Final Radioecology paper

RADIOECOLOGY FINAL TERM PAPER

RADIOECOLOGY FINAL

Ashley Humbert

Oregon State University

5 December 2019

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Question 1

The effect of ionizing radiation effects has been conducted in the laboratory but based on

a single species. During the research, there are important factors that are excluded such the biotic

factors in the environment. This approach has constrained the assessments of the consequences

outside the lab since the free organism could face limitations when it comes to coping with

radiation. The discovery of the radioactive materials was one of many breakthroughs that

mankind made to help solve the issues with power and energy. However, after realizing the

effects that the extensive source of energy has, it was realized that radioactive elements had more

to offer than an unimaginable source of power- disasters. When such radioactive material comes

into contact with any material, that material becomes radioactive, including animals, humans,

and plants.

While some theories have been coined, interpolating them to population and ecosystem is

not easy. One reason other than having radiation taking place at the molecular level is that

materials are quite expensive to warrant a large pool of researchers to get involved. Other than

having the radiation and radioactive research confined on a military basis in many countries, the

materials themselves pose a threat if they fall in the wrong hands. This is why they are treated

with such cautions since at the hands of terrorists not once can tell where and when a disaster

would strike.

Many discoveries have been made my people but very little is known at the cellular level

because the living things are quite sensitive and once a change has been altered at the molecular

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level, it means that genes will be altered as well. Therefore, the limitation of resources and fear

of the unknown has constrained men from making moves and developments at the molecular

level. Humans and animals are composed of molecules that make up cells in the body.

Question 2

The initial radiation level affected five concentric vegetation zones. The affected zones

have retained re-colonization and homogeneity to a far smaller degree than it was calculated.

This means that areas that received heavy doses of radiation could be on the verge of never

recovering again. Today, there ridiculously large pieces of land that are covered by radio

material making them not only inhabitable by animals and people but also the plants that grow

there can never be used for anything that humans we use at proximity. The recovery of such a

piece of large would translate to more resources available for people to use. Taking a good

example of Chernobyl, buildings that house residence was abandoned along with other resources

within the area. The large in such area remains uncultivated for a significant amount of time until

there has been radio decay that would allow the area to be habitable.

While the effects of nuclear waste do not only affect the environment only, the effects on

the people such as changes in DNA codes would be reversed as well. This also means the

possibility of creating better ways to control the materials before they spill over to the

environment.

Not all things would be positive after the recovery of such pieces of land. It would open

another Pandora`s box for a scientist to research more on nuclear warheads. Nations would not

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be afraid to use the atomic bombs since they would understand that effects last only for a very

short while, like other ordinary bombs.

There is no way of knowing everything that is likely to take place once the recovery of

such a precious resource is possible. However, since there is a possibility of having more

positive effects outweigh all the cons, if it is then possible to accomplish this, then researchers

and governments should invest resources and other things in the area.

Question 3

This statement means that the rest of the population is ignored and very little is

considered about the major players in the ecosystem such as plants and other animals as well. If

the population is ignored, it also means that other high-level effects are not considered when the

focus is on a single species. This can lead to estimates that are both inaccurate and risky and this

can lead to serious errors when deciding the course of action when managing the environment. It

is possible to overestimate risks but most of the time, the possibilities of underestimations are

always high. This is what has made it impossible for the environmental regulatory authorities to

advance the ecological realism and understand the risks involved at the level of ecosystem and

population.

It is possible that once a living organism has been exposed to nucleotides changes that are

nonlinear are likely to take place in the structure and functioning. Such changes can never be

predicted from the studies made on a single organism. Changes in structure or functioning may

not necessarily be from the direct result of radiation exposure but as consequences of the indirect

effect that occurs because of differences in sensitivity of species. This can potentially lead to

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alteration of trophic relationships. It is a shame that despite discovering the importance of

indirect effect, the radiologist has not yet invested their time to study them. Keystone species do

govern the trophic structure, disturbance mode and resource dynamics have the potential to affect

the environment at large when they are affected by radiation. In the ecosystem, it is important to

protect such species when taking steps to preserve the ecosystem. If such species such as conifers

are affected, they are among the most sensitive species, disproportionate effects on the

environment and the functioning of ecosystems can take place.

Question 4

The statement is true and I quite agree with it. Man is very famous for being a very

selfish creature that looks for ways that only benefit him whether in the short run or long run. It

is for this reason the research are only directed in the areas that seem to benefit him most. The

goals stated by international agencies tend to overlook the critical areas such as the organic level

endpoints. The mismatch between the goals that direction the research take causes a waste of

resources and precious time.

For research to be successful, the goals and objectives have to be clear to avoid the

divergences of the data gathered or swerving away too much. Having goals that do not match

the required work means that little will be achieved because the forces at play are not in

harmony.

Question 5

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This is quite true. When the radiation and other habitat destructive forces are at play,

important processes such as homeostasis could be compromised along with physiological

responses. This can lead to impaired development, reproduction, and fitness. Climate change

alone can change the level of sensitivity of an organism. However, when the population is

exposed for a very long time, acquired tolerance may take place which can be reduced tolerance

to climatic stresses and visa Versa may be true. Several areas today have massively changed as

mankind looks for room to create factories and processing plants. The waste products from such

factories are sometimes hard to treat and the room to correctly dispose of them is very limited.

This is why the end up released into the environment where they end up creating destructive

pressure. While the radiation can do enough destruction on its own, chemical pollution would

make things even worse since there is no way of telling the effects of both radio and chemical

pollution. The governments and other regulatory bodies may have created a means to control

chemical pollution, but factories usually find ways to bypass those regulations with the aim of

cutting costs.

The low-level radiation as estimated to cause slower than normal effects on the

environment. However, chemical pollution, though it does not have the capacity to alter

functionality and structure of species, tends to weaken species if not to destroy them in a given

ecosystem. Take, for instance, the oil spillage on the sources of water or other parts of the

environment would reduce the chances of species to recover from other effects such as the

low-level radiation. Humans are the most invasive species to have ever existed because their

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knowledge to use machinery and adapt accordingly. They have course so much destruction at

the ecosystem which will take years to reverse.

Reference

Geras’Kin, S. A. (2016). Ecological effects of exposure to enhanced levels of ionizing

radiation. ​Journal of Environmental Radioactivity​, ​162-163​, 347–357. doi:

10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.06.012