Assessing biophysical limits to the economic development of remote islands: the case of Isabela in the Galapagos Archipelago

In assessing the sustainability of island tourism, the resident population size and yearly number of visitors are key factors. However, to assess the overall resource requirement and environmental impact on local ecosystems, we must also consider the metabolic rates and density of energy and material flows related to the activity of residents and tourists. We present here an innovative approach, the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM), with the aim of providing an integrated characterization of the metabolic pattern of island tourism. We use the tourism model implemented in the island Isabela in the Galapagos Archipelago as a case study. We show how MuSIASEM allows us to assess the overall requirement of resources and environmental services and the environmental impact for a given model of tourism. MuSIASEM employs a multi-level matrix to represent these characteristics in an integrated way, thus emphasizing the nexus between different biophysical factors.