Soil of the Intensive Agriculture Biome of Biosphere 2

Excerpt

Biosphere 2, located in Oracle, Arizona, is an impressive structure designed as a closed system for several ecosystems, including a rainforest, desert, savanna, marsh, ocean, and a separate agriculture area designated as the Intensive Agriculture Biome (IAB) (Figure 1). The synthetic communities of plants and soils are enclosed in a glass and metal shell that encompasses 1.28 ha, and is internationally known for its beauty and sophisticated environmental control capacity.

Originally undertaken as a commercial venture, Biosphere 2 was designed as a prototype for a Mars space station with a materially closed ecological system that could maintain equilibrium and sustain life support for human beings over long periods of time. This remarkable facility sealed a volume of approximately 180,000 m³ with a leak rate measured at 6% per year (Nelson et al. 1993). However, Biosphere 2 came under attack by some in the science community for lack of rigor (Kaiser 1996) and for controversial promotional tactics. Following difficulty in growing sufficient food and a secretive attempt to inject O₂ to correct an unexpected 02 depletion in the Biosphere 2 atmosphere, the facility became labeled as a “New Age” stunt (Wolfgang 1995; Rabinovitz 1995). Biosphere 2 …