Lessonia berteroana (ex L. nigrescens) is kelp freely harvested from Open Access Areas (OAA), and to some extent controlled, from Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources (MEABR). Harvesting pressures can change population dynamics, mainly in OAAs. In particular, harvesting may alter the chemical components of plants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the harvesting effects on the chemical composition of L. berteroana from MEABR and OAA sampled during different seasons (spring and fall) and at two sites (Talquilla and Lagunillas) near Coquimbo (30°S), Chile. The crude protein (13.5 ± 1.0%), total lipids (0.9 ± 0.2%), crude fiber (16.3 ± 1.6%), ash (30.1 ± 1.5%), and nitrogen-free extract (39.2 ± 2.0%) contents of L. berteroana were within reference values for Laminariales species. Population descriptors and chemical analyses showed that harvesting had local effects, rather than being affected by a resource management strategy (OAA vs MEABR). The seasonal anticipator nature of L. berteroana may explain the detected seasonality of it's chemical composition. Regarding functional morphological structures, chemical composition in the fronds was more variable than in the stipes and perennial holdfast, probably since leaves are ephemeral structures susceptible to environmental changes and that play a functional, rather than structural, role in kelp. In the context of Chilean kelp resource management, monitoring chemical composition is useful for determining optimal harvesting periods to local scale and for deciding when commercially valuable compounds, such as alginate, should be extracted. These data also complement harvesting pressure indicators based on L. berteroana demographic parameters.
The chemical composition of Lessonia berteroana (ex L. nigrescens) in kelp harvest management and open access areas near Coquimbo, Chile
