INFLUENCE OF GROUNDWATER LEVEL ON THE ACCUMULATION OF 137Cs IN THE ABOVE-GROUND PHYTOMASS OF PINE AND BIRCH STANDS
Keywords:
pine stands, birch stands, aboveground biomass components, 137Cs, groundwater levelAbstract
An assessment of 137Cs contamination in tree stands growing on reclaimed semi-hydromorphic and hydromorphic soils revealed that, unlike in automorphic soils, the groundwater level is the dominant factor influencing the intensity of radionuclide uptake by woody plants. The 137Cs content in the above-ground phytomass components of pine and birch trees correlates strongly with the groundwater level during the low-flow period and the soil contamination density 137Cs
(R = 0.87–0.96). This relationship enabled the proposal of model equations for calculating the specific 137Cs activity in woody plant components, where the radionuclide currently accumulates primarily through root uptake. The resulting functional equations allow for the prediction of radioactive contamination in wood at a 95 % confidence level, making it practically feasible to use these findings for preliminary radiological surveys of logging sites in radioactively contaminated
areas within the distant zone of Chernobyl fallout.
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