The purpose of the memo is to understand better how Chernobyl affected animals and how their genetics have changed over time in the radioactive area.
Summary
The wildlife after the Chernobyl explosion continues to exist even in locations with enormous radiation levels. Some scientists believe that some radiations and other chemical ingredients do not affect several species (Wendle, 2016). Moreover, the decreased level of hunting has allowed animals to breed and ensure survival. Surprisingly, experts in environmental protection have realized that the radiation zone is full of different animals in the Red Book. For instance, specific cameras caught bison, gray wolves, raccoon dogs, and red foxes (Wendle, 2016). Observations have shown that the radiation disaster does not stop the wildlife on the territories of Ukraine and Belarus.
Animals have shown adaptive responses to the changes in the environment, and they managed to adjust to the radioactive surrounding. However, this aspect has caused specific shifts in genetics. Mousseau et al. (2014) stated that the most common problems are single and strand breaks in DNA. Moreover, the rate of mutations stays significant, causing psychological and developmental changes in organisms. The nuclear power plant explosion caused an increase in the number of born albinos (Mousseau et al., 2014). However, the percentage of animal survivance in the radioactive location varies yearly, and it is complicated to predict the future trend.
The lack of human participation in the radioactive zone made the ecosystem around Chernobyl unique and untouched. Rare birds started to return back even though the air was not clear from chemicals (White, 2022). A military invasion in 2022 directly influences nature around the exploded nuclear power plant as the shots and loud sounds disturb animals. Moreover, the repetitive military training on the Belarussian – Ukrainian border scares living species causing additional issues to the nature of Chernobyl.
Introduction
One of humanity’s greatest problems happened more than 30 years ago when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded due to the mistake and negligence of the workers. The tragedy of April 26, 1986, caused many human deaths and developed the problem of thyroid gland cancer (Wendle, 2016). While humans managed to leave the affected territories on time, animals had to adjust to the changes. Not all species survived, and the first ear after the explosion became complicated for the wild populations. However, when the level of radiation decreased, animals returned to their home and changed their habits to survive in harsh conditions. Scientists became able to identify relatively ‘clean’ territories of Chernobyl district and the most affected location to see how the genetics of the same animals differs (Wendle, 2016).
Additionally, find the answer to why some species could survive, but others died in this environment. Depending on the geographic position and the level of radiation, habitat types change and show specific and unique traits.
Even though animals managed to return to their homes located on the territories close to Chernobyl, the diversity of species stays insignificant. According to Dr. Mousseau in The New York Times video report, the biodiversity has not achieved the normal level, but the number of mutations made it unique. The scientist also mentioned that the most common proof of the changes in the animals’ nature is visible from the spider webs. It does not have a typical polygon structure but a chaotic pattern that is uncommon for spiders distant from Chernobyl locations. Similar situation with bugs that have merged dots on the back. The function of these insects did not change, and they continue protecting plants from pests, but their appearance is unusual for nature. Due to the fact that some chemical elements continue decomposing, more mutations and changes in animal biodiversity can appear in the future.
Research Results
The research on radioactive areas has many limitations due to the health risks. With the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian territories, the situation stayed unstable as the sarcophagus was shelled, and animals left these territories. Nevertheless, it is clear these days that some species manage to survive because they do not need many resources like specific food or shelter. Unfortunately, weaker species could not cope with the level of radiation and harsh environmental conditions. Consequently, the adjustment process conducted a natural selection making the nature of the Chernobyl district untypical and separated from the rest of the world.
The life expectancy of animals on the boarding territories between Belarus and Ukraine has decreased significantly due to the radiation in food and water. According to Wendle (2016), mushrooms are the main type of food consumed by many wild populations, but the concentration of radiation in this food is enormous. Consequently, when living organisms consume radioactive food, their inner organs lose a high level of performance, causing a quick death. Animals like wolves, which move fast and can leave affected territories, suffer less radiation, which helps them survive in this environment. Therefore, depending on the endurance and lifestyle of animals and insects, radiation cause different consequences to the living organisms.