title: Radiocesium Transfer in Forest Insect Communities after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.
abstract: To understand radiocesium transfer in the forest insect food web, we investigated the activity concentrations of radiocesium in forest insects in the Fukushima and Ibaraki Prefectures approximately 1.5-2.5 years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. We analyzed 34 species of insects sampled from 4 orders and 4 feeding functional groups (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, and detritivore) from three sites in each prefecture. 137Cs activity concentrations were lowest in herbivorous species and were especially high in detritivorous and omnivorous species that feed on forest litter and fungi. Radiocesium activity concentrations in any given species reflected the degree of contamination of that species' primary food sources since radiocesium activity concentrations were found to be the lowest in leaves and grass and the highest in litter, bark, and fungi. This study confirmed that litter and other highly contaminated forest components such as fungi, decaying wood, bryophytes, and lichens serve as sources of 137Cs transfer into the forest insect community.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Impact Assessment Section, Fukushima Branch, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Miharu Town, Tamura County, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2712-5244
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: Environmental Impact Assessment Section, Fukushima Branch, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Miharu Town, Tamura County, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D065928:Forests; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007313:Insecta; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive