Using a Closed Ecological System to Study Earth's Biosphere

Nelson, Mark D.; Burgess, T.; Alling, A.; Alvarez-Romo, Norberto; Dempster, William F.; Walford, Roy L.; Allen, John P.

doi:10.2307/1312123

Cited by 73 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…No existing closed environmental facility approaches the size and sophistication of Biosphere 2 ( Figure B1), a 13,000 m 2 complex of interconnected, geodesic domes, and vaulted structures which in their original incarnation contained a tropical rain forest, a grassland savannah, a mangrove wetland, a farm, and a salt-water ocean with a wave machine and gravel beach. It was built primarily as an apparatus for the experimental investigation of biogeochemical cycles, whole ecosystems, and life-support systems for space habitation (Nelson et al, 1993) and cost approximately $200 million between 1984 and 1991 (Wolfgang, 1995). Eight humans inhabited Biosphere 2, together with 3800 other introduced species of invertebrates and vertebrates with which it was seeded, and it was hoped that a balanced ecosystem would emerge naturally.…”

Section: Future Directions: New Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesocosm Experiments as a Tool for Ecological Climate-Change Research

Stewart

Dossena

Bohan

et al. 2013

Advances in Ecological Research

288

230

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Section: Future Directions: New Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesocosm Experiments as a Tool for Ecological Climate-Change Research

Stewart

Dossena

Bohan

et al. 2013

Advances in Ecological Research

288

230

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“…1). This 1.25-ha complex contains about 170,000 m 3 of atmosphere, 1.5 million l of freshwater, 3.8 million l of salt water, and 17,000 m 3 of soils (Nelson et al 1993). The tropical rainforest and the coastal desert of Biosphere 2 represent two contrasting ecosystems, and both of them were established in 1990.…”

Section: Description Of Tropical Rainforest and Coastal Desert Mesocosmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem carbon exchange in two terrestrial ecosystem mesocosms under changing atmospheric CO 2 concentrations

Lin¹,

Adams²,

Farnsworth³

et al. 1999

Oecologia

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The ecosystem-level carbon uptake and respiration were measured under different CO concentrations in the tropical rainforest and the coastal desert of Biosphere 2, a large enclosed facility. When the mesocosms were sealed and subjected to step-wise changes in atmospheric CO between daily means of 450 and 900 μmol mol, net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO was derived using the diurnal changes in atmospheric CO concentrations. The step-wise CO treatment was effectively replicated as indicated by the high repeatability of NEE measurements under similar CO concentrations over a 12-week period. In the rainforest mesocosm, daily NEE was increased significantly by the high CO treatments because of much higher enhancement of canopy CO assimilation relative to the increase in the nighttime ecosystem respiration under high CO. Furthermore, the response of daytime NEE to increasing atmospheric CO in this mesocosm was not linear, with a saturation concentration of 750 μmol mol. In the desert mesocosm, a combination of a reduction in ecosystem respiration and a small increase in canopy CO assimilation in the high CO treatments also enhanced daily NEE. Although soil respiration was not affected by the short-term change in atmospheric CO in either mesocosm, plant dark respiration was increased significantly by the high CO treatments in the rainforest mesocosm while the opposite was found in the desert mesocosm. The high CO treatments increased the ecosystem light compensation points in both mesocosms. High CO significantly increased ecosystem radiation use efficiency in the rainforest mesocosm, but had a much smaller effect in the desert mesocosm. The desert mesocosm showed much lower absolute response in NEE to atmospheric CO than the rainforest mesocosm, probably because of the presence of C plants. This study illustrates the importance of large-scale experimental research in the study of complex global change issues.

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“…1 Four women and 4 men, including one of us (R.L.W. ), were sealed inside Biosphere 2 for 2 years from September 26, 1991, to September 26, 1993, the longest sustained period in an "isolated confined environment" on record.…”

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confidence: 99%