Radiocesium Dynamics in a Japanese Forest Ecosystem : Initial Stage of Contamination After the Incident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

This book investigates radiocesium movement in all major components of forest ecosystems, e.g. the plants, animals, insects, microorganisms, and soils, during the initial stage of contamination after the incident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Most of the work was conducted at a common research site. More specifically, the book examines the contribution of surface uptake by trees in the dynamics of radiocesium during the initial contamination stage; the movement of radiocesium in the form of small organic fragments that are essential to the radiocesium dynamics in forest ecosystems; and the upward movement of radiocesium due to microorganism activity, which promotes the effective decontamination of the forest floor. Lastly, it explains why spiders could be a valuable indicator of the contamination level in forest ecosystems. Front Matter ....Pages i-viii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Radioactive Contamination in Forest by the Accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant: Comparison with Chernobyl (Vasyl Yoschenko, Valery Kashparov, Tatsuhiro Ohkubo)....Pages 3-22 Radiocesium Deposition at the Accident and the Succeeding Movement Through Hydrological Process in Forest Ecosystem in Fukushima (Hiroaki Kato)....Pages 23-48 Front Matter ....Pages 49-49 Uptake of Radiocesium by Plants (Yuki Sugiura, Chisato Takenaka)....Pages 51-104 Surface Absorption of 137Cs Through Tree Bark (Wei Wang)....Pages 105-118 Translocation of 137Cs in the Woody Parts of Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) (Kazuya Iizuka, Jyunichi Ohshima, Futoshi Ishiguri, Naoko Miyamoto, Mineaki Aizawa, Tatsuhiro Ohkubo et al.)....Pages 119-128 Radiocesium Translocations in Bamboos (Mitsutoshi Umemura)....Pages 129-139 Movement of Cesium in Model Plants (Jun Furukawa)....Pages 141-147 Front Matter ....Pages 149-149 Movement of Radiocesium as Litterfall in Deciduous Forest (Tatsuhiro Ohkubo, Hiroko Suzuki, Mineaki Aizawa, Kazuya Iizuka)....Pages 151-158 Changes in Chemical Forms of Radiocesium in the Forest Floor Organic Matter with Decomposition and Uptake of Radiocesium Derived from the Organic Matter by Crops (Hitoshi Sekimoto)....Pages 159-166 Contamination and Transfer of Radiocesium in Soil Ecosystem (Nobuhiro Kaneko)....Pages 167-176 Spiders as an Indicator of 137Cs Dynamics in the Food Chains in Forests (Yoshiko Ayabe, Naoki Hijii)....Pages 177-193 Radioactive Cesium Contamination of Sika Deer in Oku-Nikko Region of Tochigi Prefecture in Central Japan (Masaaki Koganezawa, Kei Okuda, Emiko Fukui)....Pages 195-200 Front Matter ....Pages 201-201 Modeling Radiocesium Dynamics in a Contaminated Forest in Japan (Tsutomu Kanasashi)....Pages 203-225 Future Perspective (Nobuhiro Kaneko, Tatsuhiro Ohkubo, Naoki Hijii, Chisato Takenaka)....Pages 227-234