Forest Radioecology in Fukushima

This is an open access book that provides holistic information on the radioactive contamination of forests. Topics are highly interdisciplinary, ranging from the dynamics of radioactive cesium in forest ecosystems to the radiation protection or the socio-economic aspects of radiation effects. It is designed to help people understand the radioactive contamination in forests and provide hints of how to cope with it and restore their livelihoods. The book is characterized by its well-balanced structure that allows the reader to understand the whole picture without going into too much scientific content. After explaining the basics of radioactive materials and radiation, the book illustrates the radioactive contamination of forests, it also describes the impacts on the forestry and life of local people and the measures taken by. Few books address the concerns about how to deal with radioactive contamination of forests and the future perspectives. In this book, people can learn all about the Fukushima nuclear accident of forests, forest products, and people with abundant reference materials. In addition, the book contains four memoirs contributed by Japanese and European researchers that graphically record what the researchers thought and how they acted in the chaos of the aftermath of the accident. In 2021 that marking the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident and the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, nuclear disasters are in the spotlight more than ever. This thought-provoking book on how to prepare for a severe nuclear accident is suitable for sharing with people all over the world as a lesson on the next nuclear accidents, now that the number of nuclear power plants is still increasing. The translation of this work was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). Intensive improvements were subsequently made by the authors throughout the text to ensure accuracy of expression and contents and to enhance the clarity

Forest Radioecology in Fukushima

This is an open access book that provides holistic information on the radioactive contamination of forests. Topics are highly interdisciplinary, ranging from the dynamics of radioactive cesium in forest ecosystems to the radiation protection or the socio-economic aspects of radiation effects. It is designed to help people understand the radioactive contamination in forests and provide hints of how to cope with it and restore their livelihoods. The book is characterized by its well-balanced structure that allows the reader to understand the whole picture without going into too much scientific content. After explaining the basics of radioactive materials and radiation, the book illustrates the radioactive contamination of forests, it also describes the impacts on the forestry and life of local people and the measures taken by. Few books address the concerns about how to deal with radioactive contamination of forests and the future perspectives. In this book, people can learn all about the Fukushima nuclear accident of forests, forest products, and people with abundant reference materials. In addition, the book contains four memoirs contributed by Japanese and European researchers that graphically record what the researchers thought and how they acted in the chaos of the aftermath of the accident. In 2021 that marking the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident and the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, nuclear disasters are in the spotlight more than ever. This thought-provoking book on how to prepare for a severe nuclear accident is suitable for sharing with people all over the world as a lesson on the next nuclear accidents, now that the number of nuclear power plants is still increasing. The translation of this work was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). Intensive improvements were subsequently made by the authors throughout the text to ensure accuracy of expression and contents and to enhance the clarity

Mesophyll conductance in leaves of Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) seedlings grown under elevated CO2 concentration and low N availability

To test the hypothesis that mesophyll conductance (g(m)) would be reduced by leaf starch accumulation in plants grown under elevated CO2 concentration [CO2], we investigated g(m) in seedlings of Japanese white birch grown under ambient and elevated [CO2] with an adequate and limited nitrogen supply using simultaneous gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. Both elevated [CO2] and limited nitrogen supply decreased area-based leaf N accompanied with a decrease in the maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylation (V-c,(max)) on a CO2 concentration at chloroplast stroma (C-c) basis. Conversely, only seedlings grown at elevated [CO2] under limited nitrogen supply had significantly higher leaf starch content with significantly lower gm among the treatment combinations. Based on a leaf anatomical analysis using microscopic photographs, however, there were no significant difference in the area of chloroplast surfaces facing intercellular space per unit leaf area among treatment combinations. Thicker cell walls were suggested in plants grown under limited N by increases in leaf mass per area subtracting non-structural carbohydrates. These results suggest that starch accumulation and/or thicker cell walls in the leaves grown at elevated [CO2] under limited N supply might hinder CO2 diffusion in chloroplasts and cell walls, which would be an additional cause of photosynthetic downregulation as well as a reduction in Rubisco activity related to the reduced leaf N under elevated [CO2]

Effects of Combined CO2 and O3 Exposures on Net CO2 Assimilation and Biomass Allocation in Seedlings of the Late-Successional Fagus Crenata

