Use of the method of biosphere compatibility for the assessment of environmental protection methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobyov, Sergey

2018-01-01

The article is devoted to the question of using the indicator of biosphere compatibility for assessing the effectiveness of environmental protection methods. The indicator of biosphere compatibility was proposed by the vice-president of RAASN (Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences), Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor V.I. Ilyichev. This indicator is allows not only qualitatively but also quantitatively to assess the degree of development of urban urban areas, from the standpoint of preserving the biosphere in urban ecosystems while realizing the city’s main functions. The integral indicator of biosphere compatibility is allows us to assess not only the current ecological situation in the territory under consideration, but also to plan the forecast of its changes for building the new construction projects, or for reconstructing existing ones. The indicator of biosphere compatibility, which is a mathematical expression of the tripartite balance (technosphere, biosphere and population of this area), is allows us to quantify the degree of effectiveness of different method of protecting the environment for choose the most effective for these conditions.

The Legacy of Biosphere 2 for Biospherics and Closed Ecological System Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, J.; Alling, A.; Nelson, M.

The unprecedented challenges of creating Biosphere 2, the world's first laboratory for biospherics, the study of global ecology and long-term closed ecological system dynamics led to breakthrough developments in many fields, and a deeper understanding of the opportunities and difficulties of material closure. This paper will review these accomplishments and challenges, citing some of the key research accomplishments and publications which have resulted from the experiments in Biosphere 2. Engineering accomplishments included development of a technique for variable volume to deal with pressure differences between the facility and outside environment, developing methods of leak detection and sealing, and achieving new standards of closure, with an annual atmospheric leakrate of less than 10%, or less than 300 ppm per day. This degree of closure permitted detailed tracking of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and trace gases such as nitrous oxide and ethylene over the seasonal variability of two years. Full closure also necessitated developing new approaches and technologies for complete air, water, and wastewater recycle and reuse within the facility. The development of a soil-based highly productive agricultural system was a first in closed ecological systems, and much was learned about managing a wide variety of crops using non-chemical means of pest and disease control. Closed ecological systems have different temporal b ogeochemical cycling and ranges ofi atmospheric components because of their smaller reservoirs of air, water and soil, and higher concentration of biomass, and Biosphere 2 provided detailed examination and modeling of these accelerated cycles over a period of closure which measured in years. Medical research inside Biosphere 2 included the effects on humans of lowered oxygen: the discovery that human productivity can be maintained down to 15% oxygen could lead to major economies on the design of space stations and planetary/lunar settlements. The improved health resulting from the calorie-restricted but nutrient dense Biosphere 2 diet was the first such scientifically-controlled experiment with humans. The success of Biosphere in creating a diversity of terrestrial and marine environments, from rainforest to coral reef, allowed detailed studies with comprehensive measurements such that the dynamics of these complex biomic systems can be better understood. The coral reef ecosystem, the largest artificial reef ever built, catalyzed methods of study now being applied to planetary coral reef systems. Restoration ecology can learn much from the creation and dynamics of adaptation of the biomes in Biosphere 2. The international interest that Biosphere 2 generated has given new impetus to the public recognition of the sciences of biospheres, biospherics, biomes and closed ecological life systems. The facility is still being used as an educational facility by Columbia University as an introduction to the study of the biosphere and complex system ecology. The many lessons learned from Biosphere 2, from its successes, surprises and challenges, is being used by its key team of creators as the foundations for their design of a laboratory-sized closed ecological system and Mars on Earth prototype life support system for Mars exploration and can be an important foundation for future advances in biospherics and closed ecological system research.

The Biosphere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloud, Preston

1983-01-01

Discusses the earth's biosphere, considering how the microbial, animal and plant life (which make up the biosphere) are sustained by the earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Also considers how these three earth features have powerfully shaped the evolution of these organisms. (JN)

Swansong biospheres II: the final signs of life on terrestrial planets near the end of their habitable lifetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Malley-James, Jack T.; Cockell, Charles S.; Greaves, Jane S.; Raven, John A.

2014-07-01

The biosignatures of life on Earth do not remain static, but change considerably over the planet's habitable lifetime. Earth's future biosphere, much like that of the early Earth, will consist of predominantly unicellular microorganisms due to the increased hostility of environmental conditions caused by the Sun as it enters the late stage of its main sequence evolution. Building on previous work, the productivity of the biosphere is evaluated during different stages of biosphere decline between 1 and 2.8 Gyr from present. A simple atmosphere-biosphere interaction model is used to estimate the atmospheric biomarker gas abundances at each stage and to assess the likelihood of remotely detecting the presence of life in low-productivity, microbial biospheres, putting an upper limit on the lifetime of Earth's remotely detectable biosignatures. Other potential biosignatures such as leaf reflectance and cloud cover are discussed.

NEW DIRECTIONS: VOCS AND BIOSPHERE-ATMOSPHERE FEEDBACKS

EPA Science Inventory

Shallcross and Monks [New Directions: a Role For Isoprene in Biosphere-Climate-Chemistry Feedbacks, Atmospheric Environment, Vol. 34 (2000) pp. 1659-1660] recently summarized the importance of biogenic isoprene in a biosphere-atmosphere system under constant change. In this art...

Estimating the seasonal carbon source-sink geography of a natural, steady-state terrestrial biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Box, Elgene O.

1988-01-01

The estimation of the seasonal dynamics of biospheric-carbon sources and sinks to be used as an input to global atmospheric CO2 studies and models is discussed. An ecological biosphere model is given and the advantages of the model are examined. Monthly maps of estimated biospheric carbon source and sink regions and estimates of total carbon fluxes are presented for an equilibrium terrestrial biosphere. The results are compared with those from other models. It is suggested that, despite maximum variations of atmospheric CO2 in boreal latitudes, the enormous contributions of tropical wet-dry regions to global atmospheric CO2 seasonality can not be ignored.

Biosphere 2: The True Story.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Keeffe, Michael

1992-01-01

Discusses the history and current developments of the Biosphere 2 Project, a prototype for enclosed self-sustaining structures for space colonization built in the Arizona Desert. Biosphere 2 was created to educate and provide solutions to environmental problems and revenue from research. (MCO)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

For nearly 20 years, biosphere reserves have offered a unique framework for building the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems. The 12 case studies in this volume chronicle many of the cooperative efforts to implement the biosphere reserve concept in the United States. Considered together, these efforts involve more than 20 types of protected areas, and the participation of all levels of government, and many private organizations, academic institutions, citizens groups, and individuals. Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose areas that are nominated by the national committee of the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) andmore » designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to serve as demonstration areas for cooperation in building harmonious relationships between human activities and the conservation of ecosystems and biological diversity. Each biosphere reserve exemplifies the characteristic ecosystems of one of the worlds biogeographical regions. It is a land or coas%arine area involving human communities as integral components and including resources managed for objectives ranging from complete protection to intensive, yet sustainable development. A biosphere reserve is envisioned as a regional ''landscape for learning'' in which monitoring, research, education, and training are encouraged to support sustainable conservation of natural and managed ecosystems. It is a framework for regional cooperation involving government decisionmakers, scientists, resource managers, private organizations and local people (i.e., the biosphere reserve ''stakeholders''). Finally, each biosphere reserve is part of a global network for sharing information and experience to help address complex problems of conservation and development. The 12 case studies presented in this report represent only a few of the possible evolutions of a biosphere reserve in its efforts to reach out to the local and regional community. As you have read, some have had great success, while others consider their successes almost negligible. All document tremendous effort from many people to improve the communication among landowners, land managers, scientists, and any others interested in the health and well-being of the natural and human environment of the biosphere reserve.« less

Biosphere 2: a prototype project for a permanent and evolving life system for Mars base.

PubMed

Nelson, M; Allen, J P; Dempster, W F

1992-01-01

As part of the ground-based preparation for creating long-term life systems needed for space habitation and settlement, Space Biospheres Ventures (SBV) is undertaking the Biosphere 2 project near Oracle, Arizona. Biosphere 2, currently under construction, is scheduled to commence its operations in 1991 with a two-year closure period with a crew of eight people. Biosphere 2 is a facility which will be essentialy materially-closed to exchange with the outside environment. It is open to information and energy flow. Biosphere 2 is designed to achieve a complex life-support system by the integration of seven areas or "biomes"--rainforest, savannah, desert, marsh, ocean, intensive agriculture and human habitat. Unique bioregenerative technologies, such as soil bed reactors for air purification, aquatic waste processing systems, real-time analytic systems and complex computer monitoring and control systems are being developed for the Biosphere 2 project. Its operation should afford valuable insight into the functioning of complex life systems necessary for long-term habitation in space. It will serve as an experimental ground-based prototype and testbed for the stable, permanent life systems needed for human exploration of Mars.

The First International Biosphere Reserve Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laird, John

1984-01-01

Presents objectives (and related activities) of a plan designed for international collaboration in conserving key natural areas (biosphere reserves) of the globe. The plan (focusing on such areas as management, conservation, research, monitoring, and environmental education/training) was formulated during the First International Biosphere Reserve…

Global carbon export from the terrestrial biosphere controlled by erosion.

PubMed

Galy, Valier; Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Bernhard; Eglinton, Timothy

2015-05-14

Riverine export of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean affects the atmospheric carbon inventory over a broad range of timescales. On geological timescales, the balance between sequestration of POC from the terrestrial biosphere and oxidation of rock-derived (petrogenic) organic carbon sets the magnitude of the atmospheric carbon and oxygen reservoirs. Over shorter timescales, variations in the rate of exchange between carbon reservoirs, such as soils and marine sediments, also modulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The respective fluxes of biospheric and petrogenic organic carbon are poorly constrained, however, and mechanisms controlling POC export have remained elusive, limiting our ability to predict POC fluxes quantitatively as a result of climatic or tectonic changes. Here we estimate biospheric and petrogenic POC fluxes for a suite of river systems representative of the natural variability in catchment properties. We show that export yields of both biospheric and petrogenic POC are positively related to the yield of suspended sediment, revealing that POC export is mostly controlled by physical erosion. Using a global compilation of gauged suspended sediment flux, we derive separate estimates of global biospheric and petrogenic POC fluxes of 157(+74)(-50) and 43(+61)(-25) megatonnes of carbon per year, respectively. We find that biospheric POC export is primarily controlled by the capacity of rivers to mobilize and transport POC, and is largely insensitive to the magnitude of terrestrial primary production. Globally, physical erosion rates affect the rate of biospheric POC burial in marine sediments more strongly than carbon sequestration through silicate weathering. We conclude that burial of biospheric POC in marine sediments becomes the dominant long-term atmospheric carbon dioxide sink under enhanced physical erosion.

