Many of you have homes houseplants, which please the eye, serve as interior decorations and supply you with oxygen. There is an incredible a large number of types of similar plants and also many ways to grow and maintain them.
Today we will design a self-sufficient ecosystem that does not require self-care and will be a good decoration for your interior or an original gift.
Florarium, plant terrarium- a special closed container made of glass or other transparent materials and intended for maintaining and growing plants. A certain air humidity and temperature are created inside, which helps create an environment for normal development and the existence of plants. Florariums appeared in the middle of the 19th century. The first plants to be used in florariums were various types of ferns.
As follows from the description, we will need a closed glass container. Can be used glass jars, medical flasks, bottles, in general, any container that can be sealed without problems. By searching for “closed ecosystem,” I found interesting option, which uses an ordinary incandescent light bulb, and a bunch of material, how to disassemble it and plant plants there without damaging the glass. This option seemed quite interesting and easy to assemble, so I decided to try it.
So, what do we need to create our miniature ecosystem:
1) Small stones for drainage and stones for composition
2) Sand
3) Fertile soil
4) Various types of moss
5) Bark, small branches for composition
6) Stone or driftwood for the platform
7) Incandescent light bulb
8) Two-component glue or hot melt glue
9) Pliers
10) Flat screwdriver
11) Tweezers
12) Syringe
13) Water
14) Paper
After a short walk through the forest and outskirts of the city, I easily found all the material I needed.
Let's start assembling. The first thing we need to do is prepare our light bulb. Using pliers and some force, carefully break the black ceramic insulation, being careful not to bend the base of the light bulb or break the glass.
You should have a hole like the photo below.
Next, using a flat-head screwdriver, you need to break and squeeze out the glass rod on which the filament is attached and remove it from the light bulb. Try to make the largest hole possible, this will make the future process of planting easier for you. After all excess has been removed, I recommend rinsing the light bulb with water to avoid contact with small glass particles.
Next we need to make our light bulb stable. You can glue legs from something to it, you can glue the light bulb itself to a beautiful piece of driftwood or, as in my case, a stone. To securely glue the glass to the stone, you can use two-component glue or hot melt adhesive. I used two-component Poxipol glue.
Now we need to make a drainage system. Drainage is a system for removing water through the roots and soil, which allows plant roots to breathe when there is a large amount of moisture in the ground.
Drainage is done very simply. In our case, we place a small number of small stones at the bottom. For convenience, I made a tube out of paper, which will also facilitate the process of filling the light bulb with sand and soil, as well as rid the walls of contamination.
Then we fill our light bulb with a fertile layer of soil. Don’t be afraid if the roots of other plants or humus get into the soil - this will only work to your advantage, as it will provide your system with useful organic substances.
The next stage is creative. Here you need to demonstrate all your artistic abilities to the maximum and beautifully place the components collected in the forest. To make the task of planting plants in the bulb easier, I used tweezers and a rod from ballpoint pen. As a result, I ended up with this composition.
The final step in creating an ecosystem is to add a few drops of water. You can use a medical syringe for this. You should not water the plants abundantly; excess moisture will lead to their death. After we have watered, it is necessary to seal the bulb hermetically. There are no special rules here, you can use anything: an acorn, a wine bottle cap, a plastic cap, a wooden stick, etc., the main thing is that no air gets into the structure. I used regular black buttons, having previously sealed the holes for attaching them to the material.
After some time, condensation from water droplets will begin to form on the walls of the light bulb; there is no need to be alarmed by this, it means that the process of the origin of life is proceeding as it should. These droplets will appear periodically and then settle into the soil, simulating rain.
Excess water will go into the drainage at the bottom of the light bulb, provided that you have organized it correctly. If you suddenly realize that you have poured too much water into your florarium, simply open the hole and leave it open for several hours to excess moisture evaporated, then seal the bulb again.
A day after building my florarium, I decided that the composition needed to be supplemented and attached another light bulb to my platform stone, but this time larger. This is what the final version of my ecosystem now looks like.
By the same principle, the Englishman David Latimer grows Tradescantia in a bottle (a genus of perennial evergreen herbaceous plants family Commelinaceae), which has been in a closed space for more than 40 years and has never been watered.
In one of my diaries I mentioned a closed ecosystem. A kind of microcosm. Which exists independently.
So, a closed ecosystem is a system that does not involve the exchange of substances with the outside world.
It's something like Earth. Only in a reduced form.
