AOE ES

Land Plant Studies

i.

Mapping, description and discussion of the plant communities

of the northeastern half of Rongelap Island has been completed by.
James D. Kimmel and accepted as a Master's Thesis at Ohio State.
University.

2.

A Key to the land plants of Rongelap Atoll has been prepared

for use by the nonbiologist as well as the botanist.

It is revised

where appropriate following each field trip.

3.

Food plants have received priority in analyses.

A complete

radiochemical analysis for gamma and beta emitters has been completed for all Pandanus and Tacca (arrowroot) samples collected.
csi37,

mn>4,

and zn®5 have also been determined in Breadfruit,

Squash and Coconut samples.

$r29 analyses of these samples are in

progress.
cst37 is the predominant isotope in ali plants accounting for

70% - 99% of the total activity.
the remaining activity.
amounts

mn°4,

sr99 accounts for all or most of

gn®5,

(< 1% of the cst37 activity)

and cel44 are found in minute
in plants from the more highly

radioactive northern islands.

4.

All plant samples collected through 1959 have been counted for

gross beta activity.

9002259

There are definite geographical and species-

Select target paragraph3