[Evaluation of the effectiveness of protective measures for reduction of the rural population exposure related to contamination of forest ecosystems]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti zashchitnykh meropriiatii po snizheniiu dozovykh nagruzok na sel'skoe naselenie, obuslovlennykh produktsiei lesnykh ékosistem.

The contribution of different forest pathways to the irradiation of inhabitants of the forest settlements after the ChNPP accident is estimated. It has been shown that the long-term negative impact of forest ecosystems contaminated to the rural population requires application of special protective measures for a long time after the ChNPP accident.

Acute and long-term effects of irradiation on pine (Pinus silvestris) strands post-Chernobyl.

The effect of ionizing irradiation on the viability of pine stands after the fallout from the damaged nuclear energy plant at Chernobyl (ChNPP) was shown within the territory of the 10-km zone. During the period 1986-1991, irradiated and damaged forest stands, so-called 'red forest', located in this area were systematically classified by observation. Mortality rate, re-establishment, development of tree canopies, reproduction anomalies and stand viability were shown to be dependent on absorbed irradiation dose, on the age of the stand and on forest composition. For pine stands in the acutely affected zone, doses of more than 60 Gy resulted in a massive mortality and no regeneration of pine trees since 1987. The injured trees had burned or had dried-up. The drying process was accelerated by a massive production of pathogenic insects invading the dying trees. Specifically, irradiation doses of 10-60 Gy, 1-10 Gy and 0.1-1 Gy caused high, medium and low injury to the forest stands, respectively. Doses of less than 0.1 Gy did not cause any visible damage to the trees. In 1987, repair processes were displayed by the tree canopies and practically the entire viability of the forest stands had recovered except for trees in the acute and highly affected zones. The young forest was reestablished in the same place as the perished trees and new pine saplings were planted on the reclaimed areas.