Effects of chronic gamma irradiation on lichen communities of a forest

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1965

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4519552· OSTI ID:4519552

Woodwell, G. M.; Gannutz, T. P.

Chronic gamma irradiation of an oak-pine forest on Long Island reduced populations of corticolous and terrestrial lichens in approximate proportion to the rate of irradiation. The decline in species diversity was approximately linearly related to logarithmic increases in daily radiation exposure. While a daily exposure of 800 R/day was estimated to have reduced diversity by 50% in the first year, a linear extrapolation of diversity 1 coefficient of community and similarity curves to zero suggested that certain lichen populations would survive 3 years' exposure at daily rates up to 15,000-20,000 R. There was an apparent threshold at 100-200 R/day for radiation effects on the composition of lichen communities. The crustose forms were more resistant than foliose or fruticose forms, an observation which parallels previous observations that the most radioresistant higher plants tend to be of short stature.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-2)-GEN-16
• NSA Number: NSA-20-040517
• OSTI ID: 4519552
• Report Number(s): BNL--9437
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES