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For the French Caribbean island, see Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq
Southeast coast of Guadalupe Island
Southeast coast of Guadalupe Island

Guadalupe Island, or Isla Guadalupe, (29°02′20″N 118°16′41″W / 29.039, -118.278) is a volcanic island located 241 kilometers (150 statute miles) off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and some 400 kilometers (250 statute miles) southwest of the city of Ensenada in Baja California state, in the Pacific Ocean. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Baja California peninsula ( English: Lower California peninsula) is a Peninsula in western Mexico. Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The two other Mexican island groups in the Pacific Ocean that are not on the continental shelf are Revillagigedo Islands and Rocas Alijos. The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each Continent and associated Coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such The Revillagigedo Islands (also Revillagigedo Archipelago or Islas Revillagigedo) are a group of four Volcanic islands Islands in the Rocas Alijos (or Escollos Alijos in English also Alijos Rocks are a group of tiny steep and barren volcanic islets or above-water (as well as below-water rocks

Contents

Administration and population

The 2005 census recorded a population of 15 persons on the island[1]. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Guadalupe is part of Ensenada delegación, one of the 24 delegaciones or subdivisions of Ensenada municipality of the Mexican state of Baja California. The municipality (municipio of Ensenada, with a land area of 51952 The Mexican state of Baja California is divided into five municipalities (municipios The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico. Ensenada delegación and Chapultepec delegación together form the city of Ensenada, the municipal seat of the namesake municipality. Municipalities ( municipios in Spanish) are the second-level administrative division in Mexico (where the first-level administrative division is the The postal code of Guadalupe Island is 22997. A postal code (known in various countries as a post code, postcode, or ZIP code) is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a

Campo Oeste ("West Camp", also called Campo Tepeyác, with 15 buildings) is a small community of abalone and lobster fishermen, located on the western coast, specifically on the north side of West Anchorage, a bay that provides protection from the strong winds and swells that whip the islands during winter. Abalone (from Spanish Abulón) are medium-sized to very large edible sea Snails marine Gastropod Mollusks in the Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as Generators provide electricity, and a military vessel brings 20,000 liters of fresh water. The number of fishermen varies annually depending on the fishing season. 10 months of the year the 30 families of the fishing cooperative "Abuloneros and Langosteros of Guadalupe Island" are present. [1]

Additional temporary fishing camps are Campo Norte ("North Camp", four buildings), Campo Lima (Campo Corrals) (one building) and Arroyitos (four buildings). [2]

An abandoned fishermen community, Campo Este ("East Camp"), is located near a cove on the eastern shore.

At the southern tip, on Melpómene Cove, there is a weather station staffed by a detachment from the Mexican Ministry of the Navy. The site is called Campamento Sur ("South Encampment").

Campo Bosque was established as a temporary camp in 1999 in the cypress forest in the north. Cypress is the name applied to many Plants in the conifer family Cupressaceae (cypress family The camp houses members of the Cooperative Farming Society "Francisco Javier Maytorena, S. C. of R. L. " and removes goats from the island and sells them in the State of Sonora, with permission of SEMARNAT and the support of the Ministry of the Navy. Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or SEMARNAT is Mexico 's environment ministry.

Campo Pista is located at the small airstrip with a length of 1200 meters, near the center of the island ( 29°01′24.04″N, 118°16′21.75″W, elevation:592 m, direction:05/23). The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International [3]

Geography and geology

Island map
Island map

Guadalupe has a rugged landscape. It consists of two ancient overlapping shield volcanoes, of which the northern and higher volcano is the younger. A shield volcano is a large Volcano with shallow-sloping sides The island measures 35 km north-south and up to 9. 5 km east-west, with a total area of 243. 988 km² (94. 204 square miles). It features a chain of high volcanic mountain ridges which rises to a height of 1,298 meters (4,257 feet) at its northern end (Mount Augusta). Its smaller counterpart on the southern end is the 975 m (3,199 ft) El Picacho. The southern part of the island is barren, but there are fertile valleys and trees in the northern part. The coast generally consists of rocky bluffs with detached rocks fronting some of them. Two high and prominent islets are within 3 km of the southwestern end of the island, separated from one another by a gap called Tuna Alley:

Elsewhere, the other islets are very small and close to the shore, all less than one kilometer away:

Climate

The island has two major climate zones: a very arid, semi-hot climate between 0 and 800 meters elevation, with mean annual temperature between 18-22°C, and a very arid, temperate climate above 800 meters elevation with temperatures over 22°C in the hottest month of the year. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist

Most precipitation occurs over the winter months with strong influence of northwestern winds and cyclones. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth.

