Situated in the foothills of the Santa Catalina mountains, Biosphere 2 is a glass-enclosed mesocosm and a unique research facility that allows scientists greater understanding of Earth systems and permits experimentation on a relatively large scale. Measuring 3.15 acres and 7.2 million cubic feet, it contains miniature representations of the Earth's terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The aquatic biomes consist of an estuary and ocean, and the terrestrial ecosystems are the tropical rainforest, savannah, fog desert, and thornscrub. In addition to these systems, Biosphere 2 also contained a habitat for humans and their agricultural system which are now separate from other biomes.
Diagram of Biosphere 2
Tropical Rainforest Biome:
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The tropical rainforest
of Biosphere 2 was constructed to to represent a New World Tropical
rainforest and is unique because it contains species from widely scattered
rainforest. Species were collected from similar, but geographically
separate regions. The Rainforest biome is 1.25 hectares and was designed
to be closed from any material exchange with the outside world, yet
free for energy exchanges to occur.
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Ocean Biome
The Biosphere 2 Ocean Biome simulates a Caribbean reef. The coral reef was gathered from locations in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Sea fans, staghorn coral, cactus coral, brain coral and fire coral are some of the species that now call Biosphere 2 their home. This spectacular fringing reef separates the shallow lagoon area, with its beautiful beach, from the impressive 21 feet deep area. Totaling about 676, 000 gallons, the Ocean Biome consists of water from the Pacific Ocean, over 100, 000 gallons, trucked to the Biosphere 2 by trucks! The rest of the volume was made from a water and salt mixture recipe called "Instant Ocean."
The total area encompassing the Ocean Biome is about 6000 square feet. Water circulation is accomplished using a huge wave generator and five air-lift pumps. Good circulation is important to ensure that the tiny organisms living in the coral, polyps, flourish. Otherwise, nutrients would settle at the bottom and smother the tiny polyps.
Thornscrub
Biosphere Thornscrub represents vegetation found in semi-arid environments. Its plants were collected from Sinaloan thornscrub and tropical deciduous forest boundary near Alamos, Sonora, the simi-arid thornscrub of Madagascar, and other sources.
Fog
Desert
The Desert Biome was designed by Dr. Tony L. Burgess. It is modeled after cool coastal desert locales like those along the coast of Chile, along the southwest coast of Africa and Mexico's Baja California. Plants were chosen to tolerate the fog which drifts down from the neighboring Ocean and Rainforest.
The Fog Desert has the largest temperature variant of the Biosphere 2, with temperatures ranging from as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, to as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.