ABSTRACT
The impact of Cold War–era Radioecology on modern Ecology is discussed. AEC-funded Radioecology evolved into “big science” programs, such as the International Biological Program, and many of the young scientists who were supported by Radioecology research went on to be prominent leaders in Ecology for many decades. The radiation experiments demonstrated the ability of ecosystems to recover through the process of self-organization, and this research is shown to provide important background for understanding current issues such as radioactive waste disposal and the environmental assessment of nuclear accidents. Benchmarks of Cold War–era Radioecology are reviewed and include studies of radiosensitivity of individual species, resilience of biodiversity after radiation stress is removed and the role of artificial radiation as a selection force in driving self-organization of the stressed ecosystems. Attention also is given to how AEC-funded ecologists dealt with the moral issue of working on military research associated with nuclear weapons and the historical value of their research to the future.