The Study of Socio-Biospheric Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Andrew M.

Concepts, tools, and a methodology are needed which will permit the analysis of emergent socio-biospheric problems and facilitate their effective management. Many contemporary problems may be characterized as socio-biospheric; for example, pollution of the seas, acid rain, the growth of cities, and an atmosphere loaded with carcinogens. However,…

[The ways in which variations in space and atmospheric factors act upon the biosphere and humans].

PubMed

Chernogor, L F

2010-01-01

The system analysis is validated to be an efficient means for studying the channels through which variations in space and tropospheric weather affect the biosphere (humans). The basics of the system analysis paradigm are presented. The causes of variations in space and tropospheric weather are determined, and the interrelations between them are demonstrated. The ways in which these variations affect the biosphere (humans) are discussed. Aperiodic and quasi-periodic disturbances in the physical fields that influence the biosphere (humans) are intercompared.

Using remote-sensing and the Simple Biosphere model (SiB4) to analyze the seasonality and productivity of the terrestrial biosphere.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheeseman, M.; Denning, S.; Baker, I. T.

2017-12-01

Understanding the variability and seasonality of carbon fluxes from the terrestrial biosphere is integral to understanding the mechanisms and drivers of the global carbon cycle. However, there are many regions across the globe where in situ observations are sparse, such as the Amazon rainforest and the African Sahel. The latest version of the Simple-Biosphere model (SiB4) predicts a suite of biophysical variables such as terrestrial carbon flux (GPP), solar induced fluorescence (SIF), fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR), and leaf area index (LAI). By comparing modeled values to a suite of satellite and in situ observations we produce a robust analysis of the seasonality and productivity of the terrestrial biosphere in a variety of biome types across the globe.

The water cycle in closed ecological systems: Perspectives from the Biosphere 2 and Laboratory Biosphere systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Mark; Dempster, W. F.; Allen, J. P.

2009-12-01

To achieve sustainable, healthy closed ecological systems requires solutions to challenges of closing the water cycle - recycling wastewater/irrigation water/soil medium leachate and evaporated water and supplying water of required quality as needed for different needs within the facility. Engineering Biosphere 2, the first multi-biome closed ecological system within a total airtight footprint of 12,700 m 2 with a combined volume of 200,000 m 3 with a total water capacity of some 6 × 10 6 L of water was especially challenging because it included human inhabitants, their agricultural and technical systems, as well as five analogue ecosystems ranging from rainforest to desert, freshwater ecologies to saltwater systems like mangrove and mini-ocean coral reef ecosystems. By contrast, the Laboratory Biosphere - a small (40 m 3 volume) soil-based plant growth facility with a footprint of 15 m 2 - is a very simplified system, but with similar challenges re salinity management and provision of water quality suitable for plant growth. In Biosphere 2, water needs included supplying potable water for people and domestic animals, irrigation water for a wide variety of food crops, and recycling and recovering soil nutrients from wastewater. In the wilderness biomes, providing adequately low salinity freshwater terrestrial ecosystems and maintaining appropriate salinity and pH in aquatic/marine ecosystems were challenges. The largest reservoirs in Biosphere 2 were the ocean/marsh with some 4 × 10 6 L, soil with 1 to 2 × 10 6 l, primary storage tank with 0 to 8 × 10 5 L and storage tanks for condensate and soil leachate collection and mixing tanks with a capacity of 1.6 × 10 5 L to supply irrigation for farm and wilderness ecosystems. Other reservoirs were far smaller - humidity in the atmosphere (2 × 10 3 L), streams in the rainforest and savannah, and seasonal pools in the desert were orders of magnitude smaller (8 × 10 4 L). Key technologies included condensation from humidity in the air handlers and from the glass space frame to produce high quality freshwater, wastewater treatment with constructed wetlands and desalination through reverse osmosis and flash evaporation were key to recycling water with appropriate quality throughout the Biosphere 2 facility. Wastewater from all human uses and the domestic animals in Biosphere 2 was treated and recycled through a series of constructed wetlands, which had hydraulic loading of 0.9-1.1 m 3 day -1 (240-290 gal d -1). Plant production in the wetland treatment system produced 1210 kg dry weight of emergent and floating aquatic plant wetland which was used as fodder for the domestic animals while remaining nutrients/water was reused as part of the agricultural irrigation supply. There were pools of water with recycling times of days to weeks and others with far longer cycling times within Biosphere 2. By contrast, the Laboratory Biosphere with a total water reservoir of less than 500 L has far quicker cycling rapidity: for example, atmospheric residence time for water vapor was 5-20 min in the Laboratory Biosphere vs. 1-4 h in Biosphere 2, as compared with 9 days in the Earth's biosphere. Just as in Biosphere 2, humidity in the Laboratory Biosphere amounts to a very small reservoir of water. The amount of water passing through the air in the course of a 12-h operational day is two orders of magnitude greater than the amount stored in the air. Thus, evaporation and condensation collection are vital parts of the recycle system just as in Biosphere 2. The water cycle and sustainable water recycling in closed ecological systems presents problems requiring further research - such as how to control buildup of salinity in materially closed ecosystems and effective ways to retain nutrients in optimal quantity and useable form for plant growth. These issues are common to all closed ecological systems of whatever size, including planet Earth's biosphere and are relevant to a global environment facing increasing water shortages while maintaining water quality for human and ecosystem health. Modular biospheres offer a test bed where technical methods of resolving these problems can be tested for feasibility.

Governing Portable Conservation and Development Landscapes: Reconsidering Evidence in the Context of the Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elgert, Laureen

2014-01-01

Conservation-with-development landscapes, such as UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Reserves, differentiate between areas of "nature" and "society". In Paraguay's Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve, as elsewhere, this model has been used to support governance that focuses on conservation in the "core area" and sustainable…

Selection, management and utilization of biosphere reserves.

Treesearch

Jerry F. Franklin; Stanley L. Krugman

1979-01-01

This publication is directed to the analysis of the selection, management, and utilization of Biosphere Reserves as viewed by scientists from the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Soviet papers focus on types of research and monitoring programs that should be developed on Biosphere Reserves, with emphasis on their use in pollutant monitoring....

WEB-DHM: A distributed biosphere hydrological model developed by coupling a simple biosphere scheme with a hillslope hydrological model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The coupling of land surface models and hydrological models potentially improves the land surface representation, benefiting both the streamflow prediction capabilities as well as providing improved estimates of water and energy fluxes into the atmosphere. In this study, the simple biosphere model 2...

Life systems for a lunar base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Mark; Hawes, Philip B.; Augustine, Margret

1992-01-01

The Biosphere 2 project is pioneering work on life systems that can serve as a prototype for long-term habitation on the Moon. This project will also facilitate the understanding of the smaller systems that will be needed for initial lunar base life-support functions. In its recommendation for a policy for the next 50 years in space, the National Commission on Space urged, 'To explore and settle the inner Solar System, we must develop biospheres of smaller size, and learn how to build and maintain them' (National Commission on Space, 1986). The Biosphere 2 project, along with its Biospheric Research and Development Center, is a materially closed and informationally and energetically open system capable of supporting a human crew of eight, undertaking work to meet this need. This paper gives an overview of the Space Biospheres Ventures' endeavor and its lunar applications.

Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Hybrid Solar and Modular Pumped Storage Hydro System at Biosphere 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lansey, Kevin; Hortsman, Chris

2016-10-01

In this study, the preliminary feasibility of a hybrid solar and modular pumped storage system designed for high energy independence at Biosphere 2 is assessed. The system consists of an array of solar PV panels that generate electricity during the day to power both Biosphere 2 and a pump that sends water through a pipe to a tank at a high elevation. When solar power is not available, the water is released back down the pipe towards a tank at a lower elevation, where it passes through a hydraulic water turbine to generate hydroelectricity to power Biosphere 2. The hybridmore » system is sized to generate and store enough energy to enable Biosphere 2 to operate without a grid interconnection on an average day.« less

Biosphere as a complex life-support system (LSS) for human civilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechurkin, Nickolay

As a continuously growing link of the Biosphere, we should keep in mind that biotic cycles induced by flows of a solar energy are the source of Biosphere and ecosystems functioning. Our pressure on the Biosphere which is connected with biotic cycle’s alterations and damages is menacingly growing. There are innumerable examples of atmosphere, water and soil pollution. We have contaminated even Earth-Space orbits with different uncontrolled debris. Ecological Footprint (EF) is a proper quantitative measure of anthropogenic impact on the Biosphere and ecosystems functioning. The comparative dynamics of the United Nations’ Human Development Index (HDI) and Ecological Footprint (EF) is discussed in the paper. The main call of sustainable development of mankind: all humans can have opportunity to fulfill their lives without degrading the Biosphere. To support sustainability, we should make an effort to develop each nation and the mankind as a whole with a high HDI and with a low ecological footprint. It means: to have high level of HDI at low level of EF. But current tendency of economical and social development shows: the higher HDI, the bigger EF. EF of mankind is rising threateningly. Now actual pressure of the human civilization of our planet (2014) upon 60 % exceeds its potential possibilities (biological capacity, measured as the area of "global" green hectares). It means that now we require more than 1.5 planets of the Earth’s type for sustainable development. It leads to ecological incident in the scale of Biosphere. Our Biosphere is the large, multilevel, hierarchically organized system, and our civilization is only a part of it. This part is not central; it can disappear for ever, if we do not cope to be included in the Biosphere as a great complex system. An example of Krasnoyarsk region as a representative region with high level of industry and technological energy production is considered in the paper. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project number 13-06-00060.

