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Sustainability and Climate Risks
Research UnitSustainability and Climate Risks

Photo: UHH/Denstorf

Nicole Acosta conducts second field trip on Galapagos Islands

1 February 2024, by Uwe Schneider

Field Research Galapagos

Photo: Nicole Acosta

Invasive plants are a threat to biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands. While native vegetation still covered around 94 % of the unprotected area of Santa Cruz Island in 1961, this proportion shrank to 7 % in 2018. Over 870 non-native plant species are currently on the islands, of which around 10 % are classified as invasive. FNK's doctoral student Nicole Acosta will be on the Galapagos Islands from February to May 2024 for her second field trip. Using drones, machine learning, and participatory modeling, Nicole will map the vegetation cover and land management of the rural zone and the surrounding protected area. The resulting map will be compared with previous information to estimate the rate of spread of invasive plants and changes in native vegetation cover.

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