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Vietation changes over three decades on Santa Fe Island, Galhpagos, Ecuador
Author(s) -
Hamann Ole
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2003.tb00375.x
Subject(s) - shrub , vegetation (pathology) , biology , deciduous , arid , ecology , steppe , threatened species , habitat , medicine , pathology
Changes in mortality and turnover of selected woody plants which dominate and characterise the arid vegetation of the island of Santa Fe, Galapagos, have been studied regularly during the period 1972–2003. After the eradication of feral goats from Santa Fe in 1971, the vegetation started to recover. The previously threatened small tree Scalesia helleri ssp. helleri recovered and some recruitment of the dominant trees Opuntia echios var. barringtonensis and Bursera graveolens took place. The dominant shrub species Cordia lutea, Encelia hispida and Lantana peduncularis increased in number, whereby the shrub layer is becoming denser and the structure of the predominant dry season deciduous steppe forest vegetation is changing. The strong impact of El Niño on the survival and recruitment of Opuntia indicates that recovery of Opuntia‐dominated vegetation should be viewed on a time‐scale of perhaps 150 years or more, in correspondence with the long life‐expectancy of adult Opuntia individual. It is suggested that recruitment and survival of Opuntia may be hindered if future El Niño events are to occur with increased strength, and that this would alter the aspect of the Santa Fe vegetation.