On the picture - open system. She takes everything she needs for her existence from environment.
A closed ecosystem is completely cut off from the outside world. Moreover, such a system does not require any maintenance. 
David Latimer put Tradescantia in a bottle and did not open it for 40 years. During this time, the plant not only did not die, but formed its own ecosystem. Tradescantia fed on its own humus. And the growth of a plant is due to the oxygen it produces. There was no watering. Since humidification was carried out by condensate. 
I decided to make a few closed ecosystems. Exactly do it! And not buy. Oh yes, such ecosystems can also be purchased.
There is enough information on the Internet about how you can make such a “miracle” of nature. I'll tell you how I did it.
Firstly, planting requires a closing container.
Of course it's GLASS. I took a regular jar. Or you can buy cool round glass containers in stores.
Secondly - land. I took ordinary soil. Without any problems there. For drainage I use regular sand with stones.
Thirdly - plants. The most common ones! From experience I can say that for closed systems It is best to take moisture-loving ones. In my case - moss. You can take any plants. The main criterion is plant compatibility. It could be fern, chlorophytum, etc.
Fourthly - decor. You understand that it is not obligatory and is done at will. On the Internet they write that the main thing in choosing decor is that it does not rot. I think it would be cool if it still rots. This emphasizes the naturalness of such a system.
Pour drainage and soil into the jar. We form the relief. Next we plant the plants. For decoration, I took an angel figurine (it is planned that moss spores will begin to grow on it) and a stone. We arrange everything as you like, water it and seal it.
It is important not to overclog the container initially. Since there can be too much water in plants and they will simply begin to rot. On the first day, it is recommended not to seal the container. So that excess moisture evaporates. In my case, I just sealed everything as is.
During the first week, a large amount of condensation was observed in the bank. And I was forced to open the container so that the water evaporates a little. The plants have taken root. The moss has grown a little.
At the end of the second week, “extraterrestrial” life was noticed in the jar - two large mosquitoes appeared. Who died safely three days later.
Today, moss growth is observed here and there on the angel figurine. Unfortunately, I can’t take a photo - there is a lot of condensation on the walls of the jar during the day.
My second system can be either open or closed.
The most important heterotrophic link in the closed ecosystems we are considering is humans. It is he who forms the requirements for the work of all other links and essentially sets the intensity of the cycle in order to meet its needs for oxygen, water and food. For ZES with the participation of people, this also means the inclusion of their waste products, plant waste and a number of other substances in the cycle. Let us note that such an ecosystem with a phototrophic link consisting of higher plants has a greater closed cycle processes than algae, because the latter are practically inedible and their biomass accumulates in the form of waste. And further. ZES with a person can exist autonomously for quite a long time. This property is in demand primarily for space purposes.
Exterior view of a hermetic cabin with a volume of 12 cubic meters with a person in BIOS-1
Therefore, it is not surprising that the sharp increase in relevant scientific research is associated with the “space boom” of the 50-60s of the twentieth century, when the exploration of the Moon and Mars seemed to be a matter of the near future.
Pioneer experiments
The world's first truly operating closed life support systems were created in the USSR in the first half of the 1960s. The main research then took place in Moscow - at the Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine of the Ministry of Defense, and later at the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the USSR Ministry of Health (now Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences) and in Krasnoyarsk - first in the department of biophysics of the Institute of Physics (IF) SB USSR Academy of Sciences, and then at the Institute of Biophysics (IBP) SB RAS. Historically, the search in the IBMP was initially focused on life support systems for spacecraft and orbital stations, where preference was given to the use of physical and chemical processes, and in the IBP, on closed ecosystems for long-term planetary stations, where the dominant role in the cycle of substances should play biological methods. Let us emphasize: using the first approach it is impossible to create a complete cycle, since the ways of artificial synthesis of complete nutrients necessary for human nutrition are unknown. The second one is free from these shortcomings. Life support systems based on it are autonomous and, therefore, more independent of the duration of missions in deep space exploration.
Layout of BIOS-3: 1 – living quarters: three cabins for the crew, a sanitary and hygienic module, a kitchen-dining room; 2 – phytotrons with higher plants: two with sowing areas of 20 m2 in each; 3 – algae cultivator: three photobioreactors with a volume of 20 l each for cultivation Chlorella vulgaris.
