des solutions pratiques, contribuant à la réalisation de la transition vers la durabilité et de la conservation de la biodiversité, peuvent être développées. Par conséquent, des approches inter- et transdisciplinaires sont nécessaires pour produire et combiner les différents types de connaissances, notamment pour combler l’écart entre les connaissances souvent déconnectées générées par les sciences naturelles et sociales. Dans cette thèse, nous adoptons donc une approche inter- et transdisciplinaire afin d’étudier la conservation de la biodiversité et la durabilité des systèmes socio- écologiques. Cette thèse s’appuie sur trois études de cas empiriques effectuées pour étudier les problèmes de conservation et de développement durable dans les îles Galapagos. Ce faisant, nous avons utilisé trois différentes méthodologies participatives (Delphi-Q-PRA) qui synthétisent ou génèrent des connaissances à partir d'une grande variété d'acteurs de la société des Galápagos. Ainsi, dans le Chapitre 3, nous avons d'abord caractérisé les interrelations dynamiques générales et les relations causales du système socio-écologique des Galapagos, qui génère des impacts environnementaux, ainsi que les réponses sous la forme d'action politique et de gestion qui sont nécessaires pour atténuer ces impacts. Dans le Chapitre 4, nous avons par la suite exploré des discours de conservation pour expliquer une série de questions de conservation en identifiant les conflits, les valeurs et les relations de pouvoir et la façon dont ces discours sont liés à différentes approches de gouvernance de la conservation et des conflits de conservation (impliquant d'autres espèces). Dans le Chapitre 5, nous caractérisons un conflit pratique et émergent centré sur les tortues géantes (Chelonoidis spp.) et les agriculteurs dans la zone rurale de l'île de Santa Cruz. Dans ce chapitre, nous évaluons la relation entre plusieurs variables sociales et écologiques étroitement liées, et nous étudions comment ces variables peuvent être utilisées pour améliorer les stratégies de conservation et de durabilité. Dans la discussion générale du Chapitre 6, nous offrons une analyse des différentes perspectives de ce travail en expliquant l'utilité du processus transdisciplinaire et participatif pour co-créer des connaissances, définir les problèmes spécifiques du système et pour trouver de nouvelles solutions afin de pouvoir aider les décideurs politiques dans les transitions vers la durabilité et de la conservation de la biodiversité. Par ailleurs, nous incluons également une analyse approfondie et une comparaison croisée des résultats entre les méthodes utilisées, et comment le transfert de connaissances a été réalisé par la transdisciplinarité et la participation. Enfin, nous offrons une analyse des perspectives de ce travail et comment elles peuvent être utilisées dans d'autres contextes et servir à opérationnaliser d’autres cadres de conservation et de la politique de développement durable internationaux.Enfin dans le Chapitre 7, nous tirons quelques conclusions qui se réfèrent à: i) La pertinence de la recherche pour la formation de consensus pour intégrer les connaissances dans des situations complexes dans les milieux de conservation complexes et où les conflits d'éléments de preuve sont communs. ii) L'importance de l'analyse de discours pour comprendre la relation homme-environnement (présente et passée) afin d'aborder les futurs défis de la conservation et de la durabilité. De même, la pertinence de l'analyse de discours dans les systèmes socio-écologiques pour capturer et exposer les différentes relations de pouvoir. Dans le but que les règles spécifiques pour la conservation et de la durabilité sont perçues comme étant justes et légitimes par tous les acteurs qui sont impliqués dans le processus. iii) L'utilisation significative d'une approche transdisciplinaire et participative pour impliquer divers acteurs dans la caractérisation et la solution des enjeux de la conservation afin de permettre d'intégrer les connaissances et d’augmenter la confiance interpersonnelle et interinstitutionnelle entre les partis. De nouvelles approches scientifiques qui combinent les connaissances locales, la science et les politiques pour produire des résultats appropriées, persistants et durables sont urgents pour atteindre une transition adéquate vers la durabilité et à la conservation de la biodiversité qui en fait partie. Ce travail est une contribution pour combler l'écart entre les différentes sciences naturelles et sociales, les méthodes, la science et les processus politiques, et les scientifiques et la société en général.
Sustainability and biodiversity conservation aim at the protection and maintenance of natural ecosystems. Although both are inherently related concepts, practical differences in their conceptualization and implementation carry the risk of discrepancies between conservation and sustainability objectives. This is related to the multi-dimensional understanding of the sustainability concept and the bio-centric approaches to conservation that have tended to disconnect human systems instead of considering these as an integral part of natural systems. Overcoming these challenges requires the understanding of the linkages between the social and ecological systems. However, these linkages are complex and interact at different interconnected levels from social to ecological and government processes which are at the same time interacting at several scales, ranging from local to global. Understanding these linkages requires the exchange and generation of cohesive and actionable knowledge that is relevant across scientific disciplines, as well as for society, so that practical solutions contribute to the transition towards sustainability and biodiversity conservation. Consequently, inter and transdisciplinary approaches are required to yield and aggregate knowledge, in particular to bridge the gap between the often-disconnected insights generated by natural and social sciences.I therefore consider it adequate to have a transdisciplinary approach to study biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of social ecological systems. This thesis builds on three empirical case studies to study conservation and sustainability challenges on the Galapagos Islands. In doing so, I used three different participatory methodologies (Delphi-Q-PRA) that either synthesised and/or generated knowledge from a wide variety of Galapagos societal actors. Thus, in Chapter 3, we first characterised the general dynamic inter-linkages and causal relationships of the Galapagos social-ecological system that generates environmental impacts and the responses in the form of policy and management actions that are required to mitigate these impacts.In Chapter 4 we subsequently focused on exploring conservation discourses to explain a range of conservation issues by identifying conflicts, values, and relations of power and how these discourses are related to different conservation governance approaches and conflicts with other species. In Chapter 5, we characterise a practical and emergent conservation conflict between giant tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) and farmers in the rural area of Santa Cruz Island. In this chapter we assess the relationship of several social and ecological inter-linked variables and how these can be used to improve conservation and sustainability strategies.In the general discussion in Chapter 6, I provide an analysis of the different insights of this work by explaining the usefulness of transdisciplinary and participatory processes to co-create knowledge, to delineate the specific system problems and to further find novel solutions to aid policy and decision makers in the transitions towards sustainability and biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, I include a thorough analysis and cross-comparison of the results between the used methodologies, and how transfer of knowledge was achieved through transdisciplinarity and participation. Lastly, I provide an analysis of the insights of this work and how they can be used in other contexts and to operationalize other international conservation and sustainability policy frameworks. In Chapter 7, I provide a series of conclusions that refer to: i) the relevance of consensus building to integrate knowledge in complex conservation settings and where conflicts of evidence are common, ii) the importance of discourse analysis to understand the past and current human-nature relationships to address future conservation and sustainability challenges. Similarly, the relevance of discourse analysis in social-ecological systems to capture and expose different relations of power so that specific conservation and sustainability rules are perceived as fair and legitimate by all the actors that are involved in process. iii) The significant use of a transdisciplinary and participatory approach to involve varied stakeholders in conservation issues, to integrate knowledge and to increase interpersonal and inter-institutional trust between stakeholders where conservation conflicts occur. New scientific approaches that combine local knowledge, science and policies to produce adequate, persisting and sustainable results are urgent to achieve an adequate transition to sustainability and biodiversity conservation as part thereof. This work is a contribution to bridge the gap between different natural and social sciences, methods, science and policies, and scientists and society in general.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Through my art investigations I work to bring awareness to the public in order to create understanding of the issues surrounding the human impact on the environment and its long term effects. Further to the island investigations I will be explore evolution and how the Anthropocene is influencing plant selection and behaviour. This is done through the microscopic window of Bio-Art using the Dandelion and Tree Dandelion as my metaphors for the environmental changes that are occurring. The artworks at the centre of this enquiry will consist of (but are not exclusive to) photographic, video, projection, installation, Perspex, ceramic and sculpture. My final examination works include 1 hanging work Corpses from the Everyday, measured, colour coded and catalogued plastic debris from Lord Howe Island, printed in continuous text on vinyl 360 x 500 cm. Two installations, one Towards Dystopia is a combination of plastic/ Perspex, water, text and ceramics. Water Installation, film and sound; ceramics, Perspex Petri dish, Perspex fish tank, transparent piping, fountain pump, clear plastic sheeting, beach debris collected from Lord Howe Island, highly salted water and a tea urn. Size varies 2015 Perspex is vital to the works that I am producing, reflecting the connection we have to this product of the oil industry which is having such wide reaching impact. Gagged is a 3 piece video installation showing performance artist Molly Morphew anthropomorphizing the bird as described in the text by Carl Safina, this performance was videoed from 3 different angles and all three are displayed in larger than life scale. Sounds of gagging are heard overlapping as the performance loops, the text from Gyre the Plastic Ocean by Carl Safina (copyright obtained) is included in the installation.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Ship-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data are used to study regional ocean patterns around the biologically rich regions of the Archipielago de Colon (Galapagos Islands) and the Gulf of the Farallones to test our assumptions about the circulation derived primarily from hydrographic samples. West of the Galapagos, an equatorial undercurrent transporting 7 Sv was present in November 1993, which decelerated within 30 km of the archipelago, shoaled, and diverged with a strong deflection to the southwest. A method of removing tidal velocities from ADCP measurements by creating an empirical model of the tides and using it to predict and subtract the tides is described. It is shown that in the Gulf of the Farallones, a large number of observations, typically more than acquired on one cruise, are necessary to reduce tidal model error. Detided ADCP data are used to describe the circulation in the Gulf under various wind conditions. Over the continental slope, Surface-to-depth poleward flow is present throughout the year. During wind relaxations, poleward flow strengthens and warmer, fresher water is transported onshore

