Abstract
There are still many uncertainties that contribute to persisting controversy on the ecological effects of nuclear pollution, which are limiting the implementation of environmental protection criteria. The main objective of the IRRASOIL project is to investigate the effects of ionizing radiation on soil communities and associated functional processes (bioturbation, leaf litter decomposition, nutrient recycling, carbon flux) in interaction with predicted climate change. More specifically, using a combined approach of laboratory experiments under controlled conditions (IRSN Micado'Lab irradiation platform) and field experiments (Fukushima prefecture, Japan), this project aims studying how different functional groups of the soil macrofauna community, such as earthworms (endofauna) and litter layer-dwelling macrofauna (epifauna) interactively affect processes under such combined stresses. The preliminary results presented here are issued from a first laboratory bioturbation experiment.