Short Rotation Coppice as Alternative Land Use for Chernobyl-Contaminated Areas of Belarus

ABSTRACT Field experiments were conducted in the Chernobyl-affected area to assess if short rotation coppice (SRC) for energy production is a feasible alternative for contaminated land. Four willow clones were planted on sandy and peaty soil and the radiocaesium (137Cs) and radiostrontium (90Sr) transfer factors (TF) and yield relevant parameters were recorded during four growing seasons. The 137Cs and 90Sr soil-to-willow wood TF on sandy soil (second growing season) were on average 1.40 ± 1.06 × 10−3 m2 kg−1 and 130 ± 74 × 10−3 m2 kg−1, respectively. The 137Cs TF recorded for the peaty soil (fourth growing season or end of the first rotation cycle) was on average 5.17 ± 1.59 × 10−3 m2 kg−1. The 90Sr–TF was on average 2.61 ± 0.44 × 10−3 m2 kg−1. No significant differences between clones for the 137Cs and 90Sr–TF were observed. Given the high TFs and the high deposition levels, Belarus exemption levels for fuel wood were highly exceeded. The annual average biomass production for one rotation cycle on the p...