Porites lobata is an important reef building coral in the tropical eastern Pacific and the dominant Porites species in the Galápagos archipelago. Following the 1982-83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation the Galápagos Islands experienced 97-99% coral mortality, leaving many areas throughout the archipelago denuded of corals. Because very few long term assessments have been conducted on the growth and resilience of P. lobata to natural disturbances in the Galápagos Islands (Glynn et al., 2001; Glynn et al., 2009), benthic surveys were performed on a uniquely dense aggregation of P. lobata colonies at Devil’s Crown, Floreana Island between 1993 and 2011. Annual changes in live tissue area were calculated for the majority of the population (n=17) using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe 3.6) software to determine growth and recovery trends for this aggregation. Total live tissue area (n=10) increased from 1993 to 2011, however due to high interannual variability this increase was not significant. Within this overall pattern, a general trend of decline was observed in live tissue cover from 1993 to 2000, with increases in tissue area observed from 2000 to 2011. Severe bleaching (85-100%) was observed during the 1998 survey, followed by 42% tissue loss (n=10), coinciding with sea water warming associated with the very strong 1997-1998 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event. Subsequent regrowth of coral tissue was observed during the 2001 survey with continued recovery through 2009. Multiple comparison testing revealed a significant difference between the impacted state (1999) and the recovered state (2009), (p = 0.002, Dunn’s method, n=17), suggesting this aggregation required a period of ten years to recover from this disturbance. During this recovery period the moderately strong 2007-2008 La Niña, with accompanying stressful low temperatures, occurred but did not interrupt tissue regrowth. Warmer than average sea surface temperatures occurred during the warm months from 2008 to 2011, during which time a cool period occurred from 2010 to 2011. While the magnitude and duration of temperature anomalies during warming were not as great as those observed during the 1997-98 ENSO, low temperatures observed during the cool period were similar to those experienced throughout the 2007-08 La Niña. During this time total live tissue cover was reduced by 19% (n=10); however it is unknown whether this was due to warming or the following cool period. Based on results from the 1997-98 El Niño and 2007-08 La Niña, this reduction in live tissue was most likely caused by elevated sea surface temperatures. Data on the growth and resilience of P. lobata populations at Devil’s Crown will be used for conservation and management of this important resource.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xx, 389 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 332-345). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

