Transcript Biosphere 2 - Virginia Wesleyan College

Biosphere 2
Photo Courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
Quick Overview of Biosphere 2
Rain Forest
Ocean Savannah Marsh
Residential
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A 3.15 acre greenhouse - model of our Biosphere
~2,000 species of plants & animals
5 separate biome types
Agricultural area/space for residents
Designed as a “closed” system - model for space
travel
• Now - research & education for Columbia Univ.
Desert
Agriculture,
Research
“Lungs”
What is a Biosphere?
Photo Courtesy Biosphere 2000, by Kaufman & Franz
Photo courtesy Carolina Biological
Overview of Project
Image Courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
Rain Forest
Ocean, Marsh, Savanna
Desert
Photo courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
Agricultural Areas
Photo Courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
Now Used For Research
Human Habitat
• Apartment
space for 8
people
• Kitchen and
common area
• Library &
computer
facility
Image courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
“Lungs”
Inside the West Lung
Photo Courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
“Technosphere”
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Water filtration
Reverse Osmosis
Sprinkler system
Electricity for
computers, sensors
machinery, etc.
• Not really a closed
system (energy inputs
from the sun and AZ
Electric Power Corp.)
Brief History
Photo courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
• Mid 1980’s – Land
Purchased by Space
Biosphere Ventures
• 1989 – Test module
constructed and inhabited
for 21 days.
• Biosphere 2 built at a cost
of $150 million
• Many questions to
consider (such as?)
Brief History,
continued
• Sept. 1991 - Sept. 1993
2 – year sealed study
• Mar.-Sept. 1994
6 month sealed study
• Low Oxygen Levels –
Oxygen was added
• 1 person was medically
evacuated for 1 day
• No one has inhabited it
permanently since 1994
Brief History
• 1996 – “Bio-Dome”
starring Pauly Shore is
released in theaters.
• Jan 1, 1996 Columbia
University takes over
the management of
the Biosphere 2 Center
Photo Courtesy MGM/UA and Amazon.com
Climate Change Research
• Cottonwood Plants that
are Clones of Each Other
• Held at 400 ppm, 800 ppm
and 1200 ppm CO2
• Examine photosynthesis
rates to determine whether
plants can take up
additional CO2
Impact of Climate Change on
Coral Reef Systems
Uptake of CO2 by coral decreases by 40%
under elevated concentrations of carbonates
Similar Studies in
Other Ecosystem Types
• Rainforest
• Desert
• Other habitats
difficult to isolate
• Computer
simulation
modeling
Image courtesy Biosphere 2 Center
Problems
• Ants (Paratrechina
longicornis) have
become abundant.
• Quarantine Issues
• Costs a lot to operate.
• One of a kind.
How Should This Facility be Used?
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Model for Space Travel
Climate Change Research
Undergraduate & Graduate Education
Public Outreach and Education
Other Uses?
Advantages/Disadvantages
as a Research Facility
Advantages
• Conducted at a large
scale (more realistic)
• Controlled conditions
(can manipulate CO2 to
exact concentrations)
• Possible to run several
replicates at one time
• Possible to repeat
experiments over time
Disadvantages
• Not a precise model of
native ecosystems
• Expensive to build and
operate
• One of a kind (not
perfectly applicable to
a particular system)
• Others?
How is New Scientific
Knowledge Obtained?
Scientific Method
• Observation
• Hypothesis (must be testable)
• Experiment (ideally has a control group and
is replicated)
• Analyze Results (rely on prior research)
• Conclusion
How Well Does Biosphere 2
Achieve This?
The End
For more information visit www.bio2.edu