Red Forest Research Articles

Impact of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) plantings on long term 137Cs and 90Sr recycling from a waste burial site in the Chernobyl Red Forest

Plantings of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) on a waste burial site in the Chernobyl Red Forest was shown to greatly influence the long term redistribution of radioactivity contained in sub-surfaces trenches. After 15 years of growth, aboveground biomass of the average tree growing on waste trench no.22 had accumulated 1.7 times more 137Cs than that of trees growing off the trench, and 5.4 times more 90Sr. At the scale of the trench and according to an average tree density of 3300 trees/ha for the study zone, tree contamination would correspond to 0.024% of the 137Cs and 2.52% of the 90Sr contained in the buried waste material. A quantitative description of the radionuclide cycling showed a potential for trees to annually extract up to 0.82% of the 90Sr pool in the trench and 0.0038% of the 137Cs. A preferential 90Sr uptake from the deep soil is envisioned while pine roots would take up 137Cs mostly from less contaminated shallow soil layers. The current upward flux of 90Sr through vegetation appeared at least equal to downward loss in waste material leaching as reported by Dewiere et al. (2004, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 74, 139–150). Using a prospective calculation model, we estimated that maximum 90Sr cycling can be expected to occur at 40 years post-planting, resulting in 12% of the current 90Sr content in the trench transferred to surface soils through biomass turnover and 7% stored in tree biomass. These results are preliminary, although based on accurate methodology. A more integrated ecosystem study leading to the coupling between biological and geochemical models of radionuclide cycling within the Red Forest seems opportune. Such a study would help in the adequate management of that new forest and the waste trenches upon which they reside.

Half-lives of self-purification for various isotopes in soils of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

During 2001-2002 we investigated current contamination of soils in several places in the Chornobyl zone. We have measured the content of alpha emitting isotopes Pu, 241 Am, 154,155 Eu, 90 Sr, and 137 Cs in layers of soil up to the depth of 30cm. By including the two mechanisms of migration: convection and diffusion in our model, we were able to estimate the ecological and effective half-lives of self-purification processes for these layers of soil. Effective half-lives vary from 20 to 400 years dependent upon the type of soil and the isotopes. Understanding the rates of migration and dissipation of radioisotopes in the environment is essential for predicting the effectiveness of natural remediation processes, or self-purification. The rate of radionuclide migration in the different soil types can differ markedly. As a result, the ecological half-life (T1/2,ecol) of self-purification processes for upper layers of soil may exceed, or be considerably shorter than, the physical half-life (T1/2) of the radionuclide. The effective half-life (T1/2,eff )i s a measure of self-purification and includes both ecological and physical losses in accordance with the formula: 1/T1/2,eff = 1/T1/2,ecol + 1/T1/2. We have evaluated the effective half-lives for Pu, 241 Am, 154,155 Eu, 90 Sr, and 137 Cs using measurements of contaminated soil profiles from research sites in the Red Forest and Glyboky Lake inside the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

European Middle Pleistocene loess chronostratigraphy: Some considerations based on evidence from the Wels site, Austria

A combination of site logging, luminescence dating and comparison with different long and continuous records of past environmental conditions is used to elaborate an age model for the Wels loess/palaeosol site, Austria. According to this model, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 is reflected in the development of three red forest soils (luvisols) at this particular site. This is contrary to previous assumptions that suggested the development of such soils in the region at 100 ka cyclicity. If these results are correct, this may question some previous conclusions regarding the general loess stratigraphy in many parts of Europe.