La compréhension du cycle de l'eau d'une région où les ressources en eau sont limitées est fondamentale pour assurer une gestion durable de celles-ci, c'est le cas de Galápagos. Cette thèse présente la première étude intégrée du fonctionnement hydrogéologique des aquifères perché de l'île San Cristóbal. Pour ce faire, une approche pluridisciplinaire, fondée sur la mise en place d'un site expérimental sur le bassin versant de Cerro Gato (CG), a été conduite. Pour quantifier les entrées d'eau dans le système hydrologique une approche canopée-transfert hydrique du sol a été utilise. La recharge est principalement affectée par l'altitude en raison de l'effet orographique sur les gradients de pluie et d'évapotranspiration. Néanmoins, à haute altitude, la différence est principalement associée à la couverture végétale en raison de l'apport additionnel fourni par l'interception du brouillard sous la forêt. Une analyse hydrologique montre que les pertes des bassins versants situés à haute-altitude deviennent les entrées d'eau souterraine des bassins versants situés à moyenne altitude (comme CG). Les données du méthode électromagnétique héliportée SkyTEM permettent définir l'extension du bassin hydrogéologique de CG qui est plus grande que le bassin hydrologique. Des approches précédemment décrites, découlent un modèle conceptuel des sources de CG. Ainsi, les eaux souterraines de ces sources sont issues d'un aquifère perché qui s'est formé à la faveur d'une fine couche peu perméable. Ce modèle est testé par simulations numériques qui montrent cette plausibilité. Cette thèse fournit les fondements scientifiques d'une gestion durable des ressources en eau
The understanding of the hydrogeological functioning in regions such as San Cristobal Island (Galapagos), where water is limited, is fundamental for a suitable management of its resources. This work is the first study of this type on high-level aquifers in San Cristobal using a multi-disciplinary approach, based in the implementation of an experimental site and modeling strategies. For this purpose, a hydrological network was installed in Cerro Gato (CG) and surrounding watersheds. Inputs to the watershed are estimated using the joint modeling of a canopy and soil water transfer. Recharge rates are mainly affected by altitude in mid-elevation watersheds, whereas land cover is the main controlling factor at high-elevation watersheds because of the additional input of fog interception in forests. A hydrological analysis shows that losses from the high-elevation basins become groundwater inputs in the mid-elevation basins, while others have inputs from watersheds at the same altitude, such as CG. The detailed geometry of its hydrogeological watershed is obtained from the dataset of a high resolution AEM SkyTEM survey, which confirms the assumption that its hydrogeological watershed is bigger than its hydrological one. Results from these approaches allow proposing a hydrogeological conceptual model for the springs of CG, where the groundwater flow of springs is fed by a perched aquifer suspended by a low permeability thin layer. This model is tested with numerical simulations, which confirm the plausibility of the existence of a perched aquifer. This thesis provides scientific basis for an effective water management strategy