Spanish methodological approach for biosphere assessment of radioactive waste disposal.

PubMed

Agüero, A; Pinedo, P; Cancio, D; Simón, I; Moraleda, M; Pérez-Sánchez, D; Trueba, C

2007-10-01

The development of radioactive waste disposal facilities requires implementation of measures that will afford protection of human health and the environment over a specific temporal frame that depends on the characteristics of the wastes. The repository design is based on a multi-barrier system: (i) the near-field or engineered barrier, (ii) far-field or geological barrier and (iii) the biosphere system. Here, the focus is on the analysis of this last system, the biosphere. A description is provided of conceptual developments, methodological aspects and software tools used to develop the Biosphere Assessment Methodology in the context of high-level waste (HLW) disposal facilities in Spain. This methodology is based on the BIOMASS "Reference Biospheres Methodology" and provides a logical and systematic approach with supplementary documentation that helps to support the decisions necessary for model development. It follows a five-stage approach, such that a coherent biosphere system description and the corresponding conceptual, mathematical and numerical models can be built. A discussion on the improvements implemented through application of the methodology to case studies in international and national projects is included. Some facets of this methodological approach still require further consideration, principally an enhanced integration of climatology, geography and ecology into models considering evolution of the environment, some aspects of the interface between the geosphere and biosphere, and an accurate quantification of environmental change processes and rates.

Man and the Biosphere: Ground Truthing Coral Reefs for the St. John Island Biosphere Reserve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brody, Michael J.; And Others

Research on the coral species composition of St. John's reefs in the Virgin Islands was conducted through the School for Field Studies (SFS) Coral Reef Ecology course (winter 1984). A cooperative study program based on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (Unesco) program, Man and the Biosphere, was undertaken by…

Using the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) as a bioindicator of PCBs and PBDEs in the dinghushan biosphere reserve, China.

PubMed

Mo, Ling; Wu, Jiang-Ping; Luo, Xiao-Jun; Li, Ke-Lin; Peng, Ying; Feng, An-Hong; Zhang, Qiang; Zou, Fa-Sheng; Mai, Bi-Xian

2013-07-01

The Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve is a nature reserve and a site for the study of tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems. Rapid industrialization and intensive electronic waste-recycling activities around the biosphere reserve have resulted in elevated levels of industrial organic contaminants in the local environment that may cause adverse effects on wildlife that inhabits this area. In the present study, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 2 alternative brominated flame retardants (BFRs)-decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE)-were investigated in the biosphere reserve and a reference site by using the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) as a bioindicator. Residue concentrations in kingfishers from the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve ranged from 490 ng/g to 3000 ng/g, 51 ng/g to 420 ng/g, 0.44 ng/g to 90 ng/g, and 0.04 ng/g to 0.87 ng/g lipid weight for ∑PCBs, ∑PBDEs, DBDPE, and BTBPE, respectively. With the exception of the BTBPE, these levels were 2 to 5 times higher than those detected in kingfishers from the reference site. The contaminant patterns from the biosphere reserve were also different, with larger PCB contributions in comparison with the reference site. The estimated predator-prey biomagnification factors (BMFs) showed that most of the PCB and PBDE congeners and BTBPE were biomagnified in kingfishers from the biosphere reserve. The calculated toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) concentrations of major coplanar PCB congeners in kingfishers from the biosphere reserve ranged from 18 pg/g to 66 pg/g wet weight, with some of these TEQ concentrations reaching or exceeding the levels known to impair bird reproduction and survival. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

The biosphere: Problems and solutions; Proceedings of the Miami International Symposium on the Biosphere, Miami Beach, FL, April 23, 24, 1984

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veziroglu, T. N.

The objective of the Miami International Symposium on the Biosphere was to provide a forum for the presentation of the latest research findings on the environmental effects of human activities. The topics discussed are related to biosphere reserves, environmental aspects of hydrocarbon fuels, radioactivity and nuclear waste, land management, acid rains, water quality, water resources, coastal resources management, the pollution of rivers, industrial waste, economic development and the environment, health hazards and solutions, endangered species, environmentally compatible systems, space pollution, and global considerations. Attention is given to questions regarding global security and sustainable development, environethics as a global strategy for environmental quality, a gestalt approach to the environment, potential indicators for monitoring biosphere reserves, a review of regional impacts associated with the development of U.S. synthetic fuel resources, water resources in the Soviet Union, and pollution-free pesticides.

Development of a distributed biosphere hydrological model and its evaluation with the Southern Great Plains Experiments (SGP97 and SGP99)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A distributed biosphere hydrological model, the so called water and energy budget-based distributed hydrological model (WEB-DHM), has been developed by fully coupling a biosphere scheme (SiB2) with a geomorphology-based hydrological model (GBHM). SiB2 describes the transfer of turbulent fluxes (ener...

The Biosphere: A Decadal Vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, David L.; Curran, Paul J.; Mlynzcak, Marty; Miller, Richard

2003-01-01

This paper focuses on biosphere-climate interactions including the influences of human activities. Recognizing this is only one aspect of biospheric processes, this places an emphasis of those biogeochemical processes that have a profound effect on numerous other aspects of the biosphere and the services it provides, services which are critical to sustaining life on Earth. And, the paper will focus on the various scientific aspects of assessing the availability of fresh water, including its sensitivity to climate variance and land use changes. Finally, this paper hopes to emphasize the potential role that greatly expanded space observations and interactive modeling can play in developing our understanding of Earth and its the living systems.

Biosphere 2 test module experimentation program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alling, Abigail; Leigh, Linda S.; Maccallum, Taber; Alvarez-Romo, Norberto

1990-01-01

The Biosphere 2 Test Module is a facility which has the capability to do either short or long term closures: five month closures with plants were conducted. Also conducted were investigations of specific problems, such as trace gas purification by bioregenerative systems by in-putting a fixed concentration of a gas and observing its uptake over time. In other Test Module experiments, the concentration of one gas was changed to observe what effects this has on other gases present or on the system. The science of biospherics which encompasses the study of closed biological systems provides an opening into the future in space as well as in the Earth's biosphere.

Rarity in aquatic microbes: placing protists on the map.

PubMed

Logares, Ramiro; Mangot, Jean-François; Massana, Ramon

2015-12-01

Most microbial richness at any given time tends to be represented by low-abundance (rare) taxa, which are collectively referred to as the "rare biosphere". Here we review works on the rare biosphere using high-throughput sequencing (HTS), with a particular focus on unicellular eukaryotes or protists. Evidence thus far indicates that the rare biosphere encompasses dormant as well as metabolically active microbes that could potentially play key roles in ecosystem functioning. Rare microbes appear to have biogeography, and sometimes the observed patterns can be similar to what is observed among abundant taxa, suggesting similar community-structuring mechanisms. There is limited evidence indicating that the rare biosphere contains taxa that are phylogenetically distantly related to abundant counterparts; therefore, the rare biosphere may act as a reservoir of deep-branching phylogenetic diversity. The potential role of the rare biosphere as a bank of redundant functions that can help to maintain continuous ecosystem function following oscillations in taxonomic abundances is hypothesized as its main ecological role. Future studies focusing on rare microbes are crucial for advancing our knowledge of microbial ecology and evolution and unveiling their links with ecosystem function. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Opportunities and challenges in studies of deep life (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, K. J.

2010-12-01

Over the past two decades, there has been an increasing awareness within the geological, microbiological, and oceanographic communities of the potentially vast microbial biosphere that is harbored beneath the surface of the Earth. With this awareness has come a mounting effort to study this potential biome - to better quantify biomass abundance, activity, and biogeochemical activity. In the Earth system, the largest deep subsurface biome is also the least accessible - the deep ocean subsurface biosphere. The oceanic deep biosphere also has greatest potential for influencing global scale biogeochemical processes -the carbon and energy cycles for example, and other elemental cycles. To address these topics and mount interdisciplinary efforts to study the deep subsurface marine biosphere, we have recently formed a center in support integrative, collaborative investigations. The national science foundation Center for Dark Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI), has been initiated for the explicit purpose of resolving the extent, function, dynamics and implications of the subseafloor biosphere. This talk will discuss C-DEBI science, with focus on some of the opportunities and challenges in the study of deep life in the ocean, and the role that C-DEBI will play in meeting them

Response of the rare biosphere to environmental stressors in a highly diverse ecosystem (Zodletone spring, OK, USA).

PubMed

Coveley, Suzanne; Elshahed, Mostafa S; Youssef, Noha H

2015-01-01

Within highly diverse ecosystems, the majority of bacterial taxa are present in low abundance as members of the rare biosphere. The rationale for the occurrence and maintenance of the rare biosphere, and the putative ecological role(s) and dynamics of its members within a specific ecosystem is currently debated. We hypothesized that in highly diverse ecosystems, a fraction of the rare biosphere acts as a backup system that readily responds to environmental disturbances. We tested this hypothesis by subjecting sediments from Zodletone spring, a sulfide- and sulfur-rich spring in Southwestern OK, to incremental levels of salinity (1, 2, 3, 4, and 10% NaCl), or temperature (28°, 30°, 32°, and 70 °C), and traced the trajectories of rare members of the community in response to these manipulations using 16S rRNA gene analysis. Our results indicate that multiple rare bacterial taxa are promoted from rare to abundant members of the community following such manipulations and that, in general, the magnitude of such recruitment is directly proportional to the severity of the applied manipulation. Rare members that are phylogenetically distinct from abundant taxa in the original sample (unique rare biosphere) played a more important role in the microbial community response to environmental disturbances, compared to rare members that are phylogenetically similar to abundant taxa in the original sample (non-unique rare biosphere). The results emphasize the dynamic nature of the rare biosphere, and highlight its complexity and non-monolithic nature.