Habitat use and nocturnal activity of lesser short‐tailed bats (Mystacina tuberculata) in comparison with long‐tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) in temperate rainforest

Habitat use and nocturnal activity patterns of the threatened lesser short‐tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) were sampled during late spring and early summer using automatic bat detector units in temperate beech (Nothofagus) rainforest in Fiord‐land, New Zealand. Detector units recorded the number of bats passing per hour as an index of activity. Habitat use patterns were compared with long‐tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) sampled concurrently. Activity levels in lesser short‐tailed bats varied significantly among five habitat types and amongst hours of the night. Of the total activity recorded, most passes (82.6% of n = 657 bat passes) were in red beech forest >200 m from the forest edge; 13.7% were in silver beech within 100 m of forest edges, 2.6% were along roads through forest, 0.9% were on the forest‐grassland edge, and 0.2% were in the open grassland. Lesser short‐tailed bats were active throughout the night but especially at dawn and dusk. There was no correlation between levels of activity by lesser short‐tailed bats and overnight minimum or dusk temperatures. Patterns of habitat use and activity in long‐tailed bats were significantly different from those of lesser short‐tailed bats. Of the total activity recorded, most (56.0% of n = 2929 bat passes) was along forest‐grassland edges; 15.7% of passes were in open grassland, 13.1% were along roads through forest, 11.0% were in silver beech forest within 100 m of forest edges, and 4.2% within red beech forest. The implications of these findings for conservation and for improving survey techniques are discussed. For example, lack of use of open and edge habitats by lesser short‐tailed bats suggests they would not adapt to highly fragmented and cleared forest habitats. The two species of New Zealand bat used available habitats differently while inhabiting the same sites. Therefore, a range of habitats, including forest interior, forest edges and grasslands, are required to sustain both species within reserves and management areas. Surveys for lesser short‐tailed bats should focus on mature forest stands >200 m into the forest to maximise the chance of encountering this species, whereas surveys for long‐tailed bats would best focus on forest edges.

You are so heavy

You are so heavy by Leszek Czuchajowski (translated from Polish) You are so heavy said the atom of magnesium to the atom of iron it's so hard to move you from your place between the four pyrrole rings! -so, don't move me I am fine here -are you really? so why you were saying that you are fed up with the redness which you give to the blood? if I take your place in hemoglobin and you replace me in chlorophyll of leaves could you imagine how much we would change the world? the plants becoming red the blood becoming green! people walking in red forests or making love on red grass? perhaps they would finally stop killing each other scared of green blood poring out of the bodies? -you are right said the atom of iron push me then harder out of here and replace me so we will teach people a lesson: they would stop finally thinking that only they can achieve everything Leszek Czuchajowski leszek@uidaho.edu is a chemistry professor at the

Modeling fine dead fuel moisture in Taiwan red pine forests.

The main purpose of the present study was to model the relationship between meteorological factors and fine dead fuel moisture in Taiwan red pine (Pinus taiwanensis) forests. The study was conducted in Shei Pa and Yushan National Parks of Taiwan. Fuel moisture data were collected hourly on the sampled day by direct measurement of Taiwan red pine lifter samples. The linear regression models were selected to construct fuel moisture content equations. The results showed that the best variables to predict fuel moisture at both sites were relative humidity and air temperature.

Ants: A food source sought by Slovenian brown bears (Ursus arctos)?

In the heavily managed boreal forest of Scandinavia, ants, especially large colonies of red forest ants (Formica spp.), are abundant and brown bears (Ursus arctos) intensively feed on them. In contrast, the beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Slovenia provide only suboptimal habitat for ants and large ant colonies are virtually absent. To quantify how much ant use by brown bears is a matter of availability or preference, we quantified ant availability, species composition, and ant use. The estimated biomass of ants available to brown bears was very low in Slovenia compared with those in Sweden, averaging 135 vs. 9600 g/ha, respectively. Nevertheless, the frequency of occurrence of ants in Slovenian brown bear scats was high, averaging 85% and accounting for 25% of the ingested dry mass during the summer, which was nearly as much as their frequency of occurrence in Swedish brown bear scats during the summer. Although brown bears in Slovenia had year-round access to artificial feeding sites and the availability of ants is only about 1% of the biomass found in Sweden, they consumed about 50% of the quantity of ants compared with the brown bears in Sweden. Our results show that ants are an important and sought-after food source for brown bears in Slovenia, and the occurrence of ants should be considered in habitat-suitability models.

