Early Studies in Radioecology

Before AEC funding began, some ecologists embraced the tools provided by atomic energy development that allowed for new ways of studying Nature, such as the use of the phosphorus isotope P³² for studying nutrient cycling in lakes and the use of the carbon isotope C¹⁴ for measuring the photosynthesis rate in the open ocean. Concurrent with these academic influences of atomic energy development, radioactive fallout from weapons testing created an “early warning sign” of environmental concern for society as a whole and triggered studies of radionuclide movements in ecosystems.