Vertical distribution and transport of radiocesium via branchflow and stemflow through the canopy of cedar and oak stands in the aftermath of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

Aiming to fill a need for data regarding radiocesium transport via both branchflow and stemflow through forests impacted by radioactive fallout, this study examined the vertical variation of radiocesium flux from branchflow and stemflow through the canopies of young Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D.

Peak grain forecasts for the US High Plains amid withering waters.

Irrigated agriculture contributes 40% of total global food production. In the US High Plains, which produces more than 50 million tons per year of grain, as much as 90% of irrigation originates from groundwater resources, including the Ogallala aquifer. In parts of the High Plains, groundwater resources are being depleted so rapidly that they are considered nonrenewable, compromising food security.

Stemflow-induced spatial heterogeneity of radiocesium concentrations and stocks in the soil of a broadleaved deciduous forest.

The transport of radiocesium from the canopy and quantification of the spatial distribution of radiocesium in the soil of konara oak forests are important to better understand the variability of Cs stocks in the soil between proximal and distal stem areas as well as fine-scale variations around the tree trunk. Moreover, a better understanding of fine-scale spatial variabilities of Cs concentrations and stocks will provide insights for optimizing soil sampling strategies to provide a more robust estimation of contamination at the stand scale. This study aims to elucidate the transport of Cs by stemflow in a radioactively contaminated konara oak forest in Tsukuba, Japan by describing and quantifying the fine-scale spatial distribution of Cs in the soil and preferential flowpaths of stemflow on the tree stem by a dye tracing experiment.

Export of radioactive cesium from agricultural fields under simulated rainfall in Fukushima.

In this study, we investigated the impact of rainfall on runoff, soil erosion and consequently on the discharge of radioactive cesium in agricultural fields in Fukushima prefecture using a rainfall simulator. Simulated heavy rainfalls (50 mm h(-1)) generated significant runoff and soil erosion. The average concentration of radioactive cesium (the sum of (134)Cs and (137)Cs) in the runoff sediments was ∼3500 Bq kg(-1) dry soil, more than double the concentrations measured in the field soils which should be considered in studies using the (137)Cs loss to estimate long-term soil erosion.

Throughfall under a teak plantation in Thailand: a multifactorial analysis on the effects of canopy phenology and meteorological conditions.

Valuable teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.) plantations cover vast areas throughout Southeast Asia.

Predicted spatio-temporal dynamics of radiocesium deposited onto forests following the Fukushima nuclear accident.

The majority of the area contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident is covered by forest. To facilitate effective countermeasure strategies to mitigate forest contamination, we simulated the spatio-temporal dynamics of radiocesium deposited into Japanese forest ecosystems in 2011 using a model that was developed after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The simulation revealed that the radiocesium inventories in tree and soil surface organic layer components drop rapidly during the first two years after the fallout.

The total amounts of radioactively contaminated materials in forests in Fukushima, Japan.

There has been leakage of radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. A heavily contaminated area (≥ ¹³⁴,¹³⁷Cs 1000 kBq m⁻²) has been identified in the area northwest of the plant. The majority of the land in the contaminated area is forest.