We examined the effects of elevated CO2 and elevated O3 concentrations on net CO2 assimilation and growth of Fagus crenata in a screen-aided free-air concentration-enrichment (FACE) system. Seedlings were exposed to ambient air (control), elevated CO2 (550 µmol mol−1 CO2, +CO2), elevated O3 (double the control, +O3), and the combination of elevated CO2 and O3 (+CO2+O3) for two growing seasons. The responses in light-saturated net CO2 assimilation rates per leaf area (Agrowth-CO2) at each ambient CO2 concentration to the elevated CO2 and/or O3 treatments varied widely with leaf age. In older leaves, Agrowth-CO2 was lower in the presence of +O3 than in untreated controls, but +CO2+O3 treatment had no effect on Agrowth-CO2 compared with the +CO2 treatment. Total plant biomass increased under conditions of elevated CO2 and was largest in the +CO2+O3 treatment. Biomass allocation to roots decreased with elevated CO2 and with elevated O3. Elongation of second-flush shoots also increased in the presence of elevated CO2 and was largest in the +CO2+O3 treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that conditions of elevated CO2 and O3 contribute to enhanced plant growth; reflecting changes in biomass allocation and mitigation of the negative impacts of O3 on net CO2 assimilation

Growth and Photosynthetic Responses of Seedlings of Japanese White Birch, a Fast-Growing Pioneer Species, to Free-Air Elevated O-3 and CO2

Plant growth is not solely determined by the net photosynthetic rate (A), but also influenced by the amount of leaves as a photosynthetic apparatus. To evaluate growth responses to CO2 and O-3, we investigated the effects of elevated CO2 (550-560 mu mol mol(-1)) and O-3 (52 nmol mol(-1); 1.7 x ambient O-3) on photosynthesis and biomass allocation in seedlings of Japanese white birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) grown in a free-air CO2 and O-3 exposure system without any limitation of root growth. Total biomass was enhanced by elevated CO2 but decreased by elevated O-3. The ratio of root to shoot (R:S ratio) showed no difference among the treatment combinations, suggesting that neither elevated CO2 nor elevated O-3 affected biomass allocation in the leaf. Accordingly, photosynthetic responses to CO2 and O-3 might be more important for the growth response of Japanese white birch. Based on A measured under respective growth CO2 conditions, light-saturated A at a light intensity of 1500 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) (A(1500)) in young leaves (ca. 30 days old) exhibited no enhancement by elevated CO2 in August, suggesting photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2. However, lower A(1500) was observed in old leaves (ca. 60 days old) of plants grown under elevated O-3 (regulated to be twice ambient O-3). Conversely, light-limited A measured under a light intensity of 200 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) (A(200)) was significantly enhanced by elevated CO2 in young leaves, but suppressed by elevated O-3 in old leaves. Decreases in total biomass under elevated O-3 might be attributed to accelerated leaf senescence by O-3,O- indicated by the reduced A(1500) and A(200) in old leaves. Increases in total biomass under elevated CO2 might be attributed to enhanced A under high light intensities, which possibly occurred before the photosynthetic acclimation observed in August, and/or enhanced A under limiting light intensities

Mycelial biomass estimation and metabolic quotient of Lentinula edodes using species-specific qPCR.

Lentinula edodes, commonly known as shiitake, is an edible mushroom that is cultivated and consumed around the globe, especially in Asia. Monitoring mycelial growth inside a woody substrate is difficult, but it is essential for effective management of mushroom cultivation. Mycelial biomass also affects the rate of wood decomposition under natural conditions and must be known to determine the metabolic quotient, an important ecophysiological parameter of fungal growth. Therefore, developing a method to measure it inside a substrate would be very useful. In this study, as the first step in understanding species-specific rates of fungal decomposition of wood, we developed species-specific primers and qPCR procedures for L. edodes. We tested primer specificity using strains of L. edodes from Japan and Southeast Asia, as well as related species of fungi and plant species for cultivation of L. edodes, and generated a calibration curve for quantification of mycelial biomass in wood dust inoculated with L. edodes. The qPCR procedure we developed can specifically detect L. edodes and allowed us to quantify the increase in L. edodes biomass in wood dust substrate and calculate the metabolic quotient based on the mycelial biomass and respiration rate. Development of a species-specific method for biomass quantification will be useful for both estimation of mycelial biomass and determining the kinetics of fungal growth in decomposition processes