‘Turtles’, huge herbivorous animals that eat tough trees and compact the ground.
Increase in population on Espanola Island… From 14 to 3,000 in 50 years
The BBC reported on the 20th (local time) that the entire island ecosystem is recovering since the turtles that inhabited Espanola Island, the southernmost part of the Galapagos Islands, which had been destroyed by humans in the past, returned for the first time in decades.
Espanola Island, formed about 4 million years ago, once boasted a rich ecosystem with about 8,000 turtles. However, with the introduction of pirates and whaling ships in the 1800s, the island’s turtle species were on the verge of extinction. Additionally, the goats they brought with them multiplied and ate the native plants.
By the 1970s, most of the turtle habitat was destroyed, and the turtle population decreased to 14 (12 females, 2 males).
From 1964 to 1974, authorities transported turtles from Espanola Island to the Darwin Research Institute on Santa Cruz Island for a turtle restoration project. In particular, the female turtle ‘Diego’ contributed greatly to overcoming the extinction crisis by breeding more than 800 turtles over several decades.
After completing his duties, Diego and about 10 turtles from Espanola Island returned to their hometown in 2020.
The BBC reported that following Diego’s return, the turtle population on Espanola Island has increased to 3,000 and the indigenous ecosystem is reviving.
Virginia Tech conservation biologist Elizabeth Hunter said turtles play an important role in forming ecosystems. Turtles prevent chain damage to other species and habitats by suppressing the growth of woody plants (plants such as trees with enlarged stems and roots and hard texture).
Hunter said the Galapagos’ giant tortoises “eat hundreds of kilograms of vegetation every year, thin out underbrush, and trample the plants they don’t eat to compact the land.”
The BBC used the albatross bird as an example. Albatrosses, whose main breeding ground is Espanola Island, build nests and lay eggs in places prepared by turtles. As turtles disappeared from the island, breeding became difficult, and the albatross was designated as an internationally protected bird in the 1960s.
Additionally, Galapagos tortoises, a land tortoise, have a positive impact on the aquatic ecosystem. Spreading soil and excrement into the water creates an aquatic environment with a smooth supply of nutrients and oxygen. The BBC estimated that each time a turtle leaves the pond, up to 0.5 kg of mud is moved, and that the entire island’s turtles move several tons of dirt per year.
According to reports, Galapagos tortoises also increase the germination potential of native plants. Turtles are ‘enormous seed dispersers’, walking up to 10km for two weeks and scattering thousands of seeds.
Regarding this, the BBC reported that the island’s natural environment, which had been destroyed, began to return with the ‘return of the turtles’. He then emphasized that future generations should watch the long process of ecosystem recovery with a sense of responsibility.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.