BIOMES & ECOSYSTEMS
This is the term for a community of living things interacting with the non-living parts of their environment.
What is an ecosystem?
This is the nickname for the crew members who sealed themselves inside Biosphere 2.
Who are the Biospherians?
Tiny imperfections during construction meant Biosphere 2 was never 100% this.
What is airtight?
This gas's levels rise and fall inside Biosphere 2 as plants photosynthesize and living things breathe.
What is carbon dioxide (CO2)?
Roughly this many plant species remain in the Rain Forest today, down from over 400 originally planted.
What is 100?
Biosphere 2 recreates five of these large, climate-based regions under one glass dome.
What are biomes?
This many Biospherians lived inside during the first mission (1991–1993).
What is eight (8)?
These huge dome structures at either end of Biosphere 2 expand and contract to manage air pressure changes.
What are the "lungs"?
This process removes carbon dioxide from the air by using sunlight to make food in plants.
What is photosynthesis?
This term describes benefits nature provides to people for free, such as clean air, clean water, and food.
What are ecosystem services?
This coastal desert biome gets most of its moisture from fog rather than rain.
What is the (Coastal) Fog Desert?
This nickname was given to the Orchard, since fruit satisfied the crew's sugar cravings.
What is the "Sweet Shop"?
This is the name of Biosphere 2's on-site power plant, with generators, boilers, and chillers.
What is the Energy Center?
My chemical symbol is C.
What is carbon?
Biosphere 2's original coral reef, sourced from this peninsula, died off as scientists studied ocean chemistry.
What is the Yucatan (Peninsula)?
This shady biome acts as a buffer, transitioning between the desert and more tropical biomes.
What is the Thornscrub?
This average percentage of body weight the Biospherians lost during Mission 1.
What is 16%?
About this many minutes could pass before plants were damaged if the Energy Center lost power.
What is 20 minutes?
My chemical formula is H₂O
What is water?
Today Biosphere 2 operates as this type of facility, no longer sealed for human missions.
What is a research and education facility (for the University of Arizona)?
This wetland biome, modeled after the Florida Everglades, helps filter pollutants and protect coastlines.
What are the Mangroves?
This small chamber with two doors lets people or materials pass in or out without breaking the seal.
What is an airlock?
LEO's three giant hillslopes are built from about a million pounds each of this crushed volcanic rock.
What is basalt?
Biosphere 2 is home to the only one of these in the entire state of Arizona, holding around 700,000 gallons of saltwater.
What is an ocean?
True or False: Biosphere 2 is 100% airtight. Explain.
What is SIMOC?