La compréhension du cycle de l'eau d'une région où les ressources en eau sont limitées est fondamentale pour assurer une gestion durable de celles-ci, c'est le cas de Galápagos. Cette thèse présente la première étude intégrée du fonctionnement hydrogéologique des aquifères perché de l'île San Cristóbal. Pour ce faire, une approche pluridisciplinaire, fondée sur la mise en place d'un site expérimental sur le bassin versant de Cerro Gato (CG), a été conduite. Pour quantifier les entrées d'eau dans le système hydrologique une approche canopée-transfert hydrique du sol a été utilise. La recharge est principalement affectée par l'altitude en raison de l'effet orographique sur les gradients de pluie et d'évapotranspiration. Néanmoins, à haute altitude, la différence est principalement associée à la couverture végétale en raison de l'apport additionnel fourni par l'interception du brouillard sous la forêt. Une analyse hydrologique montre que les pertes des bassins versants situés à haute-altitude deviennent les entrées d'eau souterraine des bassins versants situés à moyenne altitude (comme CG). Les données du méthode électromagnétique héliportée SkyTEM permettent définir l'extension du bassin hydrogéologique de CG qui est plus grande que le bassin hydrologique. Des approches précédemment décrites, découlent un modèle conceptuel des sources de CG. Ainsi, les eaux souterraines de ces sources sont issues d'un aquifère perché qui s'est formé à la faveur d'une fine couche peu perméable. Ce modèle est testé par simulations numériques qui montrent cette plausibilité. Cette thèse fournit les fondements scientifiques d'une gestion durable des ressources en eau
The understanding of the hydrogeological functioning in regions such as San Cristobal Island (Galapagos), where water is limited, is fundamental for a suitable management of its resources. This work is the first study of this type on high-level aquifers in San Cristobal using a multi-disciplinary approach, based in the implementation of an experimental site and modeling strategies. For this purpose, a hydrological network was installed in Cerro Gato (CG) and surrounding watersheds. Inputs to the watershed are estimated using the joint modeling of a canopy and soil water transfer. Recharge rates are mainly affected by altitude in mid-elevation watersheds, whereas land cover is the main controlling factor at high-elevation watersheds because of the additional input of fog interception in forests. A hydrological analysis shows that losses from the high-elevation basins become groundwater inputs in the mid-elevation basins, while others have inputs from watersheds at the same altitude, such as CG. The detailed geometry of its hydrogeological watershed is obtained from the dataset of a high resolution AEM SkyTEM survey, which confirms the assumption that its hydrogeological watershed is bigger than its hydrological one. Results from these approaches allow proposing a hydrogeological conceptual model for the springs of CG, where the groundwater flow of springs is fed by a perched aquifer suspended by a low permeability thin layer. This model is tested with numerical simulations, which confirm the plausibility of the existence of a perched aquifer. This thesis provides scientific basis for an effective water management strategy

Mantle plumes are anomalously hot, narrow upwellings of mantle material that originate at the core-mantle boundary. As plumes rise they may form volumetrically large "heads" (~1000 km in diameter) with narrower (~100 km) "tails." Plume head melting is thought to form Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs), vast outpourings of basaltic lava (~106 km3), while plume tail melting forms linear chains of ocean island basalts (OIBs) similar the Emperor-Hawaii Seamount chain. Mantle plume derived melts indicate that these structures sample deep Earth geochemical and lithological heterogeneities. Studying plume-derived lavas can clarify important planetary-scale questions relating to the accretion of the Earth, primordial geochemical reservoirs, the fate of subducted materials, planetary differentiation, and convective mixing.
Ph. D.

