Community patterns generated by human harvesting on Chilean shores: A review

1. The Chilean rocky coast has been exploited for food by coastal gatherers for at least 8500 years BP and probably was an important factor in how pre historic people were able to colonize the South Americas Pacific Rim. The m ain species targeted in the past were the same as those today except that n ow the gatherers are resident and the fishing activity is more intense and persistent. 2. With many pertinent studies from around the world having been published on this topic, mostly conducted in Marine Reserves, this review tries to id entify the main patterns that can help us recognize, in the Chilean interti dal, the degree of exploitation on wave exposed and wave protected rocky sh ore habitats. 3. Three clear patterns were identified depending on the trophic level adop ted by the human gatherers in the food chain of the intertidal zone. First, when the humans act as herbivores, collecting the large laminarian Durvill aea antarctica, adult plants disappear from the accessible sites, especiall y the midlittoral, semi-exposed and exposed habitats. 4. Second, when humans harvest the ecologically important herbivorous arche ogastropoda Fissurella spp., this results in the red alga Mazzaella laminar ioides covering almost 100% of the midlittoral rocks. Third, when humans be come top predators by collecting the muricid carnivore Concholepas conchole pas, then bivalves, mainly Perumytilus purpuratus, cover the rocks in multi ple layers. 5. These patterns contribute to the evaluation of the state of conservation of the Chilean rocky intertidal shores, especially because the north and t he south are beginning to be connected by a new coastal road. Thus it is ne cessary to evaluate urgently, on a large spatial scale, the state of conser vation of these communities, in order to help select the appropriate places for establishing Marine Reserves. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Lt d.