Rewilding Chernobyl: Life in the Exclusion Zone
EVEN IN THE MOST CONTAMINATED OF ENVIRONMENTS, NATURE FINDS A WAY..,
Illustration by Alicia Hayden
The city of Pripyat is haunted by the scars of Chernobyl. The trail of devastation it left behind is not easily forgotten; not just by the thousands who have been impacted by the tragedy. 30 years later, radiation levels have decreased but are still hazardous - with a recent report by Greenpeace estimating that the site will not be completely safe for human habitation for thousands of years.
However, life is not extinct. In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, an area stretching 2600 km2, nature has begun to rewild itself, thriving without the vexatious interference from humans. Species such as European bison, wolves, bears, foxes, elk, lynx, otters and deer amongst many others are now flourishing, culminating in the creation of a national reserve around Chernobyl. Plant populations have also boomed, with around 60 rare species recorded as well as the expansion of forests which have been proved to be more robust to climatic changes. This increase in biodiversity in turn has provided a wealth of economic benefits from tourism, with ‘eco-tours’ now available for tourists to visit the reserve. Although there still may be unforeseen impacts of radiation on species, life seems to have adapted in order to survive.
A study by Deryabina et al (2015) on mammal populations revealed some surprising results from long term surveys in the exclusion zone. Their results found that the abundance of mammals, such as elk and deer, were analogous with mammal populations in similar reserves which were uncontaminated by radiation. The European Bison and Przewalski’s horses, both introduced into the exclusion zone in the 1990s, have notably benefited from the expanse of wilderness. Moreover, as both are species of conservation concern, this revival in Chernobyl has provided a degree of optimism to scientists for their recovery. Even more remarkably, European grey wolf populations were discovered to be seven times higher than other reserves. It is plausible that the recovery of wolf populations is the result of several factors – such as the lack of disturbance to their habitats by humans, reductions in hunting and rising prey populations in the area.
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Image by Aristov_tmb, Shutterstock.
Birds, such as barn swallows and wood warblers, have also undergone a resurgence in the exclusion zone, with a 2014 study in Nature investigating the adaptation response of Chernobyl’s bird species. Results from this study showed that bird species from areas with elevated levels of radiation had higher levels of antioxidants, as a consequence of increased radiation exposure. It is yet another case illustrating nature’s inspiring talent to renew itself and step up to environmental challenges.
This talent will be increasingly crucial as we experience the increasing effects of climate change. Extreme climate changes will become frequent, with more droughts, hurricanes, floods, natural disasters, as well as increasing pressure on decreasing natural resources such as freshwater, no longer part of a distant dystopian storyline. In our lifetime, we will see areas of the Earth becoming completely inhospitable, as well as more humanitarian issues such as climate refugees and conflicts over dwindling resources. With COP26 rapidly approaching, now is the time for voices to be heard and the difference between 1.5 degrees of warming, and 2+ degrees of global warming, is simply terrifying. As David Wallace-Wells writes in his eye-opening book The Uninhabitable Earth, studies have shown that ‘150 million more people would die from air pollution alone in a 2-degree warmer world than 1.5-degree warmer one…150 million is the equivalent of twenty-five Holocausts.’
It is worth highlighting the stark fact that is purely from air pollution alone, not taking into account the other impacts above. NASA’s climate models from the 1970s have correctly predicted our current rate of warming till now. We are currently on track for 4 degrees of warming by 2100. If it doesn’t affect you, it will most certainly affect your children and grandchildren.
More than ever, nature will have to adapt to the biggest challenge of all. However, amidst the bleak predictions, there is a glimmer of hope. We have many of the solutions, and it is a matter of ‘simply’ encouraging governments to step up and take action. Chernobyl has also provided a striking case study of how nature can restore itself after significant environmental challenges, with the exclusion zone an increasingly interesting area of study to observe species adaptation and evolution in action.
Image by Yasemin Atalay, via Unsplash
The extraordinary return of nature witnessed since the disaster is in stark juxtaposition to the barren nuclear wasteland that is so often pictured with the name Chernobyl. With any luck, this renewal of Chernobyl into a natural wilderness will continue going forward. As part of restoring the area, the Ukrainian government has also recently begun the Solar Chernobyl Project installing solar panels within the zone, breathing sanguinity into Chernobyl’s reputation for the future.
For many scientists, the term ‘Rewilding’ is rather contentious. When used, it can conjure up images of reintroduced wolves gone wild, ravaging their way across the English countryside. However, rewilding is what our planet has been doing for thousands of years all by itself, regardless of the activity of Homo Sapiens. Nature can rewild itself and quickly bounce back to a perfect equilibrium with our help or without us at all, as shown by Chernobyl.
Thank you to Alicia for her beautiful illustration. You can find more of her work on her Instagram @aliciahaydenwildlife.
BETHANY PIHAMA
Beth is a conservation biologist, writer and photographer based in Devon. She is passionate about using science communication as a tool to help generate awareness of important environmental issues. Her research interests lie around tackling illegal wildlife trade, climate change and human-wildlife conflict. Beth is one of our social media managers here at Bloom in Doom.