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VEGETATION
ZONES
There are
seven vegetation zones on the Galapagos Islands, each at a different height.
Vegetation zones are a way to classify environments that attract different
plants and animals. Here is a short assessment of the zones and a few
of the plants you can expect to see in each of the zones.
1 |
THE COASTAL ZONE. - Along the shore line 50m to 100m inland. It
is not very wide and the vegetation here is influenced greatly by
the presence of salt. It is significantly evergreen.
red, white, black and button mangroves
sea grass, dessert plum, and the saltbush Cryptocarpus
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2 |
THE ARID ZONE – Habitat, and breeding area for many animal
species. It is a semi-desert forest dominated by trees and shrubs.
The most wide-ranging vegetation zone.
Lichens, Palo santo tree and the opuntia cactus
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3 |
THE TRANSITIONAL ZONE – The zone between dry and moist zone.
The forest here is mainly deciduous like the arid zone but is much
denser and varied
Guayabilo tree, pega pega tree, matazarno tree, candelabra cactus
and the giant prickly pear cactus
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4 |
SCALESIA ZONE – 180m up. First of the moist zones. Cloud forest
densely wooded. Only found on the higher islands. It is the richest
zone in soil fertility and productivity, and has been mistreated
for farming and cattle purposes
Orchids, ferns, scalesia pedunculata and vines
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5 |
BROWN ZONE –. The trees are heavily draped with mosses, which
make this zone look brown during the dry season. Farming and goats
have ruined most of this zone
Cats claw
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6 |
MICONIA ZONE –Dense shrubbery. Between 400m and 500m only
found on the southern slopes of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal
Miconia robinsoniana, baccharis, hyptis, and the quinine tree imported
to the islands but now completely taking over
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7 |
PAMPA ZONE – Like the Miconia zone, only found on the southern
slopes of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. No trees or shrubs, largely
ferns and grasses. The wettest, and highest of all the zones.
Mosses, grasses, ferns, lichens and 4 types of orchid
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