Effects of low-level radiation on the abundance of animals are poorly known. We conducted standardized censuses of bumblebees, butterflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies and spider webs at forest sites around Chernobyl differing in background radiation by over four orders of magnitude.

Abundance of invertebrates decreased with increasing radiation, even after controlling for effects of soil type, habitat and height of vegetation.

These effects were stronger when comparing plots differing in radiation within rather than among sites, implying that the ecological effects of radiation from Chernobyl on animals are greater than previously assumed.

Royal Society Journal Biology Letters

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of the journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

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