Of course, biological ZES allow the use of elements of physical chemistry in them, but only as complementary technologies that help increase the speed and degree of closure of mass transfer flows. Systems where such integration of biological and physicochemical methods is assumed are called biological-technical ZES. These are exactly what are created at the IBF.
The start of work on the construction of a ZES for space purposes at the Institute of Biophysics (in those years, the Department of Biophysics of the Institute of Physics SB AS USSR) was a meeting in the early 1960s between the Director of the Institute of Physics Leonid Kirensky (academician since 1968) and the General Designer of Rocket Systems Sergei Korolev ( academician since 1958). Leonid Vasilievich’s proposal to create a closed ecosystem in Krasnoyarsk that can exist autonomously long time due to the internal circulation of matter, Sergei Pavlovich was very interested. A series of meetings took place in which the founders of this new direction of biophysics, Ivan Terskov (academician since 1981) and one of the authors of this article, Joseph Gitelzon (academician since 1990), took part - they gave a detailed scientific justification for the feasibility and reality of carrying out such work. Korolev set a clear task: within a few years, on the basis of the Department of Biophysics of the Institute of Philosophy of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, to create an ecosystem with a closed circulation of matter, capable of autonomously ensuring long-term human stay in a sealed space under conditions approaching those on Earth. Then the state allocated sufficient funds to attract specialists and purchase the necessary equipment.
The implementation of this task can be divided into three stages. At first (1964-1966) it was implemented biological system BIOS-1, which included two main units: a sealed cabin with a volume of 12 m3 with a person and a special cultivator with a volume of 20 l for growing chlorella microalgae. Based on the results of seven experiments lasting from 12 hours to 90 days, it was possible to achieve an important result - a complete closed gas cycle (the exhaled air was purified from carbon dioxide, impurities, enriched with oxygen produced by chlorella) and water (including regeneration of drinking water, for cooking and hygienic needs).
Then, in 1966, BIOS-1 was upgraded to BIOS-2 by connecting to it an 8.5 m chamber with higher plants - a set of plants was grown here vegetable crops. They increased the closedness of mass transfer processes in the system due to partial involvement of plant foods included in the human diet into the cycle. Besides, higher plants, like chlorella, participated in the regeneration of the atmosphere for people to breathe. This made it possible to reduce the biomass of chlorella necessary to maintain life activity, and thereby increase the degree of closedness of mass transfer processes. And since an additional volume of oxygen was produced due to photosynthesis of higher plants, it was possible to conduct experiments with a crew of two testers (the longest of them lasted 30 and 73 days). Work in BIOS-2 continued until 1970. Based on their results, for the first time in the world, the possibility of long-term functioning of the artificial ecosystem “human-microalgae-higher plants” was proven.
At the beginning of 1972, the Krasnoyarsk IBF created BIOS-3, a fundamentally new artificial ecosystem. Unlike the previous ones, it acquired completely different design and functional characteristics. The installation with a total volume of 300 m contained 4 compartments same sizes: a residential module with individual cabins for three testers and three compartments with plants for food reproduction and atmosphere and water regeneration.
In BIOS-3, long-term (several months) experiments were carried out both according to the previously tested “man-chlorella-higher plants” scheme, and according to a completely new one – “man-higher plants”. For the first time in the world, it was possible to create a complete plant diet for testers due to a set of plants grown in the system itself, thanks to which the degree of its closedness in mass transfer was raised to 75%. And in the end, of all the artificial biological ecosystems both in our country and abroad, only BIOS-3 made it possible to autonomously ensure the life of a crew of 2-3 people for 4-6 months due to a closed water and gas cycle of almost 100 %, for food - more than 50%. As already mentioned, to this day this result remains unsurpassed. [Here, as in many other things, the USSR was ahead of the USA, see about their ZES "Biosphere-2"]
It is also important that the path from BIOS-1 to BIOS-3 was completed in a fantastically short period of time - in about 7 (!) years.
The birth of new technologies
The creation of BIOS-3 is associated with a whole galaxy of outstanding scientists. First of all, here we should once again mention Leonid Kirensky, who interested Sergei Korolev in carrying out these surveys in Krasnoyarsk and organized their implementation. Our employee, Doctor of Biological Sciences Boris Kovrov, played an extremely important role in the technical implementation of the system. He had the ability to make quick and, more importantly, optimal design decisions. It was he who came up with the idea of transferring system maintenance modes “internally”, i.e. to the testers themselves. In this respect, BIOS-3 compares favorably with all foreign artificial ZES. During the experiments, medical research into the human condition was constantly conducted on it. Moreover, the work took place with the active participation of IBMP employees under the leadership of Academician Oleg Gazenko, and direct supervision was carried out by Candidate of Medical Sciences Yuri Okladnikov. It should be noted that during the entire period of the BIOS-3 experiments (which lasted a total of about 11 months) there was not a single case of problems with the health of the test crew.
