Biosphere 2

Lack of knowledge about the intricacies of soil ecosystems was highlighted by the failure of Biosphere 2. This manmade “ecosystem,” built in Arizona, was to house eight human beings along with 4,000 species of plants and animals for two years. The technological wonder began to experience problems soon after the experiment began in 1991. By 1993, oxygen concentrations had fallen precipitously within the enclosed atmosphere. Morning glory vines, introduced to absorb excess carbon dioxide, overran other plants. Nineteen of 25 vertebrate species died off, as did all pollinators, dooming many plants to seedlessness. The majority of insects were lost, leaving ants, cockroaches, and katydids as the dominant species. Scientists still don’t understand the causes of ecosystem failure, but one guess is the imbalance of introduced soil. A high level of organic matter caused microbial populations to take off and consume the available atmospheric oxygen.

Please be aware about the delicacy of our ecosystem. Visit this web page about 20 different ways in which you can help preserve our ecosystem. Try and complete at least one a day.

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