Effects of recreational activities on Patagonian rocky shores

MENDEZ, MARÍA M.; LIVORE, JUAN P.; CALCAGNO, JAVIER A.; BIGATTI, GREGORIO

MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2017 vol. 130 p. 213 - 220

0141-1136

Recreational activities can be an important source of anthropogenic disturbance in intertidal benthic assemblages. Onrocky shores, activities such as trampling, snorkeling and the handling of organisms may have a negative effect onbenthic communities by modifying the abundance and distribution of key species. Here, we describe and quantifyimpacts due to recreational activities on benthic communities on a Patagonian rocky shore by investigating theirresilience to two types of human disturbance: vehicle traffic and human trampling. To evaluate the effects of theseactivities, we carried out an observational study and assessed post-disturbance assemblage recovery. The rockyshores were most intensively visited during summer, and marked differences in the distribution and abundance ofbenthic species among disturbed and control plots were found after this season. The benthic community on the highintertidal level was able to recover from disturbance generated by vehicle traffic in summer (one vehicle on a singleoccasion, pulse disturbance) during the following winter. The effects of continuous trampling (press disturbance) weredrastic and the community of the mid intertidal level did not recover before the next recreational season. Mid intertidalcommunities exposed to press disturbances require more than one season of inactivity to recover from anthropogeniceffects, suggesting that the mechanisms involved operate at broad timescales; whilst recovery from a pulsedisturbance on high intertidal shores occurred in shorter time frames. Our findings highlight the need to establish andimplement management actions that contemplate the nature of the disturbance and intertidal level to minimize habitatdegradation due to human recreational activities.