The effects of anthropogenic pressures on native Chilean fish and lamprey fauna

Abstract

Anthropogenic pressures that affect freshwater ecosystems in Chile generate complex effects on fish and lamprey fauna. This study analyses and summarizes scientific research that evaluates existing impacts and proposes a zoning of threats based on the distribution of the main anthropogenic pressures and the distributional patterns of fish and lampreys species native to Chile. This evaluation allowed identification of main pressures throughout the country and assessment of empirically proven impacts on fish and lamprey fauna at different levels of organisation, from individuals to ecosystems. The result of the evaluation revealed that Chilean fish and lampreys are extremely threatened by multiple anthropogenic pressures throughout the country and that effective conservation measures are urgently required to ensure their persistence. Finally, a model of cascading effects is proposed from the pressure (anthropogenic activity) that generates the impact, to changes experienced by the fish and lamprey fauna at different levels of their hierarchical organization and at different spatial and temporal scales. This threat zoning proposal and cascading effects model are intended to be a useful tool to facilitate the conservation of Chile’s valuable fish and lamprey fauna.