Access: A Directory of Contacts, Environmental Data Bases, and Scientific Infrastructure on 175 Biosphere Reserves in 32 Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of State, Washington, DC. Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Following the EuroMAB meeting in Strasbourg, France (September 1991) and on an initiative of the Man and the Biosphere National Committee of the United States, a decision was made to create a research network from information available in biosphere reserves in 30 European countries, Canada and the United States. This Directory of EuroMAB Biosphere…

Post-closure biosphere assessment modelling: comparison of complex and more stylised approaches.

PubMed

Walke, Russell C; Kirchner, Gerald; Xu, Shulan; Dverstorp, Björn

2015-10-01

Geological disposal facilities are the preferred option for high-level radioactive waste, due to their potential to provide isolation from the surface environment (biosphere) on very long timescales. Assessments need to strike a balance between stylised models and more complex approaches that draw more extensively on site-specific information. This paper explores the relative merits of complex versus more stylised biosphere models in the context of a site-specific assessment. The more complex biosphere modelling approach was developed by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co (SKB) for the Formark candidate site for a spent nuclear fuel repository in Sweden. SKB's approach is built on a landscape development model, whereby radionuclide releases to distinct hydrological basins/sub-catchments (termed 'objects') are represented as they evolve through land rise and climate change. Each of seventeen of these objects is represented with more than 80 site specific parameters, with about 22 that are time-dependent and result in over 5000 input values per object. The more stylised biosphere models developed for this study represent releases to individual ecosystems without environmental change and include the most plausible transport processes. In the context of regulatory review of the landscape modelling approach adopted in the SR-Site assessment in Sweden, the more stylised representation has helped to build understanding in the more complex modelling approaches by providing bounding results, checking the reasonableness of the more complex modelling, highlighting uncertainties introduced through conceptual assumptions and helping to quantify the conservatisms involved. The more stylised biosphere models are also shown capable of reproducing the results of more complex approaches. A major recommendation is that biosphere assessments need to justify the degree of complexity in modelling approaches as well as simplifying and conservative assumptions. In light of the uncertainties concerning the biosphere on very long timescales, stylised biosphere models are shown to provide a useful point of reference in themselves and remain a valuable tool for nuclear waste disposal licencing procedures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Importance of Prior Biospheric Fluxes on Inverse Model Estimates of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philip, S.; Johnson, M. S.; Potter, C. S.; Genovese, V. B.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emissions and biospheric sources/sinks. The processes controlling terrestrial biosphere-atmosphere carbon exchange are currently not fully understood, resulting in models having significant differences in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Currently, atmospheric chemical transport models (CTM) and global climate models (GCM) use multiple different biospheric CO2 flux models resulting in large differences in simulating the global carbon cycle. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite mission was designed to allow for the improved understanding of the processes involved in the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and therefore allowing for more accurate assessment of the seasonal/inter-annual variability of CO2. OCO-2 provides much-needed CO2 observations in data-limited regions allowing for the evaluation of model simulations of greenhouse gases (GHG) and facilitating global/regional estimates of "top-down" CO2 fluxes. We conduct a 4-D Variation (4D-Var) data assimilation with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) CTM using 1) OCO-2 land nadir and land glint retrievals and 2) global in situ surface flask observations to constrain biospheric CO2 fluxes. We apply different state-of-the-science year-specific CO2 flux models (e.g., NASA-CASA (NASA-Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach), CASA-GFED (Global Fire Emissions Database), Simple Biosphere Model version 4 (SiB-4), and LPJ (Lund-Postdam-Jena)) to assess the impact of "a priori" flux predictions to "a posteriori" estimates. We will present the "top-down" CO2 flux estimates for the year 2015 using OCO-2 and in situ observations, and a complete indirect evaluation of the a priori and a posteriori flux estimates using independent in situ observations. We will also present our assessment of the variability of "top-down" CO2 flux estimates when using different biospheric CO2 flux models. This work will improve our understanding of the global carbon cycle, specifically, how OCO-2 observations can be used to constrain biospheric CO2 flux model estimates.

An Estimate of the Total DNA in the Biosphere

PubMed Central

Landenmark, Hanna K. E.; Forgan, Duncan H.; Cockell, Charles S.

2015-01-01

Modern whole-organism genome analysis, in combination with biomass estimates, allows us to estimate a lower bound on the total information content in the biosphere: 5.3 × 1031 (±3.6 × 1031) megabases (Mb) of DNA. Given conservative estimates regarding DNA transcription rates, this information content suggests biosphere processing speeds exceeding yottaNOPS values (1024 Nucleotide Operations Per Second). Although prokaryotes evolved at least 3 billion years before plants and animals, we find that the information content of prokaryotes is similar to plants and animals at the present day. This information-based approach offers a new way to quantify anthropogenic and natural processes in the biosphere and its information diversity over time. PMID:26066900

An Estimate of the Total DNA in the Biosphere.

PubMed

Landenmark, Hanna K E; Forgan, Duncan H; Cockell, Charles S

2015-06-01

Modern whole-organism genome analysis, in combination with biomass estimates, allows us to estimate a lower bound on the total information content in the biosphere: 5.3 × 1031 (±3.6 × 1031) megabases (Mb) of DNA. Given conservative estimates regarding DNA transcription rates, this information content suggests biosphere processing speeds exceeding yottaNOPS values (1024 Nucleotide Operations Per Second). Although prokaryotes evolved at least 3 billion years before plants and animals, we find that the information content of prokaryotes is similar to plants and animals at the present day. This information-based approach offers a new way to quantify anthropogenic and natural processes in the biosphere and its information diversity over time.

Rewiring food systems to enhance human health and biosphere stewardship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Line J.; Bignet, Victoria; Crona, Beatrice; Henriksson, Patrik J. G.; Van Holt, Tracy; Jonell, Malin; Lindahl, Therese; Troell, Max; Barthel, Stephan; Deutsch, Lisa; Folke, Carl; Jamila Haider, L.; Rockström, Johan; Queiroz, Cibele

2017-10-01

Food lies at the heart of both health and sustainability challenges. We use a social-ecological framework to illustrate how major changes to the volume, nutrition and safety of food systems between 1961 and today impact health and sustainability. These changes have almost halved undernutrition while doubling the proportion who are overweight. They have also resulted in reduced resilience of the biosphere, pushing four out of six analysed planetary boundaries across the safe operating space of the biosphere. Our analysis further illustrates that consumers and producers have become more distant from one another, with substantial power consolidated within a small group of key actors. Solutions include a shift from a volume-focused production system to focus on quality, nutrition, resource use efficiency, and reduced antimicrobial use. To achieve this, we need to rewire food systems in ways that enhance transparency between producers and consumers, mobilize key actors to become biosphere stewards, and re-connect people to the biosphere.

Response of the rare biosphere to environmental stressors in a highly diverse ecosystem (Zodletone spring, OK, USA)

PubMed Central

Coveley, Suzanne; Elshahed, Mostafa S.

2015-01-01

Within highly diverse ecosystems, the majority of bacterial taxa are present in low abundance as members of the rare biosphere. The rationale for the occurrence and maintenance of the rare biosphere, and the putative ecological role(s) and dynamics of its members within a specific ecosystem is currently debated. We hypothesized that in highly diverse ecosystems, a fraction of the rare biosphere acts as a backup system that readily responds to environmental disturbances. We tested this hypothesis by subjecting sediments from Zodletone spring, a sulfide- and sulfur-rich spring in Southwestern OK, to incremental levels of salinity (1, 2, 3, 4, and 10% NaCl), or temperature (28°, 30°, 32°, and 70 °C), and traced the trajectories of rare members of the community in response to these manipulations using 16S rRNA gene analysis. Our results indicate that multiple rare bacterial taxa are promoted from rare to abundant members of the community following such manipulations and that, in general, the magnitude of such recruitment is directly proportional to the severity of the applied manipulation. Rare members that are phylogenetically distinct from abundant taxa in the original sample (unique rare biosphere) played a more important role in the microbial community response to environmental disturbances, compared to rare members that are phylogenetically similar to abundant taxa in the original sample (non-unique rare biosphere). The results emphasize the dynamic nature of the rare biosphere, and highlight its complexity and non-monolithic nature. PMID:26312178

Comparing Amazon Basin CO2 fluxes from an atmospheric inversion with TRENDY biosphere models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diffenbaugh, N. S.; Alden, C. B.; Harper, A. B.; Ahlström, A.; Touma, D. E.; Miller, J. B.; Gatti, L. V.; Gloor, M.

2015-12-01

Net exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere is sensitive to environmental conditions, including extreme heat and drought. Of particular importance for local and global carbon balance and climate are the expansive tracts of tropical rainforest located in the Amazon Basin. Because of the Basin's size and ecological heterogeneity, net biosphere CO2 exchange with the atmosphere remains largely un-constrained. In particular, the response of net CO2 exchange to changes in environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation are not yet well known. However, proper representation of these relationships in biosphere models is a necessary constraint for accurately modeling future climate and climate-carbon cycle feedbacks. In an effort to compare biosphere response to climate across different biosphere models, the TRENDY model intercomparison project coordinated the simulation of CO2 fluxes between the biosphere and atmosphere, in response to historical climate forcing, by 9 different Dynamic Global Vegetation Models. We examine the TRENDY model results in the Amazon Basin, and compare this "bottom-up" method with fluxes derived from a "top-down" approach to estimating net CO2 fluxes, obtained through atmospheric inverse modeling using CO2 measurements sampled by aircraft above the basin. We compare the "bottom-up" and "top-down" fluxes in 5 sub-regions of the Amazon basin on a monthly basis for 2010-2012. Our results show important periods of agreement between some models in the TRENDY suite and atmospheric inverse model results, notably the simulation of increased biosphere CO2 loss during wet season heat in the Central Amazon. During the dry season, however, model ability to simulate observed response of net CO2 exchange to drought was varied, with few models able to reproduce the "top-down" inversion flux signals. Our results highlight the value of atmospheric trace gas observations for helping to narrow the possibilities of future carbon-climate interactions, especially in historically under-observed regions like the Amazon.

Application of the Spanish methodological approach for biosphere assessment to a generic high-level waste disposal site.

