What was biosphere 2 used for

The structure, a prototype for an extraterrestrial habitat, was conceived by a counterculture theater troupe that partnered with businesspeople to form a company called Space Biosphere Ventures. The enclosure did not ooze slime.

But after a year, the oxygen had dwindled to dangerously low levels, the farm was not producing enough crops—and the crew was suffocating and hangry. When the truth emerged, the mission lost credibility with scientists and was panned by the press.

Some still consider this unfair. Scientists did, in fact, learn something important from what went wrong: the soil was too rich in organic matter, and its thriving bacteria gobbled up too much oxygen. At first, the researchers could not track down the excess carbon dioxide those microbes should have released as a byproduct of that oxygen consumption.

Eventually they found it had chemically bonded with concrete in the building. When Columbia University took over Biosphere 2 from to , researchers realized that, inside this controlled mini world, they could tweak the CO 2 , heat and precipitation to predicted future levels and could measure the effects on varied biomes.

I think one can walk that walk, and some of that [research] is being done now. Several recent studies have shown that deforestation and climate-related tree death are transforming rain forests such as the Amazon from carbon storage spaces into massive greenhouse gas emitters. Doing so could help researchers make better climate predictions and develop more effective reforestation techniques. The soon to be published results are being kept under wraps, but Werner says the main takeaway was the diverse ways various plant species coped with the stress.

In a study published in Nature Plants, Michigan State University ecologist Marielle Smith and her colleagues dialed up the temperature and found that the tropical flora were more resilient to high heat than many had anticipated. Come tour one of the world's most unique facilities dedicated to the research and understanding of global scientific issues.

The Biosphere 2 facility serves as a laboratory for controlled scientific studies, an arena for scientific discovery and discussion, and a far-reaching provider of public education. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching and life-long learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe; to catalyze interdisciplinary thinking and understanding about Earth and its future; to be an adaptive tool for Earth education and outreach to industry, government, and the public; and to distill issues related to Earth systems planning and management for use by policymakers, students and the public.

See what people are saying about Biosphere 2 on TripAdvisor. We also hoped to help NASA and other space agencies learn more about life-support systems for long-term space missions. I lived in a miniature Earth to better understand fundamental processes of biospheres to improve how humans relate to our world. Our crew—the biospherians—consisted of a multinational tribe: five Americans, two Brits and one Belgian; we were four men and four women.

We included a botanist, a marine biologist and a physician. I managed the wastewater recycling system and assisted in ecological and agricultural research. Together we became the first natives of a new techno-living synthesis. The planning and construction of Biosphere 2 took seven years. The architecture blended glass Mayan pyramidal shapes with dazzling white Buckminster Fuller-type geodesic domes and barrel-vaulted chambers straight out of ancient Babylon.

Inside we built a bonsai world. Its wilderness biomes included a rainforest with a foot waterfall, a grassy treed savannah, a desert, fresh and saltwater wetlands with mangrove trees and a coral reef in a foot-deep, foot-long ocean the source of our table salt.

Our engineers faced huge challenges. They had to ensure each biome had correct temperatures and rainfall amounts, desalinate water, collect and circulate water, treat wastewater, strip our air of trace gases and even create mild breezes. Biosphere 2 had to support life while not unwittingly polluting it with machines and materials whose presence might have unforeseen side effects.

As a result, wool and wood were used for flooring, wall paneling and furnishings in living areas. Same with fires—even lit birthday candles.

Inside the Bubble On September 26, , we entered Biosphere 2 to begin our experiment. Like astronauts, we had plenty of tasks to fill our days. Farming took up 25 percent of our waking time, research and maintenance 20 percent, writing reports 19 percent, cooking 12 percent, biome management 11 percent, animal husbandry 9 percent. We spent the rest of our time doing media interviews and handling miscellaneous matters.

We built in off days for rest and to observe changes in our growing biosphere. We grew our food and raised and slaughtered livestock. We worked in labs, maintained equipment, and spent time in our living quarters. Growing good nutritious food was a top priority, requiring everyone to work three to four hours a day for five days a week. None of us had come from a farming background. Hunger became a new experience—and our constant companion.

We existed the way humans had for time immemorial. Did our farming improve as we went along? You bet. Hunger is a great motivator. Among our 80 crops were rice, yams, peanuts, sorghum, millet, beets, wheat, carrots, peppers, bananas, figs, tomatoes, kale, eggplant, onions, papayas, beans, sweet and white potatoes, squash and herbs.

A total of 3, species of plants and animals coexisted in Biosphere 2. We imported four species of beneficial cockroaches to recycle organic matter. Unfortunately, that great evolutionary survivor—the household cockroach—snuck in and exploded in crop-threatening numbers, as did another stowaway species, ants. We reveled in simple pleasures. We treasured each cup. For a pizza, we spent four months growing a crop of wheat, which then had to be threshed and ground. Tomatoes, peppers and onions had to ripen.

No minute delivery for us. Though we had a mostly vegetarian diet, we occasionally made special dishes from small amounts of meat a quarter pound per person per week , eggs and milk. We raised a species of small pigs, pygmy goats and a variety of chickens—a scrappy Mexican breed, elegant Japanese Silkies and bantams with cocky attitudes. Fish was a rare treat. We raised and harvested tilapia in rice paddies.

Dozens of species of tropical fish—and 2-foot-long giant Pacific clams—populated our ocean. We found satisfaction in caring for our animals and even gave them names. Our milking goats included Milky Way, Stardust and Vision. We dubbed two pigs Zazu and Quincy. One of our daffier chickens was Mrs.