Ýêîëîãèÿ/6. Ýêîëîãè÷åñêèé ìîíèòîðèíã
Ludmila Zhirina
Dr.
in Biology, Bryansk State University, Russia
Igor
Prokofyev
Dr.
in Biology, Bryansk State University, Russia
Ganna
Shutenko
The
student of Bryansk State University, Russia
David
Buckley
Consultant
in the Geosciences, USA
Alexander
Gorbachev
The student of Bryansk
State University, Russia
The mesofauna around Chernobyl as bioindicators: a preliminary study
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we discuss the use of the soil invertebrates in the bioindicational determination of the condition of natural soil types of the pine and birch forests. Bryansk is the region of Russia most contaminated by the Chernobyl accident (1986). In 2005-2008, 74 test sites were selected to represent zones of low to high radioactivity (1- more 40 Ci km2) and uncontaminated territory. Effects of radiation on the invertebrate’s condition were studied in 13 species. Increased radioactivity caused marked effects in different soil types. Mesofauna of soil are good indicators of radionuclide contamination.