Se considera a las islas Galápagos, como un sistema socio ecológico cuyo motor productivo gira en torno a las actividades turísticas. Las mismas que, influyen mucho sobre la economía local, por la producción de flujos monetarios, por la demanda de bienes y servicios necesarios para sostener sus actividades, por la cantidad de trabajos asociados o indirectos y finalmente los impactos ambientales que genera. En esta tesis se escogió a la isla Isabela como un caso de estudio replicable para el resto del Archipiélago, para medir los flujos metabólicos de su sistema socio-ecológico. El capítulo dedicado a este caso de estudio, se basa en la adopción de una metodología innovadora de investigación para Galápagos, llamada “Análisis Integrado Multi-Escala del Metabolismo Social y Ecológico” (MuSIASEM), la cual integra el análisis de flujos críticos: 1) flujos materiales como el agua, alimento, 2) flujos de energía como los combustibles y la electricidad y 3) flujos de residuos, asociados con el metabolismo de actividades humanas y su impacto en el metabolismo de los ecosistemas naturales. De esta forma, combinaciones de diferentes tipologías de actividades humanas (tipologías de residentes, migrantes y turistas), pueden asociarse a diferentes combinaciones de flujos, que conllevan diferentes tipos de impacto ambiental. Como resultados se destaca el enorme impacto que causa el turismo, al demandar prácticamente el doble de los recursos antes mencionados, en comparación con los residentes locales, aumentando la demanda de importación de dichos recursos del exterior del sistema Galápagos. Así se pudo generar un análisis integral del metabolismo social y ecológico. Para el resto de capítulos el análisis gira en torno a todo el sistema socio económico de Galápagos. Se analizan los flujos monetarios del sistema productivo y los subsidios, enfocándonos en las actividades turísticas, como el máximo generador de divisas de la economía local. A pesar de lo cual, se observó que pueden estar ingresando a Galápagos, apenas entre el 9 al 12% del total generado por esta actividad y de estos flujos, solamente el 2% estarían destinados a proyectos de carácter ambiental. Frente a esto, discutimos si las actividades turísticas están aportando económicamente al cuidado y conservación de las islas, como se asume que lo hace. Con respecto a los subsidios, analizamos estas herramientas económicas que, si bien cumplen los objetivos de suplir deficiencias y balancear la economía local, también pueden generar una idea ficticia de “una sociedad con capacidad de auto abastecimiento”, con consecuencias sociales y ambientales. Finalmente vinculo estos análisis anteriores y discuto bajo este contexto, del papel histórico que ha jugado el discurso conservacionista sobre la configuración de la sociedad galapagueña actual y la construcción discursiva de una sociedad que busca alcanzar el desarrollo sustentable, dentro del cual se propone el ecoturismo como la base de la economía local. Mediante la metodología de análisis de discurso se analizaron un grupo de entrevistas realizadas a los habitantes de Galápagos y se comprobó el peso de una narrativa largamente construida sobre la perspectiva ambiental de los pobladores. Esta tesis sugiere también algunas acciones prácticas a considerar, que puedan representar como alternativas a ciertos criterios que discutimos y consideramos críticos pero viables de cambios.
This thesis approaches the Galapagos Islands as a socio-ecological system whose productive engine revolves around tourism activities. It has a greatest weight in terms of the generation of direct employment, tourism activities greatly influence the local economy, the production of monetary flows, the demand for goods and services and the creation of environmental impacts. In this thesis I measure the metabolic fluxes of Isabela Island’s socio-ecological system, as it is a replicable case study for the rest of the Galapagos Archipelago. The chapter dedicated to this case study is based on the adoption of an innovative research methodology for the Galapagos. Called "Integrated Multi-Scale Analysis of Social and Ecological Metabolism" (MuSIASEM), this methodology integrates critical flow analysis in three dimensions: 1) material flows like water and food, 2) energy flows such as fuels and electricity and 3) waste materials, associated with the metabolism of human activities and their impact on the metabolism of natural ecosystems. Through this approach, combinations of different types of human activities (typologies of residents, migrants and tourists) can be related to different combinations of flows, which entail different types of environmental impact. The analysis in the remaining chapters revolves around the entire socioeconomic system of the Galapagos. The monetary flows of the productive system and subsidies are analysed, focusing on tourism activities, as the maximum generator of foreign currency in the local economy. Yet in spite of this, I observed that only between 9% and 12% of the total generated by this activity enters the Galapagos, and of these flows, only 2% are destined to environmental projects. I discuss if tourist activities are truly contributing economically to the care and conservation of the islands, a point often taken for granted. In terms of subsidies, I analyze these economic tools that, while meeting the objectives of filling gaps and balancing the local economy, can also generate a fictitious idea of "a society with the capacity to supply and sustain itself", with social and environmental consequences. Finally, I link these previous analyses and discuss them from the historical role that the conservation-based discourse has played in the configuration of the current Galapagos society and the discursive construction of a society that seeks to achieve sustainable development, within which ecotourism is proposed as the basis of the local economy.. Through the discourse analysis methodology, a group of interviews I conducted with the inhabitants of Galapagos was analyzed and the weight of a long-constructed narrative on the environmental perspective of the inhabitants was verified. This thesis also suggests some practical actions to consider, which may be alternatives to certain criteria that I discuss and consider critical, but att he same time viable to change.

Oceanic island volcanoes such as those in the Hawaiian, Canary and Galapagos Islands are known to become unstable, causing failures of the subaerial and submarine slopes of the volcanic edifices. These mass wasting events appear to be the primary source of destruction and loss of volume of many oceanic islands, but our knowledge of mass wasting is still rudimentary in many seamount and island chains. To better understand mass wasting in the western Galapagos Islands, multi-beam bathymetry and backscatter sidescan sonar images were used to examine topography and acoustic backscatter signatures that are characteristic of mass wasting. Observations show that mass wasting plays an important role in the development of Galapagos volcanoes. While volcanic activity continues to conceal the submarine terrain, the data show that four forms of mass wasting are identified including debris flows, slumps sheets, chaotic slumps, and detached blocks. A total of 23 mass wasting features were found to exist in the western Galapagos Islands, including fourteen debris flows with one that incorporated a set of detached blocks, seven slump sheets, and one chaotic slump. Some of the indentified features have obvious origination zones while the sources of others are not clearly identifiable. Approximately 73 percent of the surveyed coastlines are affected by slumping on the steep upper slopes and ~64 percent are affected by debris flows on the lower slopes. Unlike the giant landslides documented by GLORIA imagery around the Hawaiian Islands, the western Galapagos Islands appear to be characterized by small slump sheets existing along the steep shallow submarine flanks of the island and by debris flows that are flanked by rift zones and extend off the platform. This study indicates that submarine mass wasting is widespread in the western Galapagos, suggesting that the production of small-scale downslope movement is part of the erosive nature of these oceanic volcanic islands.

