Fariña J M, Castilla J C
Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda 340, C.P. 6513677, Santiago, Chile.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2001 Jul;42(7):554-68. doi: 10.1016/s0025-326x(00)00201-0.
Several coastal rocky shores in the northern Chile have been affected by the discharges of copper mine tailings. In spite of this, the temporal and spatial variation on the diversity and composition of their intertidal benthic communities has scarcely been studied. The objectives of the present study were to analyse and to compare quantitatively the temporal variation on the diversity, cover and composition of sessile species in rocky intertidal benthic communities of the northern Chilean coast, in relation to the presence of copper mine tailings. The results show that the drastic reduction on the sessile species diversity and the monopolization of the substrate exerted by the green algae Enteromorpha compressa, are common and permanent features of the intertidal rocky shores affected by copper mine tailings. Such spatial (between sites) and temporal (seasonal) variation of these changes has been associated with the relative concentrations of trace metals and inorganic particles of the mining wastes. Our results suggest that the mechanical effects of resuspended and settling tailings are a more likely cause.
智利北部的几个沿海岩石海岸受到了铜矿尾矿排放的影响。尽管如此，对其潮间带底栖生物群落多样性和组成的时空变化却鲜有研究。本研究的目的是定量分析和比较智利北部海岸岩石潮间带底栖生物群落中固着物种的多样性、覆盖率和组成的时间变化，并探讨其与铜矿尾矿存在的关系。结果表明，受铜矿尾矿影响的潮间带岩石海岸普遍存在固着物种多样性急剧减少以及绿藻浒苔对基质的垄断现象。这些变化在空间（不同地点之间）和时间（季节）上的差异与采矿废弃物中痕量金属和无机颗粒的相对浓度有关。我们的结果表明，尾矿再悬浮和沉降的机械作用更有可能是造成这种现象的原因。
