Abstract

In this study, we estimated the relative importance of vegetation and fungi for radiocesium uptake and biological retention in adjacent bog, pine swamp, and forest. The measurements for Cs-137 activity concentration in sporocarps (i.e. fruitbodies of fungi) and vegetation along a bog to forest transect were combined with complementary published data to calculate estimates. Aboveground vegetation comprised 17.7% of the total fallout-derived radiocesium in the system in bog, 16.5% in pine swamp, and 40.6% in forest. In fungal sporocarps grown along a gradient, Cs-137 activity comprised <0.001% of the total radiocesium for peat bog, <0.02% for pine swamp, and 0.11% for forest. Total Cs-137 activity in sporocarps increased along the gradient due to increased production of sporocarps in the presence of trees from 0.006 (bog), 0.097 (pine swamp) and 0.67 (forest) g dwt m(-2). Based on calculation of the total vegetation biomass and through relationships between fungal biomass in sporocarps and as mycelia in soil, the total Cs-137 activity located in fungi was estimated as 0.1% in bog, 2% in pine swamp, and 11% in forest. An analysis of the time-dependency of Cs-137 in the sporocarps in forest between 1990 and 2011 suggested an ecological half-life for Cs-137 between 8 and 13 years. Although fungi comprised a relatively small fraction of the total radiocesium in the systems, its activity decreased slowly with time, and ecological residence time for Cs-137 in sporocarps of fungi was long, suggesting they will continue to contribute to the accumulation and cycling of this radionuclide in forest. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Cesium; Forest; Forested peatland; Fungi; Peatland

Published in

Chemosphere
2013, Volume: 90, number: 2, pages: 713-720
Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

SLU Authors

• Vinichuk, Mykhailo

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Zhytomyr State Technological University

• Rosén, Klas

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Dahlberg, Anders

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Microbiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.09.054

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43222