What makes the ecosystem of the Galapagos island different than those found on large continents?

What makes the ecosystem of the Galapagos island different than those found on large continents?

Environmental conditions make the Galápagos a unique island ecosystem. The Galápagos Islands are located near the equator, yet they receive cool ocean currents. This makes for a strange mix of tropical and temperate climates. For most of their history, the islands have been extremely isolated.

How is biodiversity different on islands?

Islands harbour higher concentrations of endemic species than do continents, and the number and proportion of endemics rises with increasing isolation, island size and topographic variety. It has often been remarked that islands make a contribution to global biodiversity that is out of proportion to their land area.

What is a biological island?

The term describes an ecosystem that is isolated by being surrounded by different ecosystems. For the purposes of this theory, an island is defined as more than just a piece of land surrounded by water. The two events that determine how many species are found in an isolated ecosystem are immigration and extinction.

How is biodiversity different from ecosystem?

Biodiversity is the biological variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact.

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 other ecosystems are similar to islands?

Tropical islands are known to have uniquely naturally variable ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, open woodlands and grass savannahs, freshwater lakes and streams, salt marshes and mudflats, mangrove and coastal littoral forests, seagrass, fringing and offshore coral reefs, and deep sea trenches and abyssal …

Why do larger islands have more species?

Larger islands contain larger habitat areas and opportunities for more different varieties of habitat. Larger habitat size reduces the probability of extinction due to chance events. Over time, the countervailing forces of extinction and immigration result in an equilibrium level of species richness.

Why do bigger islands have more species?

How are ecosystems and biodiversity similar and different?

Species biodiversity, which is the form of biodiversity most often discussed, refers to the number of species living in an area. Ecosystem biodiversity refers to the number of ecosystems in a certain area. Ecosystems are all of the animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi as well as the physical components of the area.

How are species diversity and genetic diversity different?

How are species diversity and genetic diversity different? Species diversity measures the number of species in the biosphere, while genetic diversity measures the variety of genes in the biosphere, including genetic variation within species. many habitats and species are at high risk of extinction.

Do the Galapagos Islands have different environments?

There are five types of habitat zones in Galapagos: marine, shore, arid, transition and humid.