This study contributes to the discussion of managing tourism to a protected area in a developing country (Galapagos, Ecuador). The first part of the analysis provides quantitative data about preferences of tourists and potential impacts on park revenues from price discrimination. It uses the data from a choice experiment survey conducted in the summer of 2009 in which these four attributes of a tour of the Galapagos were described: tour length, depth of naturalist experience, level of protection of Galapagos from invasive species, and price of the tour. On average the Galapagos tourist would be willing to pay slightly more than 2.5 times for a trip with a high-level of environmental protection than for a trip that is equivalent on all other characteristics but has a lower level of environmental protection. The mean marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for a trip with an in-depth naturalist experience is 1.8 times more than that for a trip with a less detailed naturalist experience but equivalent on other characteristics. The relatively inelastic demand for travel to the islands would allow managers to adjust access fees to shift the distribution of length of trips while not affecting the revenues. The second part of the analysis evaluates the influence on travel to the islands by depicting Galapagos as a standard market commodity as well as depicting it as an environmental commodity. This analysis compares the results obtained from two different choice experiment surveys given to tourists finishing their trip to Galapagos. One survey design portrays the archipelago as a standard holiday island destination while the other design highlights the uniqueness and vulnerability of the islands' biodiversity and the challenges that tourism poses to the islands' conservation. Results suggest that additional information modified an individual's decision-making process. In the first design case (which excludes environmental information), the influence of attributes such as length and depth of natural experience is attenuated. The MWTPs estimated for these attributes are smaller in absolute terms although differences on the MWTP are not statistically significant.

This study contributes to the discussion of managing tourism to a protected area in a developing country (Galapagos, Ecuador). The first part of the analysis provides quantitative data about preferences of tourists and potential impacts on park revenues from price discrimination. It uses the data from a choice experiment survey conducted in the summer of 2009 in which these four attributes of a tour of the Galapagos were described: tour length, depth of naturalist experience, level of protection of Galapagos from invasive species, and price of the tour. On average the Galapagos tourist would be willing to pay slightly more than 2.5 times for a trip with a high-level of environmental protection than for a trip that is equivalent on all other characteristics but has a lower level of environmental protection. The mean marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for a trip with an in-depth naturalist experience is 1.8 times more than that for a trip with a less detailed naturalist experience but equivalent on other characteristics. The relatively inelastic demand for travel to the islands would allow managers to adjust access fees to shift the distribution of length of trips while not affecting the revenues. The second part of the analysis evaluates the influence on travel to the islands by depicting Galapagos as a standard market commodity as well as depicting it as an environmental commodity. This analysis compares the results obtained from two different choice experiment surveys given to tourists finishing their trip to Galapagos. One survey design portrays the archipelago as a standard holiday island destination while the other design highlights the uniqueness and vulnerability of the islands’ biodiversity and the challenges that tourism poses to the islands’ conservation. Results suggest that additional information modified an individual's decision-making process. In the first design case (which excludes environmental information), the influence of attributes such as length and depth of natural experience is attenuated. The MWTPs estimated for these attributes are smaller in absolute terms although differences on the MWTP are not statistically significant.

East Pacific green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, play ecologically important roles in marine habitats which range from grazing (and thus regularly "mowing") algae and seagrass beds to cycling nutrients between the ocean and land. However, these important grazers have been hunted to ecological extinction in some places for their eggs, meat, and skin. The conservation initiative for the survival of sea turtles requires the protection of their primary habitats in conjunction with a decrease in their interaction with humans. One way these objectives can be met is through the creation of species distribution maps (SDMs). For this thesis, a SDM was created from a generalized additive model used to identify major feeding areas for East Pacific green turtles residing in the Galapagos Islands. The input for the model was green turtle sighting locations during a June 2010 marine life observation survey and remotely sensed values of four oceanographic parameters obtained from satellite sensors (Bathymetry, Sea Surface Temperature, Chlorophyll a, and Current Speed). Line transects of intertidal and subtidal shoreline regions of the islands of Isabela, San Cristobal, and Floreana were also completed, to describe similarities and differences in macroalgal abundance between the locations. A generalized additive model (GAM) explained 56% of the data's null deviance and had a true positive rate of 0.83. The corresponding species distribution map indicated that East Pacific green sea turtles prefer to forage in warm, low chlorophyll a, slow moving waters at depths mostly less than 250m throughout the archipelago. ANOVA analyses showed that macroalgal abundance was statistically different (p-value < 0.01) between the islands of San Cristobal and Isabela. The line transects analysis also documented that red algae was the most prominent phyla at the sites and that the macroalgal abundance did not vary much between months June 2010 and April/May 2011. With these results, potential foraging areas for East Pacific green turtles can be identified and protected. Future studies will be focused on the collection of macroalgae from coastal areas outlined in the SDM and the interactions between green turtles and their competitors and/or predators. This information can be used to validate the areas delineated by the model and to further the understanding of the spatial-temporal effects on macroalgal abundance.

