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Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#41

Post by [deleted] »

anonporridge wrote: post #20
Ekaros wrote: post #12

Now could this be solution for large scale carbon capture? Seed massive amounts of forested areas with radioactive material? So we could prevent large mass of bio material from decomposing and thus releasing carbondioxide?

There's a scifi or apocolyptic story in here. Environmental extremists come to the conclusion that irradiating large patches of Earth to make it unlivable for humans but is a net benefit to the non human ecosystem because the damage from human habitation far exceeds the damage from radiation. And of course, life evolves and adapts to the radiation. Then they start seeding dirty bombs to intentionally create more and…

[deleted]

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#42

Post by 1970-01-01 »

NotYourLawyer wrote: post #37
1970-01-01 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just deforest the land and dump the logs onto the North/South Pole, reforest, and repeat. No radiation necessary.

“Just” move a zillion tons of wood halfway across the earth.

Wood floats the same way rocks don't. It's not an energy problem, it's a time problem.

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#43

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

1970-01-01 wrote: post #30
Ekaros wrote: post #12

Now could this be solution for large scale carbon capture? Seed massive amounts of forested areas with radioactive material? So we could prevent large mass of bio material from decomposing and thus releasing carbondioxide?

Just deforest the land and dump the logs onto the North/South Pole, reforest, and repeat. No radiation necessary.

I have read a similar proposal that you can just drop biomass into deep oceanic trenches. The cold, pressure, etc mean that decomposition is significantly slower than would happen on the surface.

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#44

Post by twic »

NotYourLawyer wrote: post #37
1970-01-01 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just deforest the land and dump the logs onto the North/South Pole, reforest, and repeat. No radiation necessary.

“Just” move a zillion tons of wood halfway across the earth.

Wood floats, so that doesn't sound impossible.

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#46

Post by Timon3 »

dekhn wrote: post #31
jonplackett wrote: post #29

Weirdly, there was actually a period of history where this was normal. During the Carboniferous period 300 million years ago trees just fell over and lay there because nothing had evolved to decay them yet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous

That didn't sound too right for me (but my biology knowledge is dated at this point) so I read the relevant section from that page. It concludes wiht: """The delayed fungal evolution hypothesis is controversial, however, and has been challenged by other researchers, who conclude that a combination of vast depositional systems present on the continents during the formation of Pangaea and widespread humid, tropical con…

And grass is even younger - just ~100-65mya! (depending on the source - not sure if it's narrowed down in papers)

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#47

Post by klyrs »

Ekaros wrote: post #12

Now could this be solution for large scale carbon capture? Seed massive amounts of forested areas with radioactive material? So we could prevent large mass of bio material from decomposing and thus releasing carbondioxide?

Poe's law strikes again; I came here to make the same comment sarcastically.

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#48

Post by themodelplumber »

jonplackett wrote: post #29

Weirdly, there was actually a period of history where this was normal. During the Carboniferous period 300 million years ago trees just fell over and lay there because nothing had evolved to decay them yet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous

Did they make big fallen tree piles? What a time that could have been for any species interested in burrows, bushwhacking, or forts.

Re: Forests around Chernobyl aren’t decaying properly (2014)

#49

Post by [deleted] »

rtkwe wrote: post #10
garganzol wrote: post #4

Radiation has a notable sterilizing effect - this is why the speed of a natural decomposition is diminished. Fewer microbes leads to a slower decomposition.

Most of the exclusion zone is pretty low levels of radiation so I'm not sure how effective those are other than that they're an elevated background level. The FDA says 10 kGy is used for actual sterilization. Most of the zone is https://www.fda.gov/food/irradiation-food-packaging/overview... .

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