Reconstruction of radioactive plume characteristics along Chernobyl’s Western Trace

Using data obtained from 435 radiation sampling stations in the Red Forest, 1.5 km W of the Chernobyl Nuclear Complex, we reconstructed the deposition pathway of the first plume released by the accident, Chernobyl’s Western Trace. The dimensions and deposition rates of the plume remain sharply defined 15 years after the accident. Assuming a uniform particle distribution within the original cloud, we derived estimates of plume dimensions by applying geometric transformations to the coordinates at each sample point. Our derived estimates for the radioactive cloud accounted for 87% of the variation of radioactivity in this region. Results show a highly integrated bell-shaped cross-section of the cloud of radiation, approximately 660 m wide and 290 m high, traveling at a bearing of 264° from reactor IV. Particle sizes within Chernobyl’s Western Trace were within the most dangerous range for inhaled aerosols (2–5 μm). Therefore, reconstruction of the dispersion of such particles is critical for understanding the aftermath of nuclear and biological aerosol releases.

In the Red Forest of Ten Acres

In the Red Forest of Ten Acres

Subchronic exposure of BALB/c and C57BL/6 strains of Mus musculus to the radioactive environment of the Chornobyl, Ukraine exclusion zone

Environmental contamination resulting from the Chornobyl, Ukraine, disaster offers a unique opportunity to examine the in vivo biological effects of chronic, low-dose exposure to radiation. Laboratory studies of acute exposure to ionizing radiation have been used to estimate risk and potential human health effects by the extrapolation of laboratory data to situations of low-dose environmental radiation exposure. Few studies, however, have explored the biological consequences of low-dose exposure via in situ environmental radiation in a sentinel species. In the present study, laboratory strains of Mus musculus (BALB/c and 57BL/6) were placed in environmental enclosures in the Red Forest region of the Chornobyl exclusion zone. Blood samples were obtained every 10 d, and the micronucleus (MN) test was employed to assess the potential for cytogenetic damage from exposure to Chornobyl radiation. Radionuclide uptake was monitored throughout the study, and dose was estimated for each individual as well as for their offspring. Total dose for the mice experimentally exposed to this environment averaged 1,162 mGy for BALB/c (30 d) and 1,629 mGy for C57BL/6 (40 d). A higher MN frequency for both strains was observed at day 10, although this change was only statistically significant in the C57BL/6 mice (chi2/3 = 13.41, p = 0.003). Subsequent samples from C57BL/6 resulted in values at or less than the initial frequencies. In BALB/c mice, an increase in MN was also evident at day 30 (chi2/3 = 10.38, p = 0.006). The experimental design employed here allows for the incorporation of traditional laboratory strains, as well as transgenic strains of Mus, as sentinels of environmental radiation contamination.

Accumulation of 137Cesium and 90Strontium from abiotic and biotic sources in rodents at Chornobyl, Ukraine

Bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) and laboratory strains of house mice (Mus musculus BALB and C57BL) were relocated into enclosures in a highly contaminated area of the Red Forest near the Chornobyl (Ukraine) Reactor 4 to evaluate the uptake rates of 137Cs and 90Sr from abiotic sources. Mice were provided with uncontaminated food supplies, ensuring that uptake of radionuclides was through soil ingestion, inhalation, or water. Mice were sampled before introduction and were reanalyzed every 10 d for 137Cs uptake. Levels of 90Sr were assessed in subsamples from the native populations and in experimental animals at the termination of the study. Uptake rates in house mice were greater than those in voles for both 137Cs and 90Sr. Daily uptake rates in house mice were estimated at 2.72 x 10(12) unstable atoms per gram (whole body) for 137Cs and 4.04 x 10(10) unstable atoms per gram for 90Sr. Comparable rates in voles were 2.26 x 10(11) unstable atoms per gram for 137Cs and 1.94 x 10(10) unstable atoms per gram for 90Sr. By comparing values from voles in the enclosures to those from wild voles caught within 50 m of the enclosures, it was estimated that only 8.5% of 137Cs was incorporated from abiotic sources, leaving 91.5% being incorporated by uptake from biotic materials. The fraction of 90Sr uptake from abiotic sources was at least 66.7% (and was probably much higher). Accumulated whole-body doses during the enclosure periods were estimated as 174 mGy from intramuscular 137Cs and 68 mGy by skeletal 90Sr in house mice over 40 d and 98 mGy from 137Cs and 19 mGy from 90Sr in voles over 30 d. Thus, uptake of radionuclides from abiotic materials in the Red Forest at Chornobyl is an important source of internal contamination.