碩士
中華大學
企業管理學系碩士班
101
Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. It is an increasingly important source of income, employment and wealth in many countries. The sustainable tourism is discussed as an outgrowth of a conservation ethic that is interwoven in all fibers of modern life. Revenues from the tourism are substantial and form an integral part of sustainable use of natural resources. The development of a management plan which is based on scientific monitoring and conservation measures are key for successful use of an environment, but also give priority to community participation and poverty reduction. Galapagos is used as an example of long-term management and to demonstrate the positive aspects of sustainable tourism.

Tuna-dolphin-bird feeding assemblages are unique to the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP). These multiple species groups are believed to forage together in response to the physical properties of the near surface ocean as these constrain the distribution of prey. In the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), intra-annual and interannual changes affect the properties of the water column, inducing mesoscale and fine scale temporal variability. Four three-week oceanographic surveys took place, in September 2008, April 2009, October 2009, and September 2010, between the coast of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and one small boat survey took place in June 2010 within the GMR. Marine mammal surveys were conducted during daylight hours and Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) sensor casts were taken throughout the survey. Data were analyzed to determine the types of water masses present and the strength and depth of the thermocline layer. These data were compared with the sightings of marine mammals, bird feeding groups, and tuna-dolphin-bird assemblages. Additionally, these data were used to predict where tuna would be likely to associate with dolphin groups. Results show Equatorial Surface Water was the dominant water mass throughout the archipelago, regardless of season or ENSO index. High salinity, cold water west of Isla Isabela indicated topographic upwelling of the Equatorial Undercurrent. Tropical Surface Waters from the Panama Current were detected north of the Equatorial Front to the east of the islands. Obvious changes in the water column properties were observed between El Niño and La Niña events in the GMR. Most mixed groups were sighted west and south of Isla Isabela during the four oceanographic surveys, as well as north and west of Isla San Cristobal in June 2010. Most sightings were in cool, high salinity waters, and high chlorophyll concentrations. There were a greater number of sightings during the April 2009 survey (ENSO-neutral conditions) than during any of the three fall surveys. Additionally, tuna-dolphin-bird groups were more likely to be seen near Isla Isabela, with the majority of them sighted during the April 2009 survey and a few sighted in each of the September 2008 and October 2009 surveys. No tuna-dolphin-bird groups were sighted during the September 2010 surveys. Results show that the presence and location of these multi-species groups may be controlled by the inter-annual cycles, the intra-annual cycles, or a combination of both types of changes seen within the Galapagos.

Many insights into ecological and evolutionary processes have come from studies of island systems. Diversity, abundance, and movement of species are restricted on smaller islands, but these dynamics can become increasingly complex as island size increases. In recent decades urbanization and the human population on the Galápagos islands has increased rapidly, affecting wildlife in unknown ways. During 2005 and 2006, we sampled birds along a 4-km transect extending northeast of the city of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island. This allowed us to collect data on the potential impacts of rapidly growing urban center on passerine bird diversity and abundance. We also documented movement patterns of the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis), the most abundant species on the transect, with a mark/recapture protocol. Although Darwin's finches have been an influencial model for the last 150 years, little is known about their movements on larger islands. Avian species diversity did not vary significantly along a transect from a periurban area into more remote habitat. Avian abundance, however, was inversely correlated with distance from the urban center. This latter finding is consistent with a well-documented trend in urban ecology, in which periurban areas show higher abundance as compared to adjacent, less developed regions. We also found recapture/re-sight rates for G. fortis within years were 7% and 11% in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The mean distance traveled by individual birds between recaptures or re-sightings was 430.4 m. The majority of movements were less than 500 m from the location of previous sighting. There was no relationship between the distance moved and the time between captures or re-sightings; birds were equally likely to move large distances over short intervals (days) as over longer intervals (years). There was no significant difference in movement distances between males and females. These data document the movement of G. fortis on a larger island. Further studies of gene flow among populations may provide further insight into the genetic and evolutionary consequences of movement patterns documented here.

Salinity is a major concern in agriculture since it adversely affects plant growth, development, and yield. Domestication of crops exerted strong selective pressure and reduced their genetic diversity. Meanwhile, wild species continued to adapt to their environment becoming valuable sources of genetic variation, with the potential for enhancing modern crops performance in today’s changing climate. Some wild species are found in highly saline environments; remarkable examples are the endemic wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Islands, forming the Solanum cheesmaniae and Solanum galapagense species (hereafter termed Galapagos tomatoes). These wild tomatoes adapted to thrive in the coastal regions of the Galapagos Islands. The present work includes a thorough characterization of a collection of 67 accessions of Galapagos tomatoes obtained from the Tomato Genetics Resource Center (TGRC). Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was performed to establish the population structure and genetic distance within the germplasm collection. Both species were genetically differentiated, and a substructure was found in S. cheesmaniae dividing the accessions in two groups based on their origin: eastern and western islands. Phenotypic studies were performed at the seedling stage, subjecting seedlings to 200 mM NaCl for 10 days. Various traits were recorded and analysed for their contribution to salinity tolerance, compared to control conditions. Large natural variation was found across the collection in terms of salt stress responses and different possible salt tolerant mechanisms were identified. Six accessions were selected for further work, based on their good performance under salinity. This experiment included scoring several plant growth and yield-related traits, as well as RNA sequencing (RNAseq) at the fruit-ripening stage, under three different NaCl concentrations. Accession LA0421 showed an increased yield of almost 50% in mild salinity (150 mM NaCl) compared to control conditions. The transcriptome data obtained could reveal the genes involved in the salt stress-related yield increase. The knowledge obtained so far will be useful for scientists and breeders to select accessions of interest based on recorded traits. It will allow the use of Galapagos tomatoes as genetic sources for salinity tolerance traits in commercial tomatoes, thereby contributing to feed and nourish the growing human population in the years to come.