PubMed

Agüero, A; Pinedo, P; Simón, I; Cancio, D; Moraleda, M; Trueba, C; Pérez-Sánchez, D

2008-09-15

A methodological approach which includes conceptual developments, methodological aspects and software tools have been developed in the Spanish context, based on the BIOMASS "Reference Biospheres Methodology". The biosphere assessments have to be undertaken with the aim of demonstrating compliance with principles and regulations established to limit the possible radiological impact of radioactive waste disposals on human health and on the environment, and to ensure that future generations will not be exposed to higher radiation levels than those that would be acceptable today. The biosphere in the context of high-level waste disposal is defined as the collection of various radionuclide transfer pathways that may result in releases into the surface environment, transport within and between the biosphere receptors, exposure of humans and biota, and the doses/risks associated with such exposures. The assessments need to take into account the complexity of the biosphere, the nature of the radionuclides released and the long timescales considered. It is also necessary to make assumptions related to the habits and lifestyle of the exposed population, human activities in the long term and possible modifications of the biosphere. A summary on the Spanish methodological approach for biosphere assessment are presented here as well as its application in a Spanish generic case study. A reference scenario has been developed based on current conditions at a site located in Central-West Spain, to indicate the potential impact to the actual population. In addition, environmental change has been considered qualitatively through the use of interaction matrices and transition diagrams. Unit source terms of (36)Cl, (79)Se, (99)Tc, (129)I, (135)Cs, (226)Ra, (231)Pa, (238)U, (237)Np and (239)Pu have been taken. Two exposure groups of infants and adults have been chosen for dose calculations. Results are presented and their robustness is evaluated through the use of uncertainty and sensitivity analyses.

Piezophilic Bacteria Isolated from Sediment of the Shimokita Coalbed, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, J.; Kato, C.; Hori, T.; Morono, Y.; Inagaki, F.

2013-12-01

The Earth is a cold planet as well as pressured planet, hosting both the surface biosphere and the deep biosphere. Pressure ranges over four-orders of magnitude in the surface biosphere and probably more in the deep biosphere. Pressure is an important thermodynamic property of the deep biosphere that affects microbial physiology and biochemistry. Bacteria that require high-pressure conditions for optimal growth are called piezophilic bacteria. Subseafloor marine sediments are one of the most extensive microbial habitats on Earth. Marine sediments cover more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface, and represent a major part of the deep biosphere. Owing to its vast size and intimate connection with the surface biosphere, particularly the oceans, the deep biosphere has enormous potential for influencing global-scale biogeochemical processes, including energy, climate, carbon and nutrient cycles. Therefore, studying piezophilic bacteria of the deep biosphere has important implications in increasing our understanding of global biogeochemical cycles, the interactions between the biosphere and the geosphere, and the evolution of life. Sediment samples were obtained during IODP Expedition 337, from 1498 meters below sea floor (mbsf) (Sample 6R-3), 1951~1999 mbsf (19R-1~25R-3; coalbed mix), and 2406 mbsf (29R-7). The samples were mixed with MB2216 growth medium and cultivated under anaerobic conditions at 35 MPa (megapascal) pressure. Growth temperatures were adjusted to in situ environmental conditions, 35°C for 6R-3, 45°C for 19R-1~25R-3, and 55°C for 29R-7. The cultivation was performed three times, for 30 days each time. Microbial cells were obtained and the total DNA was extracted. At the same time, isolation of microbes was also performed under anaerobic conditions. Microbial communities in the coalbed sediment were analyzed by cloning, sequencing, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP) of 16S ribosomal RNA genes. From the partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, we have identified abundant Alkalibacterium sp. in 6R-3 and 29R-7 at the first HP cultivation. We also identified Haloactibacillus sp. in 6R-3 and Anoxybacillus related sp. in 19R-1~25R-3 at the third HP cultivation. These microorganisms are likely piezophiles and play an important role in degradation of sedimentary organic matter and production of microbial metabolites sustaining the deep microbial ecosystem in the Shimokita Coalbed. The complete 16S sequencing and isolation of piezophiles are now ongoing.

Earth's early biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, D. J.

1998-01-01

Understanding our own early biosphere is essential to our search for life elsewhere, because life arose on Earth very early and rocky planets shared similar early histories. The biosphere arose before 3.8 Ga ago, was exclusively unicellular and was dominated by hyperthermophiles that utilized chemical sources of energy and employed a range of metabolic pathways for CO2 assimilation. Photosynthesis also arose very early. Oxygenic photosynthesis arose later but still prior to 2.7 Ga. The transition toward the modern global environment was paced by a decline in volcanic and hydrothermal activity. These developments allowed atmospheric O2 levels to increase. The O2 increase created new niches for aerobic life, most notably the more advanced Eukarya that eventually spawned the megascopic fauna and flora of our modern biosphere.

Recent developments in assessment of long-term radionuclide behavior in the geosphere-biosphere subsystem.

PubMed

Smith, G M; Smith, K L; Kowe, R; Pérez-Sánchez, D; Thorne, M; Thiry, Y; Read, D; Molinero, J

2014-05-01

Decisions on permitting, controlling and monitoring releases of radioactivity into the environment rely on a great variety of factors. Important among these is the prospective assessment of radionuclide behavior in the environment, including migration and accumulation among and within specific environmental media, and the resulting environmental and human health impacts. Models and techniques to undertake such assessments have been developed over several decades based on knowledge of the ecosystems involved, as well as monitoring of previous radionuclide releases to the environment, laboratory experiments and other related research. This paper presents developments in the assessment of radiation doses and related research for some of the key radionuclides identified as of potential significance in the context of releases to the biosphere from disposal facilities for solid radioactive waste. Since releases to the biosphere from disposal facilities involve transfers from the geosphere to the biosphere, an important aspect is the combined effects of surface hydrology, near-surface hydrogeology and chemical gradients on speciation and radionuclide mobility in the zone in which the geosphere and biosphere overlap (herein described as the geosphere-biosphere subsystem). In turn, these aspects of the environment can be modified as a result of environmental change over the thousands of years that have to be considered in radioactive waste disposal safety assessments. Building on the experience from improved understanding of the behavior of the key radionuclides, this paper proceeds to describe development of a generic methodology for representing the processes and environmental changes that are characteristic of the interface between the geosphere and the biosphere. The information that is provided and the methodology that is described are based on international collaborative work implemented through the BIOPROTA forum, www.bioprota.org. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The UNESCO biosphere reserve concept as a tool for urban sustainability: the CUBES Cape Town case study.

PubMed

Stanvliet, R; Jackson, J; Davis, G; De Swardt, C; Mokhoele, J; Thom, Q; Lane, B D

2004-06-01

The Cape Town Case Study (CTCS) was a multi-institutional collaborative project initiated by CUBES, a knowledge networking initiative of UNESCO's Ecological Sciences Division and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Cape Town was selected as a CUBES site on the basis of its high biological and cultural significance, together with its demonstrated leadership in promoting urban sustainability. The CTCS was conducted by the Cape Town Urban Biosphere Group, a cross-disciplinary group of specialists drawn from national, provincial, municipal, and civil society institutions, mandated to examine the potential value of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve concept as a tool for environmental management, social inclusion, and poverty alleviation in Cape Town. This article provides a contextualization of the CTCS and its collaborative process. It also reviews the biosphere reserve concept relative to urban sustainability objectives and proposes a more functional application of that concept in an urban context. A detailed analysis of key initiatives at the interface of conservation and poverty alleviation is provided in table format. Drawing on an examination of successful sustainability initiatives in Cape Town, specific recommendations are made for future application of the biosphere reserve concept in an urban context, as well as a model by which urban areas might affiliate with the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, and criteria for such affiliation.

Lignocellulose deconstruction in the biosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bomble, Yannick J.; Lin, Chien-Yuan; Amore, Antonella

Microorganisms have evolved different and yet complementary mechanisms to degrade biomass in the biosphere. The chemical biology of lignocellulose deconstruction is a complex and intricate process that appears to vary in response to specific ecosystems. These microorganisms rely on simple to complex arrangements of glycoside hydrolases to conduct most of these polysaccharide depolymerization reactions and also, as discovered more recently, oxidative mechanisms via lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases or non-enzymatic Fenton reactions which are used to enhance deconstruction. It is now clear that these deconstruction mechanisms are often more efficient in the presence of the microorganisms. In general, a major fraction ofmore » the total plant biomass deconstruction in the biosphere results from the action of various microorganisms, primarily aerobic bacteria and fungi, as well as a variety of anaerobic bacteria. Beyond carbon recycling, specialized microorganisms interact with plants to manage nitrogen in the biosphere. Understanding the interplay between these organisms within or across ecosystems is crucial to further our grasp of chemical recycling in the biosphere and also enables optimization of the burgeoning plant-based bioeconomy.« less

Top–down assessment of the Asian carbon budget since the mid 1990s

PubMed Central

Thompson, R. L.; Patra, P. K.; Chevallier, F.; Maksyutov, S.; Law, R. M.; Ziehn, T.; van der Laan-Luijkx, I. T.; Peters, W.; Ganshin, A.; Zhuravlev, R.; Maki, T.; Nakamura, T.; Shirai, T.; Ishizawa, M.; Saeki, T.; Machida, T.; Poulter, B.; Canadell, J. G.; Ciais, P.

2016-01-01

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principal driver of anthropogenic climate change. Asia is an important region for the global carbon budget, with 4 of the world's 10 largest national emitters of CO2. Using an ensemble of seven atmospheric inverse systems, we estimated land biosphere fluxes (natural, land-use change and fires) based on atmospheric observations of CO2 concentration. The Asian land biosphere was a net sink of −0.46 (−0.70–0.24) PgC per year (median and range) for 1996–2012 and was mostly located in East Asia, while in South and Southeast Asia the land biosphere was close to carbon neutral. In East Asia, the annual CO2 sink increased between 1996–2001 and 2008–2012 by 0.56 (0.30–0.81) PgC, accounting for ∼35% of the increase in the global land biosphere sink. Uncertainty in the fossil fuel emissions contributes significantly (32%) to the uncertainty in land biosphere sink change. PMID:26911442

Lignocellulose deconstruction in the biosphere.

