Simultaneous fielding of our progrem with Noshkin's alleviates one of the major concerns end problems associated with research in whe Pecific atcils. Therefore, if funding were supplied for the manpower for the terrestrial part of the program and for the necessary travel and esriculture surpiies, the program could be initiated immediately (January, February 1975). e The specific projects for Enewetek end Bikini are now discussed in cetail. A. Enewetak The specific tasks to be carried out at Enewetak are as follows > 2. Pest Plantings and Radionuclide Reevcling > Test plots of coconut, pandanus, and breadfruit will be planted immediately. Depending cn the size of the starter plants a lag time of three to five years can be expected before fruit will be available. sheverores acditional test plantings of arroxroot, squash, pareye, bananas and sweet potetces will also wits weed be initiated immediately. These crops will rroduce very ouickly. In cenguneticn with data on reacicnuclide ccncentraticns in soll, they will lead to concentration factors r for Puod orcducis an also to direct measuremnts of radionuclide cone entration in feed preducts. Tritiated water will be inject into the groundwater at the rcot zone to determine the magnitude and rate of uptake of soil groundwater by the different plant species. Various forms of fertilizers will also be evaluated for eny reduction of radionuclide uo ( nd Sr) by these food chain plants. For exemple, high-potessiun i way sisgnirican antly reguce tne uptake of Cs, and effects of phosonr greatly eltered the K content. z ; islands should be tested um, nitrozen and other trace metals may recult in th Cs and Sr. Mule hing could be used to increase veretation cut for clearing on "cola" soutner S$ a mulch in the "hot" northern islends. » Clean transported soil beds will elso be established on the nortnern isl with clean soil from southern islands sucn as Japten and Perry. The clean beds will enable us to directly evaluate the role of vesetation as a mejor feedbec mechanism in the cycling of radionuclices in the atoll ecosystem. The use clean beds, the removal of litter dropped from the vegetation, end mulcning with clean vegetation from the south could serve to interrupt the cycling of radionuclides. As indicated, the decay of litter to form humus material may well be the primary source of eveailable radionuclides to plants. It is essential to Valuate the ebove-ground kinetics thet produce the input to the Grourevers system. Therefore, biomass measurements will be made on Engebi to eesee the standing-crop inventories of redicnuclides., Litter-fa11 collectors an litter-bags will be employed to determine rates of litter fall and itt decay. These measurements combined with data on groundweter cycling wi important for a co:nprehensive understanding of radionuclide cycling and re in the Atoll ecosysten.