The most important breakthrough technology was the inclusion of higher plants in the cycle, which became the basis for providing humans with oxygen, food and water. Its author, Doctor of Biological Sciences Heinrich Lisovsky, substantiated and practically implemented the idea of selecting higher plants and then completely replacing them with the inedible algae chlorella. Especially for a closed ecosystem, the scientist developed new variety short-stem wheat, in which about 50% of the total biomass was grain.
Let us also add that work on BIOS-3 sharply accelerated the emergence of new technologies. In particular, it was possible to scientifically substantiate the choice of energy and spectral characteristics of visible radiation for the phototrophic link of human life support systems, determine the place of white light in illuminating plant communities both in nature and in artificial conditions, and formulate the concept of light control of the production process in plants, taking into account various levels organization of the photosynthetic apparatus.
In particular, cultivation regimes have been proposed various types plants on the lunar station. It was assumed that if a bioregenerative life support system operates there, then in order to grow plants in it (we repeat, a source of food and oxygen), it is necessary to “teach” them to grow under lunar day conditions, i.e. There is continuous light for about 14 Earth days and night for about the same amount. This unusual problem was solved by Lisovsky and his colleagues. They found such environmental parameters under which it was possible to grow plants that were acceptable both in terms of edible biomass and biochemical composition. This allows us to consider it possible to use the energy of the Sun to build bioregenerative life support systems on the Moon.
Today's day
Currently, our institute is simultaneously solving two key tasks: the technical modernization of the BIOS-3 system and the development of the scientific foundations of technologies to increase the degree of closed loop processes. Their implementation is supported by a series of grants from the SB RAS, and a number of contracts with the European Space Agency. The internal resources of the IBF are also used.
We attach exceptional importance to the second of these areas. Among the results already achieved is the utilization of inedible plant biomass. To involve it in the intrasystem circulation, we are developing a technology for biological oxidation using a soil-like substrate. It is a product of processing wheat straw by worms and microflora, which at the same time serves as a root layer for plants. In addition, the microflora of the substrate inhibits pathogenic microorganisms in the root zone of plants, which helps protect them from rot.
Another result - environmentally friendly technology of engagement table salt into intrasystem mass transfer. As is known, NaCl is contained, in particular, in human liquid secretions, but its concentration in them can be lethal for plants. Therefore, the inclusion of this compound in the biological cycle required the use of a physicochemical method of mineralization of liquid secretions. The idea is this: into a variable electric field An aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide is placed, from the molecules of which atomic oxygen, which is a strong oxidizing agent, is split off.
Appearance of a small artificial ecosystem: 1 – irradiator with a high-intensity light source; 2 – phototrophic link (higher plants) inside a sealed chamber; 3 – manipulators for working inside the chamber without breaking its tightness; 4 – soil block with soil-like substrate; 5 – instrument rack for control
and automatic maintenance of environmental parameters inside the chamber; 6 – wall of a sealed chamber made of stainless steel.
In such an environment, it reduces plant and animal waste to mineral components, after which they are used by plants as fertilizers. This physico-chemical method is environmentally friendly and relatively low-energy. The starting product for the production of hydrogen peroxide is water; in bioregenerative ZES it is not in short supply, i.e. virtually all the initial products required to support the launch technological process, are easily included in the cycle. It is important that, unlike traditionally used in life support systems spacecraft physical and chemical processes, this takes place at temperatures up to 100 0 C and normal pressure.
True, the mineralized solution obtained in this way contains a concentration of NaCl that is unacceptable for the main species of higher plants. Therefore, it should initially be used for growing human-edible saltwort ( Salicornia europaea) – annual plant of the amaranth family, capable of growing on media with a high content of table salt and accumulating it up to 50% of its dry weight. Then the concentration of NaCl in nutrient solution drops to values acceptable for its subsequent use in the cultivation of other plant species.
