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Fie1 d observations and c o l 1 e c t i ons o f b i 01 o g i c a l m a t e r i a1 s were done w i t h t h e h e l p o f M. J. H a r r i s , M. A. Combs, L. E. Rendall, D. T. McCullugh, and K. A. Gano. Annual growth r i n g analyses i n Appendix I were provided by M. J. H a r r i s. S c o t t y Getchell took t h e photographs. 'erroad t r a f f i c o f f t h e new surface so t h a t p l a n t s can m a i n t a i n continuous cover.

Uptake of the nitrate forms of 238Pu, 23!?u, 24'Am, %Cm and 237Np from soil into selected parts of four different plant species grown under field conditions was compared. Alfalfa, barley, peas and cheatgrass were grown outdoors in small weighing lysimeters filled with soil containing these radionuclides. The plants were harvested at maturity, divided into selected components and radiochemically analyzed by alpha-energy analysis. Soil concentration did not appear to affect the plant uptake of 238Pu, 239Pu, "'Am or 244Cm for the two levels utilized. The relative plant uptake of the five different transuranics was 237Np > %Cm = "' Am > 239Pu = 238Pu. Relative uptake values of Np for various plant parts ranged from 2200 to 45,000 times as great as for Pu, while Am and Cm values were 10-20 times as great. The values for seeds were significantly lower than those for the other aboveground plant parts for all four transuranic elements. The legumes accumulated approx. 10 times more than the grasses. A comparison of the postulated radionuclide content of plants grown in soil contaminated with material from spent liquid metal fast breeder reactor fuels indicated that concentrations of isotopes of Am, Cm and Np would exceed 239Pu values.