Seasonal variations in radionuclide transfer in a Mediterranean grazing-land ecosystem. |
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Authors: | A Baeza J Paniagua M Rufo J Guillén A Sterling |
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Affiliation: | Dep. de Fisica. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremedura, Cáceres, Spain. ymiralle@unex.es |
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Abstract: | We made quarterly determinations of the transfer coefficients and effective transfer coefficients for the radionuclides 137Cs, 90Sr, 40K, 226Ra, 228Ra and 228Th over a full annual cycle, in a Mediterranean grazing-land ecosystem. The input and output fluxes of the radionuclides between the different compartments of this ecosystem were quantified for the following processes: root uptake; variation in root and aerial biomass; pasture production; translocation; leaf fall; efflux due to grazing action; resuspension and subsequent aerial deposition of radionuclides. We observed there to be a marked seasonal variation for this type of ecosystem in both the transfer coefficients and the radionuclide fluxes, which impedes the soil-plant transfer being characterized on the basis of values that are constant with time. |
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