Nuclear Engineering and Wildlife: Radioactivity in Jackrabbits after the Sedan Test

Turner, Frederick; Rowland, Richard H.; Wood, Robert A.

doi:10.2307/3797837

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Following World War II and the advent of the nuclear age, the black-tailed jackrabbit was frequently used as a bioindicator for the uptake of radioactive elements, principally iodine (I 131 , I 129 ), cesium (Cs 137 ), and strontium (Sr 89 , Sr 90 ) (Hayden 1962, Turner et al 1966, Rickard and Price 1984, Fitzner and Gray 1991.…”

Section: Jackrabbits and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The assumption was that jackrabbits would provide a valid sample of radioisotope deposition across a given landscape due to their ubiquitous nature and the ease of collecting specimens (Turner et al 1966). This research was undertaken at sites initially used to produce plutonium for World War II, as well as at nuclear technology and weaponry testing facilities.…”

Section: Jackrabbits and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Much of the previous research on jackrabbits focused on the black-tailed jackrabbit as an indicator species for radioactive contamination from nuclear reactor and weapons testing during the last century throughout the western United States (Hayden 1962, French et al 1965, Turner et al 1966, O'Farrell and Gilbert 1975.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Jackrabbits in the American West: History, Ecology, Ecological Significance, and Survey Methods

Simes

Longshore

Nussear

et al. 2015

Western North American Naturalist

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Across the western United States, Leporidae are the most important prey item in the diet of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Leporids inhabiting the western United States include black-tailed (Lepus californicus) and white-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii) and various species of cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus spp.). Jackrabbits (Lepus spp.) are particularly important components of the ecological and economic landscape of western North America because their abundance influences the reproductive success and population trends of predators such as coyotes (Canis latrans), bobcats (Lynx rufus), and a number of raptor species. Here, we review literature pertaining to black-tailed and white-tailed jackrabbits comprising over 170 published journal articles, notes, technical reports, conference proceedings, academic theses and dissertations, and other sources dating from the late 19th century to the present. Our goal is to present information to assist those in research and management, particularly with regard to protected raptor species (e.g., Golden Eagles), mammalian predators, and ecological monitoring. We classified literature sources as (1) general information on jackrabbit species, (2) black-tailed or (3) white-tailed jackrabbit ecology and natural history, or (4) survey methods. These categories, especially 2, 3, and 4, were further subdivided as appropriate. The review also produced several tables on population trends, food habits, densities within various habitats, and jackrabbit growth and development. Black-tailed and white-tailed jackrabbits are ecologically similar in general behaviors, use of forms, parasites, and food habits, and they are prey to similar predators; but they differ in their preferred habitats. While the black-tailed jackrabbit inhabits agricultural land, deserts, and shrublands, the white-tailed jackrabbit is associated with prairies, alpine tundra, and sagebrush-steppe. Frequently considered abundant, jackrabbit numbers in western North America fluctuate temporally and spatially. We also reviewed methods used to investigate jackrabbit populations, including spotlight line transects, flushing transects, drive counts, pellet plot counts, collections, roadside counts, mark-recapture studies, and radio-telemetry studies. Our review of jackrabbit literature illustrates a number of deficiencies in our understanding of jackrabbits in general. As an example, a detailed quantitative description of habitat preferences is lacking, as is a thorough understanding of sympatric jackrabbit species interactions. Even the existence of the oft-cited jackrabbit "cycle" is a matter of debate. Survey methods generally do not address efficacy or accuracy in measuring jackrabbit density or abundance. In addition, there is a paucity of information about jackrabbits in the Mojave Desert, with no real understanding of home ranges, habitat preferences, and population dynamics or demographics in this region.

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Section: Jackrabbits and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Jackrabbits and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Jackrabbits in the American West: History, Ecology, Ecological Significance, and Survey Methods

Simes

Longshore

Nussear

et al. 2015

Western North American Naturalist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This type of explosion results in a variable fraction of the total radioactivity escaping into the environment with the remainder being trapped by soil and rock falling back into or near the crater. Radionuclide accumulation in plants and jack rabbits following Sedan, a thermonuclear cratering experiment in Nevada, has been studied by , Turner, Rowland, and Wood (1966), and Martin and Turner (1966). These studies considered the radionuclides 137 Cs, 131 I, 89 Sr, and 90 Sr, products of the experiment.…”

Section: Man-produced Radiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiation ecology

Schultz

Whicker

Klement³

1974

C R C Critical Reviews in Environmental Control

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“…populations have been limited to those carried out in Nevada (Turner, et al, 1966 andFrench, 1965) and at the White Oak Lake bed (Kaye and Dunaway, 1962 and others).…”

Section: Studies Of Isotope Cycling In Natural Terrestrial Vertebratementioning

confidence: 99%

Radioisotope Cycling in Terrestrial Communities at Eniwetok Atoll.

Jackson¹,

Carpenter²

1967

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Nuclear Engineering and Wildlife: Radioactivity in Jackrabbits after the Sedan Test

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Jackrabbits in the American West: History, Ecology, Ecological Significance, and Survey Methods

Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Jackrabbits in the American West: History, Ecology, Ecological Significance, and Survey Methods

Radiation ecology

Radioisotope Cycling in Terrestrial Communities at Eniwetok Atoll.

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