scholarly journals Decarbonizing the Galapagos Islands: Techno-Economic Perspectives for the Hybrid Renewable Mini-Grid Baltra–Santa Cruz

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Eras-Almeida ◽  
Miguel Egido-Aguilera ◽  
Philipp Blechinger ◽  
Sarah Berendes ◽  
Estefanía Caamaño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Battery Capacity

The fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands is being affected by population growth, intensive tourism, the exploitation of local resources and the high consumption of imported fossil fuels. This unsustainable development model makes the provision of services such as electricity a challenge. This research investigates the hybrid renewable mini-grid Baltra–Santa Cruz, which represents 62% of the electricity generation mix of the archipelago. This study aims to support the Galapagos Zero Fossil Fuel Initiative and the Sustainable Development Goal 7 through the reduction in diesel consumption and electricity generation costs. To do so, HOMER Pro, a specialized hybrid renewable mini-grid planning tool, is used to perform several techno-economic assessments, focusing on different electricity demand scenarios. Therefore, multiple pathways are compared to identify the most reliable alternatives towards the progressive decarbonization of this hybrid system. The results indicate that installing 18.25 MWp of photovoltaic and 20.68 MWh of battery capacity could reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) from 32.06 to 18.95 USc/kWh, increasing the renewable energy (RE) share from 18% to 39%. Additionally, the successful application of energy efficiency measures would even reduce the LCOE to 17.10 USc/kWh. What is more, distributed energy is considered the most attractive way to involve islanders in the energy transition process. Finally, this paper offers a comprehensive business model proposal to achieve a resilient energy supply, based on a combination of auctions and energy community models, which demands high political will, reliable and innovative regulations and social awareness about energy use.

New littoral mite species (Acari, Oribatida, Fortuyniidae) from the Galápagos archipelago, with ecological and zoogeographical considerations

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4244 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
TOBIAS PFINGSTL ◽  
HEINRICH SCHATZ
Keyword(s):  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Ecological Preferences ◽  
Galapagos Archipelago ◽  
Unique Character ◽  
Cuticular Ridge

Two species of Fortuyniidae, found on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) are described and illustrated based on the adult and juvenile instars. Alismobates galapagoensis sp. nov. was found on six islands of the archipelago, in littoral and supralittoral habitats. It is morphologically similar to A. inexpectatus Pfingstl & Schuster, 2012 from Bermuda, but differs from that species and all other known congeners by a prominent cuticular ridge on epimeron III among other unique character combinations. Litoribates caelestis gen. and sp. nov. was found on the islands Santa Cruz and Bartolomé in the littoral zone under Maytenus and mangroves. Notes on distribution and ecological preferences of both species are included. 

Entomogenous fungi from the Galápagos Islands

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 2325-2333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry C. Evans ◽  
Robert A. Samson
Keyword(s):  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Verticillium Lecanii ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Entomogenous Fungi ◽  
Ecological Implications ◽  
Associated Species

Twenty-one species of entomogenous fungi, collected during a mycological survey of the island of Santa Cruz, are listed. Several coccid-associated species are described in detail, including Hirsutella sphaerospora sp. nov. on Eriococcid larvae; Hirsutella besseyi Fisher; and Torrubiella confragosa Mains, putative teleomorph of Verticillium lecanii (Zimm.) Viégas. In addition, Hirsutella darwinii on a spider host is described as new. The entomogenous mycoflora is similar to that of mainland Ecuador and the ecological implications are discussed particularly in relation to coccid populations.

scholarly journals Human-caused and natural mortality of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands during 1995-2004

Oryx ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cruz Márquez ◽  
David A. Wiedenfeld ◽  
Sandra Landázuri ◽  
Juan Chávez
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
National Park Service ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz Island ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Park Service

AbstractAlthough the killing of giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands has been prohibited since 1933, poaching of tortoises still occurs. Personnel of the Galapagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station regularly survey populations of tortoises throughout the archipelago and report all dead tortoises found. For the 10-year period 1995–2004 the field personnel reported evidence of 190 giant tortoises killed, primarily on the southern portion of Isabela Island. For the first 6 years the number of tortoises found killed was <15 per year, but since 2001 the number killed has increased dramatically, with 49 tortoises poached in 2004. During the same 10 years the number of tortoises found dead from natural causes was 131. Many of these deaths can be attributed to events associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño or with outbreaks of disease on Santa Cruz Island in 1996 and 1999. The results indicate that poaching exceeds natural mortality, and is a significant factor affecting these long-lived and slow-reproducing animals. Environmental education efforts in the human population of southern Isabela appear to have had little effect. Because tortoise poaching takes place at a small number of sites, effective enforcement at those sites could reduce killing of tortoises.