A fundamental solution to the problem of involving human liquid secretions in the cycle opens up the possibility of completely eliminating dead-end, i.e. substances unacceptable for further use in the ZES associated with its exometabolites (metabolic products released into the external environment), their inclusion in the intrasystem circulation. In this regard, the IBP has proposed a set of appropriate technologies. The fact is that the issue with solid human exometabolites is much simpler to solve: they do not contain NaCl and their involvement in mass transfer after sterilization does not present any particular difficulties.
Prospects for tomorrow
The formation of closed ecosystems has two clearly defined application prospects: space-oriented and terrestrial applications. The first is related to the development of physical models of stable circulation processes for stationary lunar and Martian bases. The composition of the systems, their specific functions and main design characteristics are determined primarily by the type of a particular planetary station, its tasks, duration of existence, number of crew members, weight and energy restrictions, as well as a number of other requirements (medical, operational, etc.) .
In the literature you can find various options life support systems based both on reserves and physical and chemical methods of regeneration of the atmosphere and water, and on the introduction into the chain of corresponding biological links (microalgae, higher plants, fish, etc.). The experience accumulated at IBP allows us to focus on the implementation of an integrated biological-physical-chemical life support system with the dominant role of the first component. When deploying a planetary bioregenerative solar system (using the example of a hypothetical Mars mission), the regeneration of the station’s atmosphere, built only on higher plants, will suffer significant drawback– great inertia associated with the long cycle of their development. Stationary operation of such a system is possible only several months after the start of the launch: for example, the full provision of water and oxygen to the crew is realistic after 2 months, and the plant part of the diet - after 3–4 months. And during this time, only the mentioned algae cultivator will be able to provide the crew with water and oxygen: with a productivity of 600 g/day of dry matter, it will completely solve the problem of normalizing the air environment for humans.
Of course, in parallel with the launch of the latter, it is necessary to “turn on” the conveyor of higher plants. As it forms, the load on the algae conveyor will decrease to such an extent that the latter can be stopped. Thus, during the deployment of a bioregenerative ZES at a planetary station, it is advisable to switch to a functioning scheme based only on higher plants that provide humans with oxygen and plant food.
As for terrestrial applications of ZES, they are possible in a wide variety of industries. Thus, lighting technologies specially developed for ZES can become the basis for creating energy saving lamps with physiologically based spectral and energy characteristics. These light sources are applicable, in particular, for obtaining environmentally friendly plant products in regions with unfavorable natural conditions. Houses that will use such closed-cycle technologies can provide people with an autonomous existence for a long time (for example, during periods of severe frost and bad weather in northern regions, in hard-to-reach mountainous areas) with partial closure in the reproduction of plant food, disinfection and waste disposal, as well as atmospheric regeneration. Calculations show that energy consumption eco-friendly home even lower than usual.
Another terrestrial application is a model of circulation in the biosphere. Currently, there is extensive debate in the scientific community about possible climate changes on our planet. However, there is still no sufficient understanding of their causes and mechanisms. Modeling will bring closer the answers to many questions, consisting in attention to the most basic, fundamental for the functioning of the system (in in this case biosphere) parameters. Such approaches are testable not only at the biosphere level, but also on so-called “biosphere-like” systems. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to develop simulation models with a fundamentally new understanding of global biosphere processes.
True, in this regard, it is necessary to create simplified biosphere-like artificial ecosystems with a high degree of closedness of the cycle of substances and a relatively small exchange mass, which also have a certain representativeness in relation to natural biotas.
They are already being developed at the IBP; they can be an effective tool for modeling biosphere processes, including studies of their resistance to anthropogenic factors. In such a system, under artificial light under sealed conditions, a circular process is maintained between two main links: photosynthetic (higher plants) and heterotrophic (soil-like substrate). The gas composition of the environment, temperature and humidity are maintained automatically. Creating various factors impact on the system (changes in temperature, CO 2 concentration, etc.), you can evaluate its response and test certain climate change scenarios.
Notes
See: O. Gazenko, A. Grigoriev, A. Egorov. Space medicine: yesterday, today, tomorrow. – Science in Russia, 2006, No. 3,4; A. Grigoriev, B. Morukov. Mars is getting closer. – Science in Russia, 2011, No. 1 (editor’s note).
See: E. Galimov. Perspectives on planetary science. – Science in Russia, 2004, No. 6; K. Trukhanov, N. Krivova. Should Mars take the Earth's magnetic field? – Science in Russia, 2010, No. 3 (editor’s note).
Biosphere-like systems are artificial closed ecosystems in which material exchange cycles are formed and operate, which have a high degree of similarity to the global material exchange cycles of the biosphere (author's note).
