The fact that wildlife are doing well in the evacuated landscapes surrounding Chernobyl and Fukushima is a testament to the resiliency of wildlife when freed from direct human pressures such as habitat loss and fragmentation, and it suggests the exclusion zones can support abundant and self-sustaining populations of a multitude of species.Ī Japanese serow in the Fukushima area. We can see examples of this all across the globe where large-scale nature reserves have been created and diverse communities are thriving. It is well established that many large mammals, and large carnivores in particular, generally thrive when provided sufficiently large areas of land where they are buffered from the pressures of human activity, especially the loss and degradation of habitat. What do healthy wildlife populations in Fukushima and Chernobyl say about the way humans impact ecosystems? If anything, the evacuated areas are likely a source population to the surrounding landscape for some species. There is still a lot we don’t know about the health impacts of chronic radiation exposure, but, in general, I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest there are likely any substantive negative impacts to surrounding populations. I have no doubt animals are dispersing outside of these areas. Is there a chance that negative radioactive effects on wildlife in these zones may spread to outside populations since these animals aren’t exactly fenced off? Are there impacts to the health of individuals, or ultimately a population- or community-level effect? Our research so far suggests any molecular effects, if they occur, don‘t impact the population or community. It’s particualarly unclear whether any subtle effects at the cellular level manifest in higher order effects. However, animals in Chernobyl and Fukushima are chronically exposed to low doses of radiation, and it is unclear what the ultimate effects of this chronic low-dose exposure are. We know that high levels of acute radiation exposure can cause genetic damage. James Beasley and his graduate student Sarah Webster work with a wolf ( Canis lupus) in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. In Fukushima, where the radiation releases were much lower than Chernobyl, I am not aware of any evidence of wildlife dying in the immediate aftermath from acute exposure. However, many of the short-lived radionuclides dissipated quickly in the hours, days and weeks following the accident, and radiation levels are now more than 100 times lower than they were at the time of the explosion. In the area surrounding Chernobyl, there is documentation that some animals died immediately after the accident due to acute radiation exposure. How do disasters like Fukushima or Chernobyl affect wildlife? While several recent studies have revealed numerous species of large mammals are now abundant in Chernobyl and Fukushima, there is still a lot we don’t know about the health consequences of chronic radiation exposure, which remains an active area of research. However, Chernobyl and Fukushima are both challenging places to access and conduct research, and studies of large mammals have been limited simply due to the logistical challenges that come along with working with these species. Until recently, population level data for large mammals have been limited in the published literature, and there has been speculation regarding the status of wildlife species in these areas. Researcher James Beasley with a raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the Chernobyl area. This interest has spurred substantial advances in radioecology over the last several decades by teams of international researchers working on a wide variety of taxa. Since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 there has been considerable interest from both the scientific community as well as the general public regarding the status and health of wildlife that now occur in the areas impacted by nuclear accidents. What is the state of our understanding about the effects of nuclear disasters on wildlife? His responses are edited for style and brevity. We connected with Beasley, a wildlife biologist at the University of Georgia, to find out more about these disasters, their aftermaths and how they continue to affect wildlife populations.
After finding that wildlife communities can thrive in the areas around the nuclear disaster site of Chernobyl, thanks in no small part to the lack of humans, he’s turned his attention to the Fukushima site in Japan. TWS member James Beasley has been at the forefront of research looking at the effects of nuclear disasters on wildlife.
But after the initial radiation leaks subside, research has shown that wildlife communities can recover to levels sometimes higher than they were before the catastrophes. Nuclear disasters can cause widespread death and sickness among wildlife, just like humans.
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