Ecosystem Processes

Questions

• What are the regional nutrient budgets for the islands?
  
• How are they affected by land use?
  
• Do they affect the marine ecosystem?
  
• Also, what is the nutrient budget of mangroves, are they affected by human activities, and do they affect the marine ecosystem? How do these budgets and their contribution to the marine ecosystem change during El Nino events?
  

Goals

To better understand the ecosystem biogeochemical dynamics that underlie the other ecological processes and to assess the any effects that terrestrial changes might have on the marine ecosystem.

Justification

The biogeochemical processes, especially net primary productivity and nutrient budgets, are the basis for the biological functioning of the islands. The effect of terrestrial dynamics on the nearby marine ecosystem is not well quantified. Although there is apparently little runoff from the islands, especially upland areas subject to land use change, in most years, during El Nino events the runoff from the islands is extreme, and the impact on the marine ecosystem is probably great.

Link to conservation

A better understanding of the general ecosystem dynamics will help in developing understanding of ecological responses to other changes, including climate change and may help inform our understanding of how the marine system would respond to management such as the addition of iron.

Ongoing projects

Water Quality in the Galapagos Marine Reserve