Dottorato ""Archimede" in Scienze e Tecnologie dei Sistemi Complessi, Ciclo XXVIII, a.a. 2015-2016
ogni branca della scienza. I sistemi complessi sono composti da diverse parti interconnesse e mutuamente interattive, il cui risultato è una serie di comportamenti altamente non prevedibili [49]. Lo studio multidisciplinare dei sistemi complessi negli ultimi anni ha portato all’introduzione di nuove e importanti prospettive e metodologie concettuali per affrontare problemi sociali e globali del 21esimo secolo. L’istruzione, in questo quadro, può essere considerata un sistema complesso che ha bisogno di essere adattato alle nuove necessità della società [175]. Al giorno d’oggi, la grande evoluzione delle Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) ha dovuto riconsiderare i principi, le metodologie, gli strumenti e la formazione nel campo educativo. In fatti, diversi studi hanno dimostrato come gli studenti imparino in maniera più efficace quando l’apprendimento è partecipativo e interattivo. Allo stesso tempo, l’interesse degli insegnanti nei confronti di tali sistemi educativi è aumentato grazie al potenziale e alle caratteristiche peculiari che possiedono. Per esplorare la complessità degli attuali sistemi educativi, il principale obiettivo di questa ricerca è stato la progettazione di una piattaforma avanzata per l’apprendimento chiamata “The Smart Galápagos Islands”, per insegnanti, studenti e ricercatori. La progettazione del sistema ha incluso i seguenti steps: • Analisi delle necessità dell’utente attraverso: – Una prima sperimentazione con insegnanti Pre-service * Per introdurre la programmazione come strumento importante. * Per rendere gli insegnanti in formazione dei creatori digitali oltre che degli utenti digitali. * Per sviluppare le Computational Thinking (CT) Skills, e, * Per migliorare la Team Work Competency (TWC) – Un’indagine applicata a insegnanti di Economia Aziendale allo scopo di validare le ICT skills e i loro usi all’interno di una classe “Internet of Things” (IoT) e, – La collaborazione allo studio relativo ai Big Data over Smart Grid - A Fog Computing Perspective. Sviluppo delle componenti del sistema: – Il Serious game in Scratch sul viaggio di Darwin alla scoperta dell’evoluzione biologica. – La creazione dei diversi ambienti virtuali 3D nelle isole Galápagos, e – Una prima progettazione del sito web. La teoria di riferimento relativamente agli studi svolti, secondo diverse prospettive educative e scientifiche, è il costruttivismo. È inoltre legata alle opportunità offerte dalla Open Technology, dal concetto di Contamination Lab, e dall’istruzione STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), incentrata sul "Do-it-Yourself" (DiY) e gli approcci di Co-working. I risultati hanno dimostrato che è molto significativo esplorare e incoraggiare il processo di integrazione di tecnologie all’avanguardia e di paradigmi quali l’ICT e l’IoT all’interno delle pratiche di insegnamento-apprendimento, così come le relative sfide emergenti a diversi livelli in quest’era digitale.
Università della Calabria

碩士
國立臺北教育大學
自然科學教育學系碩士班
97
This study designed the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software, which involves the unit instruction for sixth graders. “Environments and Creations” was carried out through quasi-experimental research design. The experimental group （120 students） received the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software integrated instruction, while the control group （120 students） received theme-lecturing-based education. The “Scale of Students’ Attitudes towards Science” and “Trip to Darwin’s Galapagos Islands Learning Achievements Test” were applied as the research tools to both groups for the discussion on the influences of the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software on their attitudes towards science and their learning achievements. Furthermore, this study discussed the design process of the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software, and evaluated the feasibility of integrating the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software with the natural science and technology subject. According to the findings, students from the experimental group developed better attitudes towards science than those from the control group, with an obvious difference between them. Students of both groups enjoyed learning achievements, but there were no obvious differences in between. Feedbacks from the students indicated that the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software integrated instruction could be a feasible education strategy. Based on this research, the following suggestions were given: 1） include the history of science in education to broaden students’ knowledge of science; 2） balance education style must be achieved between students’ operation and lecturers’ involvement when the Scientist Story Situation CAI Software is applied; 3） plan relevant scientific concepts and events, and look for staffs with the same goal to work together on creations.