Experiments on creating closed ecological systems for the purpose of human life support (for work in space or in extreme climatic conditions on Earth, or, say, rescue in the event of a sharp deterioration in living conditions on the planet) have been and are being carried out in different countries, including ours. Probably the most spectacular and visual of them was carried out in 1991-94 in Arizona and was the first large-scale attempt to model the processes occurring in the natural ecosystems of the Earth. On an area of one and a half hectares, a sealed complex of several buildings and greenhouses was built, inside which, in addition to residential and technical premises, 5 biomes were simplified: tropical forest, ocean reef, desert, savanna and mangrove estuary, as well as an agrocenosis for growing food and livestock. All this together should have worked completely closed ecosystem(from the outside only an influx of energy was provided, but for terrestrial ecosystems it also comes from outside - from the Sun), ensuring the autonomous existence of 8 people for several years.
2)
Photos from the construction of "Biosphere 2" are clearly reminiscent of the footage of the creation of the planet from the film "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
In total, about 3,000 species of animals and plants were enclosed in a giant greenhouse, the species composition of which was selected to best simulate the biosphere cycle of substances, including the production and decomposition of organic matter, including the natural decomposition of human waste.
To compensate for pressure drops in the complex due to changes in daily temperature, a device nicknamed “lungs” was installed in a separate dome - a huge rising and falling aluminum disk connected to the walls with a flexible rubber membrane. The compensator not so much prevented the destruction of structures with a critical difference in pressure, but rather minimized the gas exchange of Biosphere-2 with the Earth’s atmosphere through microcracks in the structure - it is almost impossible to ideally seal such a huge room, and losses (or inflow) increase with increasing pressure gradient between the external and internal environment. The total volume of the complex's atmosphere was about 204,000 cubic meters, the exchange with the earth's atmosphere per unit time was - specially measured - 30 times less than the air leak from the Space Shuttle in space.
On September 26, 1991, volunteer researchers - four men and four women - closed the hermetic doors behind them and the experiment began. Communication with the outside world was provided only through the Internet and telephone, and by looking through glass walls.
16)
The last frame is modern, so CRT monitors are interspersed with LCD monitors. But it was made in the same dome that is visible on the KDPV.
The very first weeks of the experiment showed that recreating natural balance is not such a simple matter. Oxygen levels began to drop by about 0.5% every month. And it turned out not that the experimenters incorrectly calculated the number of “colonists”, overpopulating the station, but in the unforeseen proliferation of microorganisms - they literally filled the crops, savannah and forest, destroying seedlings and changing the ecosystem to suit themselves, regardless of human plans. By the way, humanity is already faced with the problem of microbes in space, for example on the ISS, where small bastards actively multiplying in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies even harm mechanisms, damaging polymers and organics, promoting corrosion of metals, the formation of biofilms and “blood clots” in pipelines and water regeneration systems.
The second problem was macroorganisms. Because of food chains artificial ecosystems of "Biosphere-2" turned out to be incomplete, cut down, insects and other invertebrates also began to behave not as planned, but as they pleased. For some reason, pollinators began to die out, and the number of other creatures, in the absence of natural enemies, began to grow uncontrollably, turning them from helpers into pests. At the same time, unexpected side effects- cockroaches, for example, took on the role of pollinators, but this did not help matters much: they tried to devour the harvest produced with their help, also consuming precious oxygen in the process.
The situation was complicated by the fact that pesticides could not be used in the experiment - not for ethical reasons, but because the self-purification processes in such small, and even closed, ecosystems are very slow, which means that chemical poisoning of all inhabitants, including people , would be inevitable.
21)
Water hyacinths were also used to purify water (in the foreground)
As a result, the “colonists” (although a couple of weeks after the start of the experiment there were already 7 of them - one of the participants left the project due to injury) faced not only a lack of air, but also food. It was necessary to increase the density of grain sowing, and additionally plant mangoes and papaya in the tropical forest. For fear of pests from the outside world, 40 geckos and 50 toads were delivered.
The introduction of mangoes and toads, in principle, did not contradict the conditions of the experiment - it was, so to speak, a correction of the initial calculations. But when the oxygen content dropped from 21% to 15% - as at an altitude of 4 km - the organizers of the experiment, secretly from the public, resorted to direct “cheating”: they began pumping oxygen into the complex. Geckos also did not save the situation: every day it was necessary to spend a lot of time manually collecting pests, but this did not help cope with the food crisis, and then products were added to the oxygen “from the mainland” (these facts were hidden and were exposed later).
