Abstract
Branch and main stem defects of horsechestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) in Pripyat, Ukraine, abandoned in 1986, and un-maintained since then, were compared to managed trees of the same species and similar age in the city of Kiev, Ukraine. Trees in Kiev sustained more trunk injuries, and numerous pruning wounds, and developed significantly more branch defects (especially codominant stems) in their canopies compared to trees in Pripyat. Although Kiev trees had larger stem diameters, the overall quality of their form was reduced compared to street trees in Pripyat. Pripyat horsechestnuts grew with competition from other, invading trees thus, experienced shading of their lower canopies and significant competition for light and had smaller bole diameters. Effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on trees in the Nuclear Exclusion Zone are also discussed.
Highlights
On April 27, 1986, in Soviet Ukraine, reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded during a test procedure releasing over 85 petabecquerels of radiocesium (137Cs), with its relatively long half-life of 30.3 years, and much more of other radionuclides into the atmosphere (Stohl et al, 2010)
Trees in Kiev sustained more trunk injuries, and numerous pruning wounds, and developed significantly more branch defects in their canopies compared to trees in Pripyat
Pripyat town is extensively colonized by invading tree species that have invaded all open unpaved spaces between buildings (Figure 1)
Summary
On April 27, 1986, in Soviet Ukraine, reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded during a test procedure releasing over 85 petabecquerels of radiocesium (137Cs), with its relatively long half-life of 30.3 years, and much more of other radionuclides into the atmosphere (Stohl et al, 2010). Human activity in the Zone was limited following the disaster and residents were never allowed to repopulate their city and villages. Twenty to Twenty-five years post disaster, the park-like setting within the Zone was home for seldom-seen animals, and the forests had begun extensive recovery (Moller & Mousseau, 2006; Burlakova & Nydich, 2012)
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