PubMed

Bomble, Yannick J; Lin, Chien-Yuan; Amore, Antonella; Wei, Hui; Holwerda, Evert K; Ciesielski, Peter N; Donohoe, Bryon S; Decker, Stephen R; Lynd, Lee R; Himmel, Michael E

2017-12-01

Microorganisms have evolved different and yet complementary mechanisms to degrade biomass in the biosphere. The chemical biology of lignocellulose deconstruction is a complex and intricate process that appears to vary in response to specific ecosystems. These microorganisms rely on simple to complex arrangements of glycoside hydrolases to conduct most of these polysaccharide depolymerization reactions and also, as discovered more recently, oxidative mechanisms via lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases or non-enzymatic Fenton reactions which are used to enhance deconstruction. It is now clear that these deconstruction mechanisms are often more efficient in the presence of the microorganisms. In general, a major fraction of the total plant biomass deconstruction in the biosphere results from the action of various microorganisms, primarily aerobic bacteria and fungi, as well as a variety of anaerobic bacteria. Beyond carbon recycling, specialized microorganisms interact with plants to manage nitrogen in the biosphere. Understanding the interplay between these organisms within or across ecosystems is crucial to further our grasp of chemical recycling in the biosphere and also enables optimization of the burgeoning plant-based bioeconomy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Analysis of Low-Biomass Microbial Communities in the Deep Biosphere.

PubMed

Morono, Y; Inagaki, F

2016-01-01

Over the past few decades, the subseafloor biosphere has been explored by scientific ocean drilling to depths of about 2.5km below the seafloor. Although organic-rich anaerobic sedimentary habitats in the ocean margins harbor large numbers of microbial cells, microbial populations in ultraoligotrophic aerobic sedimentary habitats in the open ocean gyres are several orders of magnitude less abundant. Despite advances in cultivation-independent molecular ecological techniques, exploring the low-biomass environment remains technologically challenging, especially in the deep subseafloor biosphere. Reviewing the historical background of deep-biosphere analytical methods, the importance of obtaining clean samples and tracing contamination, as well as methods for detecting microbial life, technological aspects of molecular microbiology, and detecting subseafloor metabolic activity will be discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biosphere2 and Earthbuzz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Washburne, J. C.

2009-12-01

In an attempt to reach a broader audience, Biosphere 2, near Tucson, AZ, is participating in a network of science centers thanks to new funding through the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) and the National Center for Earth System Dynamics (NCED). Each of these centers will be tied together through an Earthbuzz kiosk, basically a networked web site that allows visitors to learn more about the work of leading local scientists in a very personal and captivating format. Content is currently being developed by Biosphere 2 researchers, staff, and graduate students that range from a public question and answer forum called “Scientist on the Spot” to science blogs by Biosphere 2 Fellows. It is hoped that this project will help educate the public about the Anthropocene, that is, the current geologic period that is so greatly affected by humankind’s impact on the health of the planet. Biosphere 2 provides a unique location to engage the public in this conversation for several reasons. First, no other destination on Earth gives the public such a physical immersion into what climate change might mean as does Biosphere 2. On the regular walking tour, visitors are guided through scaled down versions of an African savannah, a semi-arid thorn scrub, a coastal fog desert and a tropical rainforest. Digital displays of temperature and humidity confirm what your body is feeling - conditions ranging from desert aridity to tropical humidity. As one passes through the biomes of Biosphere 2, climate change is a whole body experience. Second, Biosphere 2 is also an active ecological research site - part of a unique network of sites run by the University of Arizona that allow scientists to study ecosystem processes across a range of scales - from microscopic root studies to studies encompassing large watersheds. In particular, a group of researchers is studying why large stands of pinion-juniper forests across the southwest have died in recent years. Biosphere2’s role in this experiment is multi-faceted. Boxed Pinion pines have been placed in a setting that allows close regulation of both temperature and precipitation while being intensively monitored electronically. Graduate students are learning field protocols in close proximity to their classes and are encouraged to interact with the almost hourly public tours. While many scientists are able to wow their peers at AGU, it is quite another thing to assess the ever changing mix of ages and interests present in the tour groups and to clearly communicate your scientific objectives and to explain what you happen to be working on today. These and many other examples will be highlighted in this presentation of how Biosphere 2 is developing an Earthbuzz kiosk in conjunction with the SMM and NCED.

Prebiological Synthesis Organic Matter and Origin of Life in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snytnikov, V. N.

2017-05-01

Processes and conditions around new born Sun and possibly other young stars led to the origin of life in the circumstellar disc in a few million years. Than the circumsolar biosphere evolved to its current earth state. In agreement with the main results of the natural sciences and the theory of self-organization, several stages are necessary for the life to emerge on the Earth. Nowday we can specify "The cold prehistiry of the life", "RNA-world", "Preplanet biosphere", "Destructive biosphere", "Earth of bacteria".

The water cycle in closed ecological systems: perspectives from the Biosphere 2 and Laboratory Biosphere systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Mark; Dempster, William; Allen, John P.

To achieve sustainable and healthy closed ecological systems requires successful solutions to the challenge of closing the water cycle - recycling wastewater/soil leachate and evaporateed water and supplying water of required quality as needed for different needs within the facility. Engineering Biosphere 2, the first multi-biome closed ecological system, total footprint of the airtight area is 12,700 m2 with a combined volume of 200,000 m3 with a total water capacity of some 6 x 106 liters of water presented a complex challenge because it included human inhabitants, their agricultural and technical systems, as well as a range of analogue ecosystems ranging from rainforest to desert, freshwater ecologies to mini-ocean coral reef ecosystems. By contrast, the Laboratory Biosphere - a small (40m3 volume) soil-based plant growth facility with a footprint of 15m3 - is a very simplified system, but with some similar issues such as salinity management and the provision of water quality sufficient for plant growth. In Biosphere 2, water needs included supplying potable water for people and domestic animals, irrigation water for a wide variety of food crops, and recycling and recovering soil nutrients from wastewater. In the wilderness biomes, adequately freshwater was needed for terrestrial ecosystems and maintaining appropriate salinity and pH in aquatic/marine ecosystems. The largest reservoirs in Biosphere 2 were the ocean/marsh with some 4x106 liters, soil with 2 x 106 liters, primary storage tanks with a capacity for up to 8 x 105 liters and storage tanks for condensate collection and mixing tanks with 1.5 x 105 liters to supply irrigation for farm and wilderness ecosystems. Other reservoirs were far smaller - humidity in the atmosphere (2 x 103 liters), streams in the rainforest and savannah, and seasonal pools in the desert were orders of magnitude smaller (8 x 103 liters). Key technologies included condensation from humidity in the airhandlers and from the glass spaceframe to produce high quality freshwater, purification of nutrients from ocean waters with first algae mats and then protein skimmers, wastewater treatment with constructed wetlands and desalination through reverse osmosis and flash evaporation were key to recycling water with appropriate quality throughout the Biosphere 2 facility. Wastewater from all human uses and the domestic animals in Biosphere 2 was treated and recycling through a series of constructed wetlands, which had hydraulic loading of 0.9-1.1 m3 day-1 (240-290 gal d-1). Plant production in the wetland treatment system produced 1210 kg dry weight of emergent and floating aquatic plant wetland used as fodder for the domestic animals and remaining nutrients/water was reused as part of the agricultural irrigation supply. There were pools of water with recycling times of days to weeks and others with far longer cycling times within Biosphere 2. By contrast, the Laboratory Biosphere with a total water reservoir of less than 500 litres has far quicker cycling rapidity. However, just as in Biosphere 2, humidity in the Laboratory Biosphere is a very small reservoir of water. The amount of water passing through the air in the course of a 12-hour operational day is two orders of magnitude greater than the amount stored in the air. Thus evaporation, condensation and soil leachate collection are vital parts of the recycle system just as in Biosphere 2. The water cycle and sustainable water recycling in closed ecological systems presents problems requiring further research to resolve - such as how to control buildup of salinity in materially-closed ecosystems and effective ways to retain nutrients in optimal quantity and useable form for plant growth which are common to closed ecological systems of whatever size. These issues have relevance to a global environment increasingly facing water shortages and the task of maintaining water quality for human and ecosystem health.

In situ Detection of Microbial Life in the Deep Biosphere in Igneous Ocean Crust.

PubMed

Salas, Everett C; Bhartia, Rohit; Anderson, Louise; Hug, William F; Reid, Ray D; Iturrino, Gerardo; Edwards, Katrina J

2015-01-01

The deep biosphere is a major frontier to science. Recent studies have shown the presence and activity of cells in deep marine sediments and in the continental deep biosphere. Volcanic lavas in the deep ocean subsurface, through which substantial fluid flow occurs, present another potentially massive deep biosphere. We present results from the deployment of a novel in situ logging tool designed to detect microbial life harbored in a deep, native, borehole environment within igneous oceanic crust, using deep ultraviolet native fluorescence spectroscopy. Results demonstrate the predominance of microbial-like signatures within the borehole environment, with densities in the range of 10(5) cells/mL. Based on transport and flux models, we estimate that such a concentration of microbial cells could not be supported by transport through the crust, suggesting in situ growth of these communities.

Understanding local community's values, worldviews and perceptions in the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve, Scotland.

PubMed

Hernes, Maya I; Metzger, Marc J

2017-01-15

Biosphere reserves have been studied around the world, but methods to elicit community's values, worldviews and perceptions are missing. A greater understanding of these can help avoid tension and improve successful management. This paper used a mixed-methods survey to elicit local community's environmental values, ecological world views and perceptions of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve (GSABR). Over three weeks, forty participants from three communities of the GSABR responded to a semi-structured mixed-methods survey. The survey revealed that residents of the GSABR greatly value wildlife and beauty of nature, and that the majority of the respondents showed concern for the environment from an ecocentric worldview. Results also revealed that the most influential tested socio-demographic characteristic affecting people's relationship to their environment is their professional affiliation. Tourism and recreation were seen as major benefits of the recent biosphere designation. Results did highlight contrasting benefits from the designation for different stakeholder groups, which could potentially lead to tensions and should be considered in the reserve management. Given the community's supportive world views and perceptions, greater participation in the biosphere's management in likely to be welcomed and should be used to avoid or mediate any conflicts. The mixed-method survey developed for this study, proved successful in eliciting these themes in the GSABR. We recommend other biosphere reserves replicate this research, to gain better understanding of local communities and increase their support and participation in reserve management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geospatial assessment and monitoring of historical forest cover changes (1920-2012) in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India.