Ecology

NASA satellite image
NASA satellite image

Guadalupe shares the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion with the Channel Islands of California in the United States, but the island has been practically denuded of all plants higher than a few centimeters by the up to 100,000[2] feral goats. The California chaparral and woodlands is a Terrestrial ecoregion of central and southern California ( United States) and northwestern Baja California An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe

Originally brought there in the early 19th century by primarily Russian whalers and sealers for provisions when stopping over, the population eventually eliminated most vegetation; the number of goats declined to a few thousand. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The main impact of the goat population was before this collapse, about the turn of the 19th/20th century. Naturalist A. W. Anthony wrote in 1901:

"It is directly due to the despised Billy-goat that many interesting species of plants formerly abundant are now extinct, and also that one or more of the birds peculiar to the island has disappeared, and others are following rapidly. "[3]

After the crash, the goat population once again grew, this time more slowly, until it had reached the new, lower carrying capacity at maybe 10,000–20,000 in modern times. The supportable Population of an Organism, given the food habitat, water and other necessities available within an environment is known as the environment's The island had been a nature conservancy area since August 16, 1928, making it one of the oldest reserves in Mexico. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Eradication of the goats was long envisioned, but logistical difficulties such as island size and lack of suitable spots for landing and encamping hunters and material prevented this. As of June 2005, after many years of false starts, the Mexican government has almost completed a round-up and evacuation of the remaining goat population and Guadalupe has been designated a biosphere reserve. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The biosphere is the broadest level of ecological study the global sum of all Ecosystems. nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora

Of the large tree species on Guadalupe Island (Guadalupe Palm, Guadalupe Cypress), Island Oak, and Guadalupe Pine), there were only old individuals left; California Juniper had entirely disappeared. Brahea edulis ( Guadalupe Palm, Palma de Guadalupe) is a palm native and almost endemic to Guadalupe Island Cupressus guadalupensis is a species of cypress native to Guadalupe Island off Baja California, Mexico, and scattered north to The Island Oak ( Quercus tomentella) also known as Island Live Oak or Channel Islands Oak, is an Oak in the section ''Protobalanus'' Pinus radiata (family Pinaceae is known in English as Monterey Pine in some parts of the world (mainly in the USA, Canada and the Juniperus californica ( California Juniper) is a Species of Juniper native to southwestern North America; as the name implies As the goats ate any seedlings that managed to germinate, no regeneration of trees was possible. Water, formerly plentiful as the common fogs condensed in the forests of the northern end of the island, today only occurs in a few scattered pools and springs. Because the springs were a critical emergency water supply for the human inhabitants, protective measures including goat fences were installed beginning in 2000, allowing new seedlings of many species to survive for the first time in 150 years. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Seacology, a non-profit environmental group located in Berkeley, CA, provided funding to the Island Conservation & Ecology Group for the construction of ten fenced exclosures to keep goats out of the most sensitive areas of Guadalupe Island. Seacology is a non-profit non-governmental organization with the sole mission of preserving the ecosystems and cultures of islands throughout the globe

Many island or marine species that reside on or near Guadalupe also frequent the Channel Islands, and vice-versa. Marine is an Umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the Sea or Ocean, such as Marine biology, Marine In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. In stark contrast to the rampant extinction of terrestrial life that happened at the same time, Guadalupe was the last refuge for the Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) and the Guadalupe Fur Seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) in the 1890s. The Northern Elephant Seal ( Mirounga angustirostris) is one of two Species of Elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal) The Guadalupe Fur Seal ( Arctocephalus townsendi) is a Fur seal. The island has been a pinniped sanctuary since 1975. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Guadalupe is considered one of the best spots in the world for sightings of the Great White Shark, possibly because of its large population of pinnipeds. The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, also known as white pointer, white shark, or white death, is an exceptionally large lamniform Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising A joint team from the USA and Mexico (UC Davis and CICIMAR) are working in tandem with eco-tour operators Horizon Charters, Islander Charters and Shark Diver to tag and study these sharks. The University of California Davis, commonly known as UC Davis, or just UCD, is a public coeducational university located in the city of Davis,

