title: The role of litterfall in transferring Fukushima-derived radiocesium to a coniferous forest floor.
abstract: The deposition of Fukushima-derived radiocesium via falling litter in a coniferous forest 180 km downwind immediately following the nuclear power plant accident was investigated. The litterfall contribution to the transfer of radiocesium from the forest canopy to the forest floor was determined, and this pathway was compared with hydrological pathways. The results demonstrated that during the observation period, a total of approximately 5.5 kBq m(-2) of Fukushima-derived radiocesium was deposited on the forest floor through throughfall (53%), stemflow (2.3%) and litterfall (45%) routes. The data revealed that the contributions of hydrological pathways became less important as time passed. However, the litterfall route, which transferred approximately 31% (2.5±0.6 kBq m(-2)) of the local fallout within the observation period, continued depositing radiocesium onto the forest floor.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan. Electronic address: teramaget@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mengistu T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Teramage
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onda
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba shi, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of International Environmental and Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchuu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gomi
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D065928:Forests; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Deposition; Litterfall; Radiocesium; Stemflow; Throughfall