During the experiment, other unforeseen circumstances were discovered. Some are simply interesting: for example, in the mornings it rained in the greenhouses: moisture condensed on the glass roof and fell down by the morning, as a result, some time after the start of the experiment, the “desert” became the second “savannah”.
Among the unexpected problems, it is worth noting the lack of wind: it turns out that for normal development trees need regular rocking, without it the mechanical tissues of wood are not sufficiently developed - trees also need training! Without wind, the trunks and branches of the Biosphere-2 trees became fragile and broke under their own weight.
Unlike wind, the creators provided for the factor of waves for the full functioning of the “ocean” and “estuary” - a special mechanism created the movement of water. During the experiment, the corals produced 85 daughter colonies. However, many other inhabitants of the “ocean” and other biomes have died out or decreased in number.
Quite quickly in full height the problem of psychological compatibility arose. As a result, the team of people constantly locked in each other’s company indoors split into two opposing groups. Details have not been disclosed, but, they write, former participants in the experiment avoid meeting with members of the “opposite camp” to this day. The factor is well-known; many reality shows are based on it, but this greatly interfered with the conduct of an experiment devoted to a completely different topic. And all this happened in conditions of constant communication with the outside world, the possibility of help from a psychologist, etc. - and most of us can only guess what forms unexpectedly emerging antagonism may take in a small group in a completely autonomous colony.
As a result, on September 26, 1993, the experiment had to be interrupted. In 1994, a second attempt was made, as a result of which the sponsors abandoned the project, recognizing that the experiment did not bring the expected results, and transferred the complex to Columbia University. In 1996, they decided to stop the experiment and remove people from the structure, since they could not solve the problem of nutrition and maintaining a constant air composition. Research into the artificial biosphere continued, but without human subjects and without a strict autonomous regime. Some biomes have become accessible to excursionists, and in photographs from such excursions one can observe the current sad state of the artificial biosphere:
In 2005, "Biosphere-2" was put up for sale, and as far as I understand, it is still for sale to this day.
This experiment can be called a failure, but not without results. Of course, during its implementation and subsequent work, a lot of data was obtained that will be useful (and is already useful) in further studies of this kind. In general, we can say that the path to the creation of completely autonomous and successfully regulated ecosystems capable of ensuring the existence of, say, colonists on another planet remains a long way. However, to hell with them, with the colonists - “Biosphere-2” is one of the striking examples when investments in space technology research ultimately help improve life here on Earth.
And the second, “reverse” conclusion from this fascinating story: we will not be able to conquer space until we learn to preserve, restore and regulate the environment on Earth. We are not yet able to establish long-term autonomous settlements in orbit and other planets, and the point is not at all in funding and engine power: we do not yet have the necessary knowledge and experience to create a life-support environment. And “saving in space from an environmental disaster” is generally an oxymoron, like a round square.
For more than 40 years, a plant has been living in a large bottle with a stopper. No air or water coming from outside.
This bold experiment was once carried out by David Latimer, an 80-year-old gardener from the town of Cranleigh, UK. He launched his first “garden in a bottle” in 1960. And in 1972, he sealed the bottle with a stopper forever. Thus, the plant in the photo below has been living in a vessel for 52 years, and 41 of them have been completely independent.
The plant lives and does not die thanks to what it collects solar energy The energy it needs for photosynthesis is even easier with water - there is simply a water cycle in the bottle. It evaporates and condenses on the walls of the bottle, this is sediment. Nutrients the plant receives from compost, into which fallen leaves are turned. Thus, this plant can theoretically live forever, unless some external factors affect it. It is noteworthy that the gardener initially planted four different plants, however, only the strongest survived.
Making such a closed ecosystem in a bottle is not so difficult:
- First you need to find a suitable glass vessel with a wide enough neck for easier access.
- Needed good soil and compost.
- And of course, the plant itself. Recommended as plantsAdiantum (Paportonium) , some types Tradescantia (Tradescantia) and small sproutsChlorophytum (Chlorophytum).
- You only need to water 1-2 times before sealing.
Beautiful closed ecosystem, which can exist as long as there is sunlight. Even if all life on the planet becomes extinct.
And here is a video with the hero, where he talks about how it all happened and shows his ecosystem.