Habitat types

Before the removal of goats, surveys found eight major land habitats on Guadalupe:[4]

  1. Flora of the coastal lowlands and rocky cliffs: mainly up to 200 m above mean sea level (ASL), but higher on the steep cliffs. A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits" is an Ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular Species. The term above mean sea level ( AMSL) refers to the Elevation (on the ground or Altitude (in the Air) of any object relative to the Largely unresearched due to difficult access, the cliffs might even harbor remnant specimens of the presumably extinct plants.
  2. Succulent perennial herbs: 200-400 m ASL, chiefly on the southern end and on the offshore islets, and in less steep areas towards sea level. Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than A(n herb (ˈhɝb or /ˈɝb/ see pronunciation differences) is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties flavor scent or the like Here, the highest number of endemic plants exist. Baeriopsis guadalupensis, Cistanthe guadalupensis, Dudleya guadalupensis, Hemizonia greeneana ssp. greeneana, H. palmeri, Perityle incana and Stephanomeria guadalupensis are dominant endemics, and Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea), a non-endemic native species, is also abundant. Coreopsis gigantea ( Giant Coreopsis) is a woody Perennial plant native to California and Baja California.
  3. Arid maritime shrubland: 400-600 m ASL. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Shrubland (synonymous with Scrubland) is a habitat type dominated by woody Shrubs A shrub is a perennial woody plant that branches at ground level to form several Mainly in the southern portion around El Picacho. Native species occurring here include Ambrosia camphorata, Atriplex barclayana, Cylindropuntia prolifera and California Boxthorn (Lycium californicum); none of these is endemic. Lycium californicum is a spreading shrub in the nightshade family known by the common names California boxthorn and California desert-thorn.
  4. Herbland dominated by introduced plants: 600-800m ASL, mainly on the central plateau. This habitat is almost entirely a consequence of overgrazing; hardly anything of the original ecosystem remains. Dominant introduced plants are Avena barbata, Bromus berteroanus, B. diandrus, B hordeaceus sspp. Bromus diandrus is a species of grass known by the common names great brome and " Ripgut brome ". Bromus hordeaceus, the Soft Brome, is a Species of Plant in the true grass family ( Poaceae) hordaceus and mollis, B. madritensis ssp. rubens, tocalote (Centaurea melitensis), Chenopodium murale, Filago californica, Hordeum murinum sspp. Bromus madritensis (also B matritensis) is a species of brome grass known by the common name compact brome. Centaurea melitensis (called Maltese star thistle in Europe tocalote or tocolote in western North America is an Annual plant Chenopodium murale is a species of plant in the amaranth family known by the common name nettleleaf goosefoot. Hordeum murinum or Wall barley is a Species of grass. glaucum and leporinum, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum, Polypogon monspeliensis and Sisymbrium orientale. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum is a prostrate Succulent plant that is native to Africa, Western Asia and Europe. The non-endemic natives Amblyopappus pusillus, Calystegia macrostegia ssp. macrostegia, Cryptantha maritima var. Amblyopappus is a monotypic genus in the daisy family which contains the single plant species Amblyopappus pusillus, known by the common name Calystegia macrostegia is a species of Morning glory known by the common name island false bindweed. maritima, Filago arizonica, Gilia nevinii, Lasthenia californica, Pectocarya palmeri and Perityle emoryi as well as the endemics Cryptantha foliosa and Sphaeralcea palmeri can be found here also; some still are numerous. Lasthenia californica is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name California goldfields. This probably was a mesic shrub/herbland before the goats destroyed the upland forest, upsetting the water supply. Native plants like Crossosoma californicum, Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina) and the endemic Camissonia guadalupensis ssp. Malosma is a plant genus for which only a single species Malosma laurina, is proposed guadalupensis presumably thrived here in former times, as would have native taxa such as Ceanothus crassifolius, C. cuneatus (and possibly also C. arboreus which was found in 2001-2003 surveys[5]), Cammisonia robusta, Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) and the endemic Hesperalea palmeri, which have now disappeared from the island. Ceanothus crassifolius is a species of flowering Shrub known by the common name hoaryleaf ceanothus. Ceanothus cuneatus is a species of flowering Shrub known by the common names buckbrush and wedgeleaf ceanothus. Ceanothus arboreus is a species of shrub endemic to California especially to the Channel Islands. Ribes sanguineum ( Flowering Currant or Red-flowering Currant) is a species of currant native to western coastal North America
  5. Guadalupe Palm groves: 400-900 m ASL on the NW side of the island. Brahea edulis ( Guadalupe Palm, Palma de Guadalupe) is a palm native and almost endemic to Guadalupe Island There are hundreds of palm trees remaining, mainly in a single patch of this habitat. At least one other major palm forest, at the W coast, existed; it was still present in 1906[6] As reproduction is presumably still ongoing, the species will likely recover in due time.
  6. Guadalupe Cypress forest: 800–1000 m ASL. Cupressus guadalupensis is a species of cypress native to Guadalupe Island off Baja California, Mexico, and scattered north to Presently some 4000 of old trees, essentially limited to the central northern part. Other cypress forests, such as a major stand NE of the present patch which was still extant in 1906[7], have been destroyed by the goats early in the 20th century. There is still reproduction, but the water table appears to have declined to below the level required by the cypresses, and mortality of the old trees is high and can be expected to continue even after removal of the goats.
  7. Guadalupe Palm - Island Oak - Guadalupe Pine woodland: 900–1000 m ASL. The Island Oak ( Quercus tomentella) also known as Island Live Oak or Channel Islands Oak, is an Oak in the section ''Protobalanus'' Pinus radiata (family Pinaceae is known in English as Monterey Pine in some parts of the world (mainly in the USA, Canada and the This habitat has all but disappeared during the 20th century[7], due to the decline in numbers of the oaks and pines.
  8. Guadalupe Pine cloud forest with some Island Oak: restricted to above 1000 m ASL on the N-NE point of the island. A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally Tropical or Subtropical evergreen Montane moist forest characterized by a The population of the pine has declined by about two-thirds during the last 35 years; it presently stands at about 130 old trees in the main population and about the same number scattered elsewhere. Reproduction is ongoing, with several hundred seedlings having successfully established themselves since 2000[5], and with the elimination of goat browsing, the pines will likely make a full recovery. The situation of the oak is more dire; there are only 20 trees or so remaining (by about 1950, there were 100) and they appear past reproductive age. Not being restricted to Guadalupe, seedlings could be imported from elsewhere.

