Federal Register, Volume 75, Number 2, January 5, 2010, Pages 219-736 Page: 239
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Federal Register/Vol. 75, No. 2/Tuesday, January 5, 2010/Rules and Regulations
Although the islands where the
Galapagos petrel is known to breed
include a large "conservation and
restoration" zone, all of these islands,
except Santiago, include a significant-
sized 'farming' zone (Parque Nacional
Galapagos Ecuador N.D. unpaginated),
where agricultural and grazing activities
continue to threaten some petrel nesting
sites (Wiedenfeld, in litt. 2008,
unpaginated). According to Baker (1980,
as cited in BLI 2000), at least half of the
Galapagos petrel's current breeding
range on Santa Cruz Island is farmed.
The rationale for maintaining farming
zones within the Galapagos National
Park is to sustain the economy of island
inhabitants, encourage local
consumption of traditional products
(e.g., vegetables, fruits, and grazing
animals), and decrease the amount of
imported food, thereby reducing the
threat of inadvertent introduction of
nonnative species (Parque Nacional
Galapagos Ecuador N.D. Plan de Control
Total N.D. cited in Wiedenfeld, in litt.
2008, unpaginated).
On the island of Santa Cruz, the
Galapagos petrel historically bred at
lower elevations, down to 591 ft (180
m). However, habitat modification of
these lower elevations for agricultural
purposes has restricted the Galapagos
petrel's use of these lower elevation
areas for breeding although some areas
are still used for nesting (Valarezo 2006
cited in Wiedenfeld, in litt. 2008,
unpaginated). On San Crist6bal Island,
historical clearance of vegetation in
highland areas for intensive grazing
purposes drastically reduced the
species' breeding habitat on the island
(Harris 1970, p. 82).
Introduced Invasive Plants
Nonnative invasive plants are a
significant threat to the Galapagos petrel
through habitat modification and
destruction. Nonnative plants adversely
impact petrel breeding habitat by
modifying or altering several
microhabitat conditions such as
availability of light, soil-water regimes,
and nutrient cycling leading to
competition with native plants or direct
inhibition of native plants; and
ultimately converting plant
communities dominated by native
species to nonnative plant communities
(Tye, N.D., p. 4). Rubus niveus (hill
raspberry), a species of raspberry native
from India to southeastern Asia, the
Philippines, and Indonesia, is the worst
invader of the nonnative species of
Rubus in the Galapagos Islands (Charles
Darwin Foundation (CDF), N.D.a,
unpaginated), and is classified as a
noxious weed in Hawaii (HawaiiAdministrative Rules 1992). In the
Galapagos Islands, hill raspberry grows
in nesting areas in thick mats that are
impenetrable by Galapagos petrels
(Wiedenfeld, in litt. 2008, unpaginated).
This nonnative plant is found on all of
the islands (Floreana, Isabela, San
Crist6bal, and Santa Cruz) used by the
Galapagos petrel for breeding except
Santiago Island (Wiedenfeld, in litt.
2008, unpaginated). Eradication of hill
raspberry on San Crist6bal and Santa
Cruz is not possible because hill
raspberry is well-established and
widespread on these islands (CDF,
N.D.a, unpaginated) and thus
eradication is cost prohibitive. It is not
known if there are control or eradication
programs for this species on Floreana or
Isabela Islands.
There are two other noteworthy
nonnative plant threats, Cinchona
pubescens (red quinine tree) and two
species of Lantana (lantana). Red
quinine tree is native from Andean
South America north to Costa Rica, and
is characterized by vigorous growth,
reproduction, and extremely rapid
invasion (CDF N.D.b, unpaginated).
Introduced in 1946 in the agricultural
zone of Santa Cruz Island, red quinine
tree has spread into all of the highland
vegetation zones and covers more than
29,652 ac (12,000 ha) (CDF N.D.b,
unpaginated). This nonnative invader is
significantly changing native plant
communities in the highlands of Santa
Cruz from low open scrub and
grasslands to closed forest canopy
(Buddenhagen et al. 2004, p. 1195; CDF,
N.D.b, unpaginated), and has been
identified as a threat to the highland
habitat of the Galapagos petrel
(Wiedenfeld, in litt. 2008, unpaginated).
According to Tye (N.D., p. 12) there is
strong support by both conservationists
and farmers to eradicate red quinine tree
(Tye N.D., p. 12).
Beginning in 1998, the Charles
Darwin Foundation has supported
research studies on red quinine tree's
ecology and invasion dynamics, its
impacts on native vegetation, and
potential control methods
(Buddenhagen et al. 2004, pp. 1198,
1200-1201; CDF N.D.b, unpaginated).
An effective combination of control
techniques was identified in 2003, and
a long-term management plan is being
developed for its possible eradication on
Santa Cruz (Buddenhagen et al. 2004, p.
1201; CDF N.D.b, unpaginated). Lantana
(Lantana camara and L. montevidensis
(CDF N.D.c, unpaginated)), probably
native to the West Indies (Wagner et al.
1999, p. 1320), was introduced to
Floreana about 70 years ago, and has
been identified as the single worst
invasive species on the island (Tye N.D.,p. 6). More recently, L. camara has been
introduced to other islands, including
Santa Cruz in 1985, where repeated
control efforts have limited its spread on
those islands (Tye N.D., p. 6). Lantana
is a shrub that forms dense,
impenetrable thickets and prevents the
growth of other herbaceous or woody
species (Tye N.D., p. 5; Wagner et al.
1999, p. 1320). It is unknown if there are
control or eradication programs for this
species on Floreana. In addition, there
are a number of nonnative plants on
Santiago, which was formerly inhabited,
however, no information is available to
identify whether these species impact
Galapagos petrel nesting sites on this
island (Tye N.D., p. 3).
Introduced Feral Mammals
In 1997, the Galapagos National Park
Service (GNPS) and the CDF initiated
"Project Isabela," an ecological
restoration program that required
removal of all feral goats from Santiago
and northern Isabela. In 2006, the
program was found to be successful.
The GNPS announced that no feral goats
could be found in these areas, noting
that monitoring efforts would continue
to ensure successful eradication
(Charles Darwin Research Station
(CDRS) 2006, unpaginated). Concurrent
with the goat eradication program, feral
donkeys were removed from Santiago
Island and Alcedo Volcano on northern
Isabela Island (Carrion et al. 2007, p.
440). After a 30-year eradication
program, feral pigs were successfully
removed from Santiago Island; the last
pig was shot in April 2000 (Cruz et al.
2005, p. 476).
Despite the success of these
eradication efforts, introduced ungulates
continue to threaten Galapagos petrel
habitat on the human populated islands
of Santa Cruz, Floreana, San Crist6bal,
and southern Isabela, particularly in
areas bordering farmland. Eradication
programs for feral livestock in areas
containing human populations is
difficult (CDRS 2006, unpaginated).
However, according to the Galapagos
Conservancy (N.D., unpaginated),
funding has been sought for eradication
of feral goats on Floreana and San
Crist6bal Islands and for a goat control
program on Santa Cruz Island beginning
in 2008 or 2009.
Summary of Factor A
In summary, nonnative invasive
plants have been identified as
significantly impacting the breeding
habitat of the Galapagos petrel primarily
by altering the habitat and overgrowing
the nesting sites, or by creating dense,
impenetrable thickets (hill raspberry
and lantana). The most significantnonnative plant threats to the Galapagos
239
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United States. Office of the Federal Register. Federal Register, Volume 75, Number 2, January 5, 2010, Pages 219-736, periodical, January 5, 2010; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc52585/m1/29/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.