Designing a Biosphere

09 October 2010 Biology Homework | Harvey Werb

Oxygen production and CO2 removal:

To start with the biosphere will be pumped with oxygen from oxygen canisters, plants will be introduced as well as simple life forms that use oxygen to respire. Hopefully the delicate balance of oxygen and carbondioxide will cycle around through plant and life form, from the processes of respiration and photosynthesis. Where the plant will use CO2 to make energy needed and will respire oxygen which will be useful for the life forms. I suggest simple life forms like bacterium or plankton to start with. A constant flow of air from a chamber of plants and organisms could be established to create a respiratory circuit.

Maximise production of food:

To begin the plants grown will be edible, and to maximise their growth they would be fed constant light and heat. The biosphere is an excellent insulator of heat so if kept at the right temperature the crops should thrive. I suggest constant light, so UV light supplements during night time hours to maximise growth efficiency. I also intend to use GM plants to make use of the benefits they could bring like certain health benefits to help lessen the chance of disease.

Water :

Introducing small irrigation systems through the biosphere ...

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Maximise production of food:

Water :

Introducing small irrigation systems through the biosphere from small ponds set up in a biosphere. It will be filtered with constant recycle so a pumping station will be on hand at all times. This should also help minimise human waste. Water will be introduced it will be brought at first from earth but will hopefully cycle around itself. The technology will be taken from an example of the biosphere in Cornwall.

Poultry and Pork:

After a time animals like pigs and chickens will be introduced, these animals are good for meat and eggs. Pigs are useful for also tackling waste as they eat almost anything and all body parts are edible. Chickens provide eggs and meat.

Thermal:

To provide heat I would use solar energy to power heaters in the biosphere at night all activity would have to cease to keep power storage from being drained.

Waste problems:

No packaging would be used in the biosphere all cuttings and peelings are recycled into compost as well as dead animals and plants. Anything that can be given to the pigs will be. Any rubbish will be burned at a quiet area.

Sustainability:

To make it sustainable I would use recycled everything, plants and meat are reared in the dome and heat is sourced renewably. Water, oxygen and CO2 are recycled over and over, waste is limited.

Problems encounted:

The hardest problem in making the idea work would be getting to mars in the first place and getting all the plants organisms and buildings on the surface.

The hardest problem faced then if it works is a growing population of humans, plants and other organisms.

My Design

A simple look at the outside. Several small domes connected up to a large central hub where I would imagine the humans live.