Ecological and genetic consequences of the Chernobyl atomic power plant accident

Concentrations and dose rate estimates of 134137cesium and 90strontium in small mammals at chornobyl, Ukraine

“…Relatively high radioresistance has been reported for this species [23], and data from other radioactively contaminated sites suggest that C. glareolus may have evolved a greater tolerance to ionizing radiation [23,24]. In regions near the Red Forest shortly after the Chornobyl accident, C. glareolus was found to have high embryonic mortality in the first year after the accident (34% vs 6% in controls; [10]).…”

“…Despite the magnitude of this disaster, mammal populations thrive in even the most radioactive regions around the reactor [8,9]. Populations of mammals in the 10‐km zone have experienced a strong recovery from areas where they were most certainly extirpated in the months after the explosion [10] by radiation doses exceeding 60 Gy [11]. Presently, mammal densities are higher in the radioactive areas than in nearby habitats, which received much lower amounts of radioactive fallout [11].…”

“…Presently, mammal densities are higher in the radioactive areas than in nearby habitats, which received much lower amounts of radioactive fallout [11]. Recovery of mammal populations within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zones may, in part, be due to evacuation of about 135,000 people, leaving agricultural and disturbed habitats to succeed to grasslands [7,10].…”

Radiocesium contaminations of 20 wood species and the corresponding gamma-ray dose rates around the canopies at 5 months after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

“…7). This can also be considered as an attribute of the timing of foliar expansion, as discussed above, which is reasonable based on the fact that trees are effective aerosol interceptors and that larger canopies should be able to collect lager amounts of fallout (Bunzl and Kracke, 1988;Sokolov et al, 1990;Petroff et al, 2008). Pröhl (2009) demonstrated that, due to the dependence on plant development, the interception of both dry and wet deposits is subject to pronounced seasonality.…”

“…For example, some estimations from the earlier surveys indicates that forest occupies at least 1343 km 2 of the total contaminated areas of 1778 km 2 with more than 5 mSv y À1 (MOE, 2012) and totally 21 Tg-Dry matter of forest components are contaminated (Hashimoto et al, 2012). Additionally, based on their physiological/morphological aspects, forests/woody plants seemed to be objects that warranted particular attention because woody plants are effective aerosol interceptors (Bunzl and Kracke, 1988;Sokolov et al, 1990;Petroff et al, 2008;Pröhl, 2009). Plants growing on the forest floor have roots that are largely confined to the acidic, organic-rich humic soil layer where the bioavailability of radiocesium is relatively high (McGee et al, 2000;Goor and Thiry, 2004).…”