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Membership of IUFRO is open to any institution concerned with the promotion, support or conduct of research related to forests, trees and forest products.
The unit focuses on the radioactive contamination in forest ecosystems. Objectives are to clarify the behaviour of radionuclides in forest ecosystems and to develop countermeasures to radioactive contamination in order to support forest production and forest utilization.
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE
The unit will address three main topics:
1. Monitoring and modelling of radionuclide dynamics in forest ecosystems:
Monitoring and modelling is essential for developing countermeasures because radionuclides such as cesium 137 and strontium 90 are expected to remain in forest ecosystems for long time.
2. Mechanisms of radiocesium transfer in forest ecosystems:
Living biomass can take up radiocesium as analogue of potassium. Most mushrooms and some plants show high transfer factor rate, but the mechanisms are not clear.
3. Countermeasures and management in contaminated forests:
Forests are complex ecosystems and occupy large territories, so decontamination is generally not suitable for forest land. There is an urgent need for developing specific guidelines and best practices for managing forests affected by radioactive contamination.
