Interaction matrices as a first step toward a general model of radionuclide cycling: Application to the 137Cs behavior in a grassland ecosystem

Summary Interaction matrices, an expert semi quantitative method to identify multiple interactions among biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem can be considered as a useful tool to develop conceptual models of the behavior of radionuclides in the environment. This systematic approach facilitates a comprehensible identification of the pathways of the main radionuclides and permits classification of the role of different ecosystem components in terms of cause-effect relationships. The method was applied to study the radiocesium migration in grassland ecosystem affected by the Chernobyl ¹³⁷Cs deposition. Interaction matrices have been simultaneously utilized to explore the dynamic changes on the radiocesium migration pathways and to compare the consequences of the various radiation exposure paths to living organisms.