Distribution of Armillaria species in California

To determine the identity and distribution of Armillaria species in California, we collected 589 isolates from managed areas (urban landscapes, orchards, and vineyards) and 20 natural forest types. From our collection of isolates, we identified A. mellea, A. gallica, A. nabsnona, and North American biological species X (NABS X). State-wide ranges of each species were estimated based on distributions of forest types from which they were collected. Only A. mellea and A. gallica are widely-distributed in California; A. nabsnona and NABS X appear to have restricted ranges. Armillaria mellea is common in most regions of the state dominated by development, such as the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay area, and Los Angeles. It was the only species, with the exception of a single isolate of NABS X, isolated from symptomatic hosts, including both forest trees and planted hosts. Armillaria mellea does cause mortality in California forests, but large disease centers are rare. The distribution of A. gallica in California includes the greatest variety of forest types of all Armillaria species identified from our collection. Although it shares many forest types in common with A. mellea, A. gallica is extremely rare in developed areas. The range of A. nabsnona in California appears to be restricted to northern redwood forests. NABS X was only identified in high elevation red and white fir forests of the southern Cascades.

Experimental exposure of naive bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) to the Chornobyl, Ukraine, environment: A test of radioresistance

Previous studies have demonstrated no difference in micronucleus (MN) frequencies between wild rodents chronically exposed to the environmental radiation contamination of the Chornobyl (Ukraine) exclusion zone and those inhabiting reference populations. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that a population of bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) has developed radioresistance as a result of 14 years of chronic, low-dose radiation exposure. Naive voles were placed in environmental enclosures in the Red Forest region of the exclusion zone for 30 d. Blood samples were obtained at regular intervals, and the MN assay was used to assess chromosomal damage. Additionally, radionuclide uptake was monitored throughout the study, and dose was documented for each individual as well as for their offspring. Total dose for the voles experimentally exposed in this environment averaged 1.09 Gy (36.20 mGy d(-1)) for the 30-d study period. Our results indicate that exposure to radiation levels well above regulatory statutes did not result in an increased MN frequency. Furthermore, our results do not support the hypothesis that voles chronically exposed to these radiation levels have developed a genetic basis for radioresistance that is unique from that present in naive populations. The use of C. glareolus as a sentinel species for environmental studies of radiation contamination and the question of whether the MN assay is an appropriate endpoint for studies of low-dose, chronic radiation exposure are also discussed.

Genetic diversity of Clethrionomys glareolus populations from highly contaminated sites in the Chornobyl region, Ukraine

