The response of meiofauna to human trampling on coral reefs

Visnu C. Sarmento; Aliny F.S. Barreto; Paulo J.P. Santos

doi:10.3989/scimar.2011.75n3559

Autores/as

Visnu C. Sarmento Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia
Aliny F.S. Barreto Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia
Paulo J.P. Santos Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2011.75n3559

Palabras clave:

acción antropogénica, perturbación del ecosistema, turismo, algas, hábitat, bentos, arrecifes de coral

Resumen

Los ambientes costeros están sometidos a la frecuentación humana en todo el mundo. Sin embargo, los estudios que evalúan el efecto de la frecuentación sobre la meiofauna de sustratos duros son raros, y sobre la meiofauna de los ambientes arrecifales son inexistentes. Se investigaron los efectos de la frecuentación relacionados con el turismo en la meiofauna de formaciones de arrecifes costeros en la región nordeste de Brasil. Fueron recogidas muestras de cinco pares de estaciones ubicadas en dos zonas en el arrecife: un área protegida desde 2004, y un área abierta a las visitas de turistas. La frecuentación provocó cambios importantes en la comunidad de la meiofauna. Las densidades de la meiofauna total y de los grupos más frecuentes fueron afectadas negativamente en la zona pisoteada. Entre los grupos principales, la clase Polychaeta demostró ser muy sensible a esta perturbación. Los grupos de la meiofauna mostraron diferentes padrones de respuesta al pisoteo dependiendo de la especie de alga pisoteada. Las reducciones en la densidad de animales se debieron en parte a la pérdida de biomasa de algas y sedimento asociado causada por el pisoteo, y en parte al efecto directo del pisoteo sobre los animales. Considerando la importancia de la meiofauna en la cadena alimentaria y su biodiversidad, estos resultados llaman la atención sobre los posibles efectos negativos de la frecuentación humana en los “servicios” ecológicos y económicos que proporcionan los arrecifes.

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