PubMed

Satish, K V; Saranya, K R L; Reddy, C Sudhakar; Krishna, P Hari; Jha, C S; Rao, P V V Prasada

2014-12-01

Deforestation in the biosphere reserves, which are key Protected Areas has negative impacts on biodiversity, climate, carbon fluxes and livelihoods. Comprehensive study of deforestation in biosphere reserves is required to assess the impact of the management effectiveness. This article assesses the changes in forest cover in various zones and protected areas of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the first declared biosphere reserve in India which forms part of Western Ghats-a global biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we have mapped the forests from earliest available topographical maps and multi-temporal satellite data spanning from 1920's to 2012 period. Mapping of spatial extent of forest cover, vegetation types and land cover was carried out using visual interpretation technique. A grid cell of 1 km × 1 km was generated for time series change analysis to understand the patterns in spatial distribution of forest cover (1920-1973-1989-1999-2006-2012). The total forest area of biosphere reserve was found to be 5,806.5 km(2) (93.8 % of total geographical area) in 1920. Overall loss of forest cover was estimated as 1,423.6 km(2) (24.5 % of the total forest) with reference to 1920. Among the six Protected Areas, annual deforestation rate of >0.5 was found in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary during 1920-1973. The deforestation in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is mainly attributed to conversion of forests to plantations and agriculture along with submergence due to construction of dams during 1920 to 1989. Grid wise analysis indicates that 851 grids have undergone large-scale negative changes of >75 ha of forest loss during 1920-1973 while, only 15 grids have shown >75 ha loss during 1973-1989. Annual net rate of deforestation for the period of 1920 to 1973 was calculated as 0.5 followed by 0.1 for 1973 to 1989. Our analysis shows that there was large-scale deforestation before the declaration of area as biosphere reserve in 1986; however, the deforestation has drastically reduced after the declaration due to high degree of protection, thus indicating the secure future of reserve in the long term under the current forest management practices. The present work will stand as the most up-to-date assessment on the forest cover of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve with immediate applications in monitoring and management of forest biodiversity.

A biosphere modeling methodology for dose assessments of the potential Yucca Mountain deep geological high level radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Watkins, B M; Smith, G M; Little, R H; Kessler, J

1999-04-01

Recent developments in performance standards for proposed high level radioactive waste disposal at Yucca Mountain suggest that health risk or dose rate limits will likely be part of future standards. Approaches to the development of biosphere modeling and dose assessments for Yucca Mountain have been relatively lacking in previous performance assessments due to the absence of such a requirement. This paper describes a practical methodology used to develop a biosphere model appropriate for calculating doses from use of well water by hypothetical individuals due to discharges of contaminated groundwater into a deep well. The biosphere model methodology, developed in parallel with the BIOMOVS II international study, allows a transparent recording of the decisions at each step, from the specification of the biosphere assessment context through to model development and analysis of results. A list of features, events, and processes relevant to Yucca Mountain was recorded and an interaction matrix developed to help identify relationships between them. Special consideration was given to critical/potential exposure group issues and approaches. The conceptual model of the biosphere system was then developed, based on the interaction matrix, to show how radionuclides migrate and accumulate in the biosphere media and result in potential exposure pathways. A mathematical dose assessment model was specified using the flexible AMBER software application, which allows users to construct their own compartment models. The starting point for the biosphere calculations was a unit flux of each radionuclide from the groundwater in the geosphere into the drinking water in the well. For each of the 26 radionuclides considered, the most significant exposure pathways for hypothetical individuals were identified. For 14 of the radionuclides, the primary exposure pathways were identified as consumption of various crops and animal products following assumed agricultural use of the contaminated water derived from the deep well. Inhalation of dust (11 radionuclides) and external irradiation (1 radionuclide) were also identified as significant exposure modes. Contribution to the total flux to dose conversion factor from the drinking water pathway for each radionuclide was also assessed and for most radionuclides was found to be less than 10% of the total flux to dose conversion factor summed across all pathways. Some of the uncertainties related to the results were considered. The biosphere modeling results have been applied within an EPRI Total Systems Performance Assessment of Yucca Mountain. Conclusions and recommendations for future performance assessments are provided.

Earth applications of closed ecological systems: Relevance to the development of sustainability in our global biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, M.; Allen, J.; Ailing, A.; Dempster, W. F.; Silverstone, S.

The parallels between the challenges facing bioregenerative life support in artificial closed ecological systems and those in our global biosphere are striking. At the scale of the current global technosphere and expanding human population, it is increasingly obvious that the biosphere can no longer safely buffer and absorb technogenic and anthropogenic pollutants. The loss of biodiversity, reliance on non-renewable natural resources, and conversion of once wild ecosystems for human use with attendant desertification/soil erosion, has led to a shift of consciousness and the widespread call for sustainability of human activities. For researchers working on bioregenerative life support in closed systems, the small volumes and faster cycling times than in the Earth's biosphere make it starkly clear that systems must be designed to ensure renewal of water and atmosphere, nutrient recycling, production of healthy food, and safe environmental methods of maintaining technical systems. The development of technical systems that can be fully integrated and supportive of living systems is a harbinger of new perspectives as well as technologies in the global environment. In addition, closed system bioregenerative life support offers opportunities for public education and consciousness changing of how to live with our global biosphere.

The Role of Biosphere Reserves in Environmental Education and Training = Le Role des reserves de la biosphere dans l'education et la formation environnementales. Report of the Unesco/MAB Symposium Held During the Unesco/UNEP International Congress on Environmental Education and Training (Moscow, USSR, August 17-21, 1987). Report 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, George, Ed.

Environmental education and training have been key elements of Unesco's Program on Man and the Biosphere (MAB) since its inception in 1971. The MAB Program is an intergovernmental program of research, training, demonstration and distribution of information, aimed at providing the scientific background and the trained personnel to deal with…

Ecology and exploration of the rare biosphere.

PubMed

Lynch, Michael D J; Neufeld, Josh D

2015-04-01

The profound influence of microorganisms on human life and global biogeochemical cycles underlines the value of studying the biogeography of microorganisms, exploring microbial genomes and expanding our understanding of most microbial species on Earth: that is, those present at low relative abundance. The detection and subsequent analysis of low-abundance microbial populations—the 'rare biosphere'—have demonstrated the persistence, population dynamics, dispersion and predation of these microbial species. We discuss the ecology of rare microbial populations, and highlight molecular and computational methods for targeting taxonomic 'blind spots' within the rare biosphere of complex microbial communities.

Ciliates and the rare biosphere: a review.

PubMed

Dunthorn, Micah; Stoeck, Thorsten; Clamp, John; Warren, Alan; Mahé, Frédéric

2014-01-01

Here we provide a brief review of the rare biosphere from the perspective of ciliates and other microbial eukaryotes. We trace research on rarity from its lack of much in-depth focus in morphological and Sanger sequencing projects, to its central importance in analyses using high throughput sequencing strategies. The problem that the rare biosphere is potentially comprised of mostly errors is then discussed in the light of asking community-comparative, novel-diversity, and ecosystem-functioning questions. © 2014 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2014 International Society of Protistologists.

On the edge of a deep biosphere: Real animals in extreme environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, James J.; Fisher, Charles F.; Felbeck, Horst; Girguis, Peter

This paper considers the possibility of animals living in a subsurface environment on the global mid-ocean ridge system. It considers the possible environments and looks at the possibilities of animal inhabitants of the subsurface biosphere based on adaptations of animals to other extreme habitats. We conclude that there are known bridging inhabitants of the subsurface biosphere, that part-time inhabitants are extremely likely, and that there could be full-time inhabitants if conditions are stable within the tolerance limits of metazoans for time periods of months.

Victor Kovda, Soil Science and Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovda, I.

2012-04-01

Victor Kovda (1904-1991) was one of the most famous soil scientists at the national and international soil science community. He published more than 500 scientific works including about 400 papers, 17 collective monographs, 30 personal monographs, and more than 200 interviews and popular papers describing the role of soils not only for food production, but for the functioning of the biosphere. Victor Kovda was a talented organizer, who founded the new Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry (known at the present time as the Institute of physico-chemical and biological problems of soil science in Pushchino, Russia). During six years from 1959 to 1964 he was the head of Science Department in UNESCO, where he initiated a set of international projects (ex. Soil World Map of FAO-UNESCO, Source-book on irrigation and drainage). He continued his international activity after UNESCO as a President of the International Soil Science Society (1968-1974), organizer of the X international Soil Science Congress in Moscow (1974), president of SCOPE (1973-1976), working for ICSU. The last three decades of his national and international activities Victor Kovda initiated and was strongly involved in the popularization of biosphere role and functions of soils and soil cover. The start point for this activity was his special talk "Biosphere and man" presented during the intergovernmental conference in the framework of the international program "Man and Biosphere" organized by UNESCO in 1968 in Paris. The next key presentation "Soil as a component of biosphere" Victor Kovda gave as a plenary lecture during the X International congress of soil scientists. This presentation determined the focus of soil science for the next decades: at least Russian soil science became oriented towards the investigation of biosphere functions and role of soils. Soils science was accepted not only for agriculture and food production, but also as a fundamental science with a large environmental application.

