Supporting Galápagos Native Species via Ecological Landscape Design in Urban Greenspaces
摘要
Like other regions of the world, urban gardens in the Galápagos are dominated by non-native plants, several of which have escaped cultivation and become naturalized or invasive. The negative environmental and economic consequences of escape and invasion are particularly high in island systems, where insular endemics may be at increased risk of local or global extinction. Landscape designs that prominently feature native plants and favor local biodiversity are increasingly popular, yet largely unavailable for the Galápagos. The potential benefits of native plant landscape designs are considerable. Specifically, native plant landscape designs reduce or eliminate the potential for plant invasions and provide host plants and habitat for native wildlife. In this chapter, we discuss current socio-economic concerns and regulatory constraints that guide or constrain design standards for gardens on the Galápagos, and the potential for incorporating native plants into garden designs that favor native wildlife. We share a list of recommended plant materials for landscape designs on the island of San Cristóbal, including those with that benefit pollinators. We include guidance that can be used in ornamental landscape designs for island systems for supporting native plant gardens proliferation on San Cristóbal, and throughout the Galápagos, in general.