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Current State of Tree Stands in the East-Ural Radioactive Trace Area Closest to Kyshtym Accident Epicenter

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Abstract—

The current state of forest stands has been assessed in the most polluted part of East Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) formed as a result of the Kyshtym accident in 1957. The main radionuclide in this area is 90Sr, with soil contamination density varying from 70 to 67 450 kBq/m2. Birch grass forests dominate in this territory, and more than 85% of them are aged between 70 and 120 years. Pine forests are relatively rare, with tree age reaching 80–110 years in 58% of these stands. The average age of birch forests proved to decrease with an increase in the density of soil contamination with 90Sr, which was explained by the increasing proportion of young birch stands formed in the most contaminated areas 25–30 years after the accident. No significant dependence of relative forest density and timber stock on the level of soil contamination with 90Sr in different allotments was revealed. A comparison of timber stock recorded in 2003 and 2020 showed that this parameter was increasing more rapidly in the most contaminated plots due to active growth of young birch stands in these areas during the corresponding period. Assessing natural forest regeneration in the EURT area, it was found that tree regrowth is formed in most sites, which is potentially capable of ensuring further development of forest ecosystems. The emergence of pine regrowth was observed for the first time in plots closest to the epicenter of the accident, where all pine trees perished during the acute radiation period. These samples contained an increased proportion of plants with morphological abnormalities. No dependence of the rate of tree die-off on the soil contamination density with 90Sr was revealed. The assessment the loss of trees and natural regeneration of forests was difficult due to fires that occur regularly in the EURT area.

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Funding

This study was performed under state contract with the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, UB RAS, also with the Botanical Garden UB RAS and supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 19-05-00469).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    V. N. Pozolotina, V. A. Lebedev, E. V. Antonova, A. A. Grigor’ev & Yu. V. Shalaumova

  2. Botanical Garden, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    V. A. Lebedev

  3. Institute of Industrial Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 620990, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    Yu. V. Shalaumova

  4. Mayak Production Association, 456780, Ozersk, Chelyabinsk oblast, Russia

    O. V. Tarasov

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  1. V. N. Pozolotina
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  3. E. V. Antonova
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Correspondence to E. V. Antonova.

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Pozolotina, V.N., Lebedev, V.A., Antonova, E.V. et al. Current State of Tree Stands in the East-Ural Radioactive Trace Area Closest to Kyshtym Accident Epicenter. Russ J Ecol 52, 578–590 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S106741362201009X

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