RED FIRE: radioactive environment damaged by fire: a forest in recovery

Severe and acute radiation from the Chernobyl accident killed coniferous trees in a 4-6 km2 area of forest. This area, now known as the ‹Red Forest›, subsequently regenerated with understorey vegetation and deciduous trees. In July 2016, a fire burnt c.80% of the Red Forest presenting a unique opportunity to study the effect of fire on radionuclide biogeochemistry and the impact of radiation on the recovery of forest ecosystems exposed to a secondary stressor (fire). The objectives of RED FIRE are to: (i) assess the impact of fire on radionuclide behaviour by determining changes in radionuclide mobility in soil; (ii) determine if there is any impact of radiation on the recovery of the forest ecosystem. To achieve these objectives we are using approaches novel to radioecology: bait lamina sticks to measure soil biological activity; aerial drone vegetation and contamination mapping; wildlife camera traps and bioacoustic recorders. RED FIRE is building upon pre-fire baseline measurements collected by the TREE project and collaborating Ukrainian scientists. This gives an opportunity to contrast pre- versus post-fire ecosystem states.