A NEW EYELESS, STRIDULATING THERIDION SPIDER FROM CAVES IN THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS (ARANEAE, THERIDIIDAE)

1987 ◽  
Vol 119 (10) ◽  
pp. 881-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart B. Peck ◽  
William A. Shear
Keyword(s):  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
The Other ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Lava Tube ◽  
Stridulatory Apparatus

AbstractTheridion strepitus sp. nov. is described from lava tube caves from Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador. It is the only species known in this worldwide genus that is eyeless and it is the only Galápagos species that has stridulatory picks on the male abdomen. The stridulatory apparatus demonstrates that the species is not a descendant from the other Theridion species known in the Galápagos, but is probably a relict of a lineage now extinct there in epigean habitats.

scholarly journals Psidium guajava in the Galapagos Islands: population genetics and history of an invasive species

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Urquía ◽  
Bernardo Gutiérrez ◽  
Gabriela Pozo ◽  
María José Pozo ◽  
Analía Espín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Psidium Guajava ◽  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Historical Record ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Galapagos Archipelago ◽  
History Of

AbstractThe threat of invasive plant species in island populations prompts the need to better understand their population genetics and dynamics. In the Galapagos islands, this is exemplified by the introduced guava (Psidium guajava), considered one of the greatest threats to the local biodiversity due to its effective spread in the archipelago and its ability to outcompete endemic species. To better understand its history and genetics, we analyzed individuals from three inhabited islands in the Galapagos archipelago with 11 SSR markers. Our results reveal similar genetic diversity between islands, suggestive of gene flow between them. Populations appear to be distinct between the islands of San Cristobal and Isabela, with the population of Santa Cruz being composed as a mixture from both. Additional evidence for genetic bottlenecks and the inference of introduction events suggests an original introduction of the species in San Cristobal, from where it was later introduced to Isabela, and finally into Santa Cruz. Alternatively, an independent introduction event for Isabela is also possible. These results are contrasted with the historical record, providing a first overview of the history of P. guajava in the Galapagos islands and its current population dynamics.

scholarly journals Origin and dispersion pathways of guava in the Galapagos Islands inferred through genetics and historical records

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Urquia ◽  
Bernardo Gutierrez ◽  
Gabriela Pozo ◽  
Maria Pozo ◽  
Maria Torres
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Psidium Guajava ◽  
Galapagos Islands ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Galápagos Islands ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Introduction History ◽  
Galapagos Archipelago ◽  
History Of

Guava (Psidium guajava) is one of the most aggressive invasive plants in the Galapagos Islands. Determining its provenance and genetic diversity could provide valuable information for its control. With this purpose, we analyzed 11 SSR markers in guava individuals collected from Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Floreana islands in the Galapagos, as well as from mainland Ecuador. The mainland guava population appeared genetically differentiated from the Galapagos populations, with higher genetic diversity levels found in the former. By using different approaches for data analysis, we consistently found that the Central Highlands region of mainland Ecuador is one of the most likely origins of the Galapagos populations. Moreover, the guavas from Isabela and Floreana show a potential genetic input from southern mainland Ecuador, while the population from San Cristobal would be linked to the coastal mainland regions. Interestingly, the proposed origins for the Galapagos guava coincide with the first human settlings of the archipelago. By employing Approximate Bayesian Computation, we propose a model where San Cristobal was the first island to be colonized by guava from the mainland, from which it would have spread to Floreana and finally to Santa Cruz; Isabela would have been seeded from Floreana. An independent trajectory could also have contributed in the invasion of Floreana and Isabela. The pathway shown in our model agrees with the human colonization history of the different islands in the Galapagos. Our model, in conjunction with the clustering patterns of the guava individuals (based on genetic distances), suggests that guava introduction history in the Galapagos archipelago was driven predominantly by a single event (or events in rapid succession) instead of several independent introductions. We thus show that genetic analyses supported by historical sources can be used to answer questions on the variability and history of guava in the Galapagos Islands.

The competitiveness of nuclear energy in an era of liberalized markets and restrictions on greenhouse-gas emissions

2009 ◽  
pp. 37-62
Author(s):  
Luigi De Paoli ◽  
Francesco Gulli
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Markets ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Generation Costs ◽  
The Cost

- The debate on the benefits of nuclear energy revolves around the very competitiveness of this energy source. This article tries to show why it is not easy to answer unambiguously the question whether or not it is convenient to resort to nuclear power in a given country. After listing the factors on which the cost of electricity generation rests and discussing the range of probability of their value, the levelized cost of electricity generation from nuclear, coal and gas-fired plants is calculated using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that nuclear power is likely to be competitive, especially if policies to combat CO2 emissions will continue in the coming decades. There are, however, some margins of uncertainty, mainly related, to the one hand, to the cost of nuclear plants, that depends on the socio-institutional context, and on the other, to the fossil fuels cost, that are inherently difficult to anticipate even on average. Finally it is noted that the context of liberalized electricity markets may make it more difficult for investors to accept the risk of investing in nuclear power plants and for the community to socialize some of the costs associated with this technology.Key words: Nuclear energy, generation costs, Montecarlo method, environmental impacts.JEL classifications: G11, H23, L72, L94, Q31, Q40

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