AbstractAt radioactive sites, at least two mechanisms may affect the genetic diversity of populations of a given species. Increased mutation rates due to radiation exposure may increase the amount of genetic diversity in a population. Alternatively, population bottlenecks exacerbated by environmental degradation may lead to a reduction of diversity. The relationship between these two contradictory forces is complex. To explore this relationship, long‐term monitoring of a genetic marker within a population is needed. To provide baseline data on the population genetics of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) living in the most contaminated regions at Chornobyl, Ukraine, we have sequenced 291 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Bank voles were chosen as a model system because they have the highest levels of internal dose of cesium‐134, cesium‐137, and strontium‐90 within the Chornobyl exclusion zone. We sampled three geographic sites, which were Oranoe, a reference site with virtually no radioactive contamination (<2 Ci/km2), and two highly contaminated sites, Glyboke Lake and the Red Forest (both 1,000 Ci/km2). Genetic diversity in the population from Red Forest (0.722 ± 0.024) was significantly greater than at the Oranoe reference site (0.615 ± 0.039), while genetic diversity at Glyboke Lake (0.677 ± 0.068) was intermediate. It is concluded that long‐term studies of historical and demographic characteristics for experimental and reference populations are required in order to employ population genetics to understand the biological impact of environmental contaminants on the genetics of natural populations.

Effects of Soil pH Gradient Caused by Stemflow Acidification on Soil Microarthropod Community Structure in a Japanese Red Cedar Plantation: An Evaluation of Ecological Risk on Decomposition

Effect of acidic stemflow input on soil biological properties around cedar tree trunk were examined in a 34 year old Japanese red cedar plantation forest. Average soil pH of soil around cedar trunk (stemflow soil) was 3.88 and that of soil between trees (throughfall soil) was 4.97, and this suggested soil acidification due to proton load via stemflow. Soil microarthropod density in soil was higher as close to tree trunk, whereas microbial biomass of surface soil was reduced ca. 30 % around trunk. Abundance of Collembola and Gamasid mites showed positive correlation to amount of soil organic matter, while Oribatida had strong negative correlation to soil pH.Tectocepheus velatus (Oribatida) was dominant in soils pH under 4.0. Annual decomposition rate of cedar foliage was reduced ca. 16% in stemflow soil compared to throughfall soil. More litter accumulation was observed in stemflow soil, but it was not significant, though low microbial activity and retarded litter decomposition may be responsible to the accumulation of organic matter in stemflow soil. Soil biological community and soil process have been changed due to stemflow, the affected area corresponded to ca. 9.4 % of the forest. Thus, ecological risk of acidification in the sense of decrease in decomposition rate is 1.4%.

Bears and ants: myrmecophagy by brown bears in central Scandinavia

To determine general patterns of myrmecophagy in bears, we tested hypotheses regarding selection of ant species, factors important to bears when selecting ant species, factors influencing seasonal use of ants, and foraging behavior of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in central Sweden. Ants were an important food for these bears, constituting 12, 16, and 4% of fecal volume in spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Ants were abundant, 30.5-38.5 tonnes per bear, and bears excavated 8-33% (mean 23%) of the mounds of red forest ants annually. Carpenter ants (Camponotus herculeanus) were highly preferred. Among mound-building red forest ants, the Formica aquilonia/polyctena complex was preferred over Formica exsecta and Formica lugubris. The ants selected by bears had high digestible energy and low formic acid content and behaved passively when the colony was disturbed. Colony size and density may also have influenced the selection of ants. Seasonal use of ants was related not to the availability of pupae or the quality of plant foods but probably to the availability of other foods. Bears consumed only a small proportion of the ants, 4000-5000, each time they opened a mound, probably because of rapidly increasing difficulty in capturing them after the colony was attacked. Eurasian brown bears feed more on ants than North American bears do, perhaps because of greater availability of large colonies of red forest ants. Carpenter ants may have been especially available in our study area following intensive clear-cutting.