The Search for Sustainable Subsurface Habitats on Mars, and the Sampling of Impact Ejecta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivarsson, Magnus; Lindgren, Paula

2010-07-01

On Earth, the deep subsurface biosphere of both the oceanic and the continental crust is well known for surviving harsh conditions and environments characterized by high temperatures, high pressures, extreme pHs, and the absence of sunlight. The microorganisms of the terrestrial deep biosphere have an excellent capacity for adapting to changing geochemistry, as the alteration of the crust proceeds and the conditions of their habitats slowly change. Despite an almost complete isolation from surface conditions and the surface biosphere, the deep biosphere of the crustal rocks has endured over geologic time. This indicates that the deep biosphere is a self-sufficient system, independent of the global events that occur at the surface, such as impacts, glaciations, sea level fluctuations, and climate changes. With our sustainable terrestrial subsurface biosphere in mind, the subsurface on Mars has often been suggested as the most plausible place to search for fossil Martian life, or even present Martian life. Since the Martian surface is more or less sterile, subsurface settings are the only place on Mars where life could have been sustained over geologic time. To detect a deep biosphere in the Martian basement, drilling is a requirement. However, near future Mars sample return missions are limited by the mission's payload, which excludes heavy drilling equipment and restrict the missions to only dig the topmost meter of the Martian soil. Therefore, the sampling and analysis of Martian impact ejecta has been suggested as a way of accessing the deeper Martian subsurface without using heavy drilling equipment. Impact cratering is a natural geological process capable of excavating and exposing large amounts of rock material from great depths up to the surface. Several studies of terrestrial impact deposits show the preservation of pre-impact biosignatures, such as fossilized organisms and chemical biological markers. Therefore, if the Martian subsurface contains a record of life, it is reasonable to assume that biosignatures derived from the Martian subsurface could also be preserved in the Martian impact ejecta.

Pilot Institute on Global Change on Trace Gases and the Biosphere, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eddy, J. A.; Moore, B.

1998-01-01

Table of Contents: Summary; Background; General Framework for a Series of Institutes on Global Change; The 1988 Pilot Institute on Global Changes: Trace Gases and the Biosphere; Budget; List of Acronyms; and Attachments.

Closed ecological systems: From test tubes to Earth's biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frye, Robert J.; Mignon, George

1992-01-01

Artificially constructed closed ecological systems (CES) have been researched both experimentally and theoretically for over 25 years. The size of these systems have varied from less than one liter to many thousands of cubic meters in volume. The diversity of the included components has a similarly wide range from purely aquatic systems to soil based systems that incorporate many aspects of Earth's biosphere. While much has been learned about the functioning of these closed systems, much remains to be learned. In this paper, we compare and contrast the behavior of closed ecological systems of widely different sizes through an analysis of their atmospheric composition. In addition, we will compare the performance of relatively small CES with the behavior of Earth's biosphere. We address the applicability of small CES as replicable analogs for planetary biospheres and discuss the use of small CES as an experimental milieu for an examination of the evolution of extra-terrestrial colonies.

In situ Detection of Microbial Life in the Deep Biosphere in Igneous Ocean Crust

PubMed Central

Salas, Everett C.; Bhartia, Rohit; Anderson, Louise; Hug, William F.; Reid, Ray D.; Iturrino, Gerardo; Edwards, Katrina J.

2015-01-01

The deep biosphere is a major frontier to science. Recent studies have shown the presence and activity of cells in deep marine sediments and in the continental deep biosphere. Volcanic lavas in the deep ocean subsurface, through which substantial fluid flow occurs, present another potentially massive deep biosphere. We present results from the deployment of a novel in situ logging tool designed to detect microbial life harbored in a deep, native, borehole environment within igneous oceanic crust, using deep ultraviolet native fluorescence spectroscopy. Results demonstrate the predominance of microbial-like signatures within the borehole environment, with densities in the range of 105 cells/mL. Based on transport and flux models, we estimate that such a concentration of microbial cells could not be supported by transport through the crust, suggesting in situ growth of these communities. PMID:26617595

Gene expression in the deep biosphere.

PubMed

Orsi, William D; Edgcomb, Virginia P; Christman, Glenn D; Biddle, Jennifer F

2013-07-11

Scientific ocean drilling has revealed a deep biosphere of widespread microbial life in sub-seafloor sediment. Microbial metabolism in the marine subsurface probably has an important role in global biogeochemical cycles, but deep biosphere activities are not well understood. Here we describe and analyse the first sub-seafloor metatranscriptomes from anaerobic Peru Margin sediment up to 159 metres below the sea floor, represented by over 1 billion complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence reads. Anaerobic metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates and lipids seem to be the dominant metabolic processes, and profiles of dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsr) transcripts are consistent with pore-water sulphate concentration profiles. Moreover, transcripts involved in cell division increase as a function of microbial cell concentration, indicating that increases in sub-seafloor microbial abundance are a function of cell division across all three domains of life. These data support calculations and models of sub-seafloor microbial metabolism and represent the first holistic picture of deep biosphere activities.

Community Assembly Processes of the Microbial Rare Biosphere.

PubMed

Jia, Xiu; Dini-Andreote, Francisco; Falcão Salles, Joana

2018-03-14

Our planet teems with microorganisms that often present a skewed abundance distribution in a local community, with relatively few dominant species coexisting alongside a high number of rare species. Recent studies have demonstrated that these rare taxa serve as limitless reservoirs of genetic diversity, and perform disproportionate types of functions despite their low abundances. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms controlling rarity and the processes promoting the development of the rare biosphere. Here, we propose the use of multivariate cut-offs to estimate rare species and phylogenetic null models applied to predefined rare taxa to disentangle the relative influences of ecoevolutionary processes mediating the assembly of the rare biosphere. Importantly, the identification of the factors controlling rare species assemblages is critical for understanding the types of rarity, how the rare biosphere is established, and how rare microorganisms fluctuate over spatiotemporal scales, thus enabling prospective predictions of ecosystem responses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparative radiological assessment of five European biosphere systems in the context of potential contamination of well water from the hypothetical disposal of radioactive waste.

PubMed

Olyslaegers, G; Zeevaert, T; Pinedo, P; Simon, I; Pröhl, G; Kowe, R; Chen, Q; Mobbs, S; Bergström, U; Hallberg, B; Katona, T; Eged, K; Kanyar, B

2005-12-01

In the framework of the BioMoSA project for the development of biosphere assessment models for radioactive waste disposal the Reference Biosphere Methodology developed in the IAEA programme BIOMASS was applied to five locations, situated in different European countries. Specific biosphere models were applied to assess the hypothetical contamination of a range of agricultural and environmental pathways and the dose to individuals, following contamination of well water. The results of these site-specific models developed by the different BioMoSA partners, and the individual normalised dose to the exposure groups were compared against each other. Ingestion of drinking water, fruit and vegetables were found to be among the most important pathways for almost all radionuclides. Stochastic calculations revealed that consumption habits, transfer factors, irrigation rates and distribution coefficients (Kd(s)) were the most important parameters that influence the end results. Variations in the confidence intervals were found to be higher for sorbing elements (e.g. (36)Cl, (237)Np, (99)Tc, (238)U, (129)I) than for mobile elements (e.g. (226)Ra, (79)Se, (135)Cs, (231)Pa, (239)Pu). The influence of daughter products, for which the distribution into the biosphere was calculated individually, was also shown to be important. This paper gives a brief overview of the deterministic and stochastic modelling results and the parameter sensitivity. A screening methodology was introduced to identify the most important pathways, simplify a generic biosphere tool and refine the existing models.

Characterizing biospheric carbon balance using CO2 observations from the OCO-2 satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Scot M.; Michalak, Anna M.; Yadav, Vineet; Tadić, Jovan M.

2018-05-01

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite launched in summer of 2014. Its observations could allow scientists to constrain CO2 fluxes across regions or continents that were previously difficult to monitor. This study explores an initial step toward that goal; we evaluate the extent to which current OCO-2 observations can detect patterns in biospheric CO2 fluxes and constrain monthly CO2 budgets. Our goal is to guide top-down, inverse modeling studies and identify areas for future improvement. We find that uncertainties and biases in the individual OCO-2 observations are comparable to the atmospheric signal from biospheric fluxes, particularly during Northern Hemisphere winter when biospheric fluxes are small. A series of top-down experiments indicate how these errors affect our ability to constrain monthly biospheric CO2 budgets. We are able to constrain budgets for between two and four global regions using OCO-2 observations, depending on the month, and we can constrain CO2 budgets at the regional level (i.e., smaller than seven global biomes) in only a handful of cases (16 % of all regions and months). The potential of the OCO-2 observations, however, is greater than these results might imply. A set of synthetic data experiments suggests that retrieval errors have a salient effect. Advances in retrieval algorithms and to a lesser extent atmospheric transport modeling will improve the results. In the interim, top-down studies that use current satellite observations are best-equipped to constrain the biospheric carbon balance across only continental or hemispheric regions.

Carbon 13 exchanges between the atmosphere and biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, I.; Field, C. B.; Berry, J. A.; Thompson, M. V.; Randerson, J. T.; MalmströM, C. M.; Vitousek, P. M.; Collatz, G. James; Sellers, P. J.; Randall, D. A.; Denning, A. S.; Badeck, F.; John, J.

1997-12-01

We present a detailed investigation of the gross 12C and 13C exchanges between the atmosphere and biosphere and their influence on the δ13C variations in the atmosphere. The photosynthetic discrimination Δ against 13C is derived from a biophysical model coupled to a general circulation model [Sellers et al., 1996a], where stomatal conductance and carbon assimilation are determined simultaneously with the ambient climate. The δ13C of the respired carbon is calculated by a biogeochemical model [Potter et al., 1993; Randerson et al., 1996] as the sum of the contributions from compartments with varying ages. The global flux-weighted mean photosynthetic discrimination is 12-16‰, which is lower than previous estimates. Factors that lower the discrimination are reduced stomatal conductance and C4 photosynthesis. The decreasing atmospheric δ13C causes an isotopic disequilibrium between the outgoing and incoming fluxes; the disequilibrium is ˜0.33‰ for 1988. The disequilibrium is higher than previous estimates because it accounts for the lifetime of trees and for the ages rather than turnover times of the biospheric pools. The atmospheric δ13