Biosphere 2 Research Past and Present

About this book

&i; Presents the most comprehensive assemblage of findings from Biosphere 2, the fascinating and provocative glass-enclosed mesocosm located in the Arizona desert, built to simulate the workings of our own biosphere. Topics range from calibrated models that describe system metabolism, hydrologic balance, and heat and humidity, to rainforest, mangrove, ocean, and agronomic systems development in this CO2-rich environment. This will be of equal interest to ecologists and engineers alike with papers on the overall hydrologic, carbon, and heat budgets of this enclosed model of planet Earth.' &o; William J Mitsch, Ohio State University

Contents

Biosphere 2 - introduction and research progress; Biospherics and Biosphere 2, Mission One (1991-1993); Biosphere 2 - engineering design; construction and engineering of a created environment -overview of the Biosphere 2 closed system; tropical rainforest biome and Biosphere 2 - structure; composition and results of the first two years of operations; characteristics of soils in the tropical rainforest biome and Biosphere 2 after three years; simulations of community metabolism and atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations in Biosphere 2; litterfall and decomposition rates in Biosphere 2 terrestrial biomes; the Biosphere 2 coral reef biome; mangrove ecosystem development in Biosphere 2; soil in the agricultural area of Biosphere 2 (1991-1993); bioregenerative recycling of wastewater in Biosphere 2 using a constructed wetland -two year result; the agricultural biome of Biosphere 2 - structure, composition and function; the diel carbon cycle of the Biosphere 2 ocean; high quality; continuous measurements of CO2 in Biosphere 2 to assess whole mesocosm carbon cycling; ecosystem-level evapotranspiration and water-use efficiency in the desert biome of Biosphere 2; growing wheat in Biosphere 2 under elevated CO2 -observations and modelling; dynamics of the global water cycle of Biosphere 2; simulation of the water cycle in Biosphere 2; the Biosphere 2 canopy access system; multispectral imaging of vegetation at Biosphere 2; simulation of heat and humidity budgets of Biosphere 2 without its air conditioning.

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