Reversal of human-induced vegetation changes in Sequoia National Park, California

We resampled 76 permanent plots that had been established in the woodlands and forests of Sequoia National Park in 1969. Our objectives were to describe vegetation changes in the tree and shrub layers and determine the effects of prescribed burning that began in the 1960s. We compared changes in species importance and tree size class distributions between sample dates and between burned and unburned plots. Species composition had remained similar in all nine vegetation types sampled except in the ponderosa pine forest where Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws. decreased in importance from 28 to 15% and Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. increased from 18 to 31%. Structural changes were more common, as tree density decreased in the blue oak woodland (19%), and live oak woodlands (15%), as well as in ponderosa pine forest (41%), white fir forest (5%), giant sequoia groves (39%), and red fir forest (24%). Decreases in density were greater in burned plots but occurred in unburned plots as well, indicating that prescribed fire and self-thinning contributed to decreases in density. Tree density was unchanged in the lodgepole and subalpine forests, but increased in the Jeffrey pine forest (58%). The decreases in tree density represent a reversal of earlier trends.

Development of silviculture in the native State forests of Victoria

Summary An historical perspective of silviculture in the native State forests of Victoria is presented covering the impacts of European settlement, initiation of active management, the application of methods based on sound ecological principles and, since the 1970s, a stronger focus on social and environmental objectives. The development of silviculture in the major forest types is discussed, including: ash, Low Elevation Mixed Species, High Elevation Mixed Species, Box-Ironbark and river red gum forests. Organisational arrangements for implementation of silviculture are described, along with processes for development of new and improved systems. The ongoing trend to improve on-ground delivery of silviculture through the use of new technology and the development of performance monitoring and improvement systems for sustainable forest management is also discussed.

Bears and ants: myrmecophagy by brown bears in central Scandinavia

To determine general patterns of myrmecophagy in bears, we tested hypotheses regarding selection of ant species, factors important to bears when selecting ant species, factors influencing seasonal use of ants, and foraging behavior of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in central Sweden. Ants were an important food for these bears, constituting 12, 16, and 4% of fecal volume in spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Ants were abundant, 30.5-38.5 tonnes per bear, and bears excavated 8-33% (mean 23%) of the mounds of red forest ants annually. Carpenter ants (Camponotus herculeanus) were highly preferred. Among mound-building red forest ants, the Formica aquilonia/polyctena complex was preferred over Formica exsecta and Formica lugubris. The ants selected by bears had high digestible energy and low formic acid content and behaved passively when the colony was disturbed. Colony size and density may also have influenced the selection of ants. Seasonal use of ants was related not to the availability of pupae or the quality of plant foods but probably to the availability of other foods. Bears consumed only a small proportion of the ants, 4000-5000, each time they opened a mound, probably because of rapidly increasing difficulty in capturing them after the colony was attacked. Eurasian brown bears feed more on ants than North American bears do, perhaps because of greater availability of large colonies of red forest ants. Carpenter ants may have been especially available in our study area following intensive clear-cutting.

Three Species of Long-horned Beetles Feeding on Taiwan Red Pine

Recent evidence has shown that the native Taiwan red pine (Pinus taiwanensis), once believed to be a resistant pine species, is subject to pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophulus attack. Because the pine sawyer, Monochamus alternates, has been confirmed as the major vector of the pinewood nematode, attempts were made to collect pine sawyers and other long-homed beetles in Taiwan red pine forests. A total of 28 adults and 42 larvae of 3 species of long-horned beetles, namely Acanthocinus gundaicnsis, M. alternatus, and Paraleprodera irzingeri, was found to be associated with dying and dead trees of Taiwan red pine. Based on this limited data, A. gundaiensis and P. itzingeri were more abundant than M. alternates in Taiwan red pine forests. Most significantly, 1 of the 16 newly emerged P. itzingeri was found to be carrying 7 Bursaphelenchus nematodes. This and the similarity of the feeding behavior of P. itzingeri and M. alternatus suggest that P. itzingeri may be a potential vector of the pinewood nematode in Taiwan red pine forests. This is the first report that Taiwan red pine is a host plant of M. alternatus and the endemic P. itzingeri and A. gundaiensis. The impact of these 3 species of long-horned beetles on Taiwan red pine must be understood and assessed before control measures directed at them, in an attempt to regulate the pinewood nematode in Taiwan red pine forests, can be implemented.