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Week 6: Fragile ecosystems

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A chart produced by then Galápagos Conservation Trust showing the alien species in the islands. There are 1579 alien species, of which 50 are vertebrates, 821 are terrestrial plants, 77 are terrestrial invertebrates, 63 are pathogens, 545 are terrestrial insects, 2 are marine plants and 21 are marine invertebrates. 76% of these species have arrived in the islands since 1970. They have mostly been introduced by accident but many of the plants were introduced intentionally. There are continued threats, such as the 107 flights a week and the 4310 tourists arriving every day.