A ninth habitat type, California Juniper woodland and extending on the central plateau below the cypress forest, was entirely gone by 1906[7]. Juniperus californica ( California Juniper) is a Species of Juniper native to southwestern North America; as the name implies What other endemic lifeforms underwent coextinction with it will forever remain unknown. Coextinction of a Species is the loss of one species upon the Extinction of another

Endemism

Animals:

Plants:[4]

Extinctions

Numerous taxa have gone extinct due to the habitat destruction by the goats, which in turn rendered the endemic fauna vulnerable to predation by introduced cats and to adverse weather by depriving them of shelter. Pinus radiata (family Pinaceae is known in English as Monterey Pine in some parts of the world (mainly in the USA, Canada and the A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa.

There have been 5-6 extinctions of birds:

Globally extinct plant taxa from Guadalupe Island are:[12]

and one species of plant incertae sedis

Footnotes

  1. ^ INEGI (2007)
  2. ^ Maximum population that was reached in the late 19th century; nearly 2 goats per acre/more than 4/ha: León de la Luz et al. Incertae sedis ( Latin for "of uncertain placement" abbreviated "inc Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, (2003)
  3. ^ Anthony (1901)
  4. ^ a b León de la Luz et al. (2003), CMICD (2007)
  5. ^ a b c Junak et al. (2003)
  6. ^ At "Steamer Point" (= opposite Steamboat Rock?): Thayer & Bangs (1908)
  7. ^ a b c Thayer & Bangs (1908)
  8. ^ Jiménez & Aguilar (1994)
  9. ^ Some naturalized populations exist in California
  10. ^ Depending on taxonomic status of Cedros Island population: CMICD (2007)
  11. ^ Anthony (1901), Kaeding (1905)
  12. ^ Junak et al. Cedros Island ( Isla de Cedros, "island of cedars" in Spanish, also called in English Cerros Island in former times is a Mexican island (2003), León de la Luz et al. (2003), CMICD (2007)

References

External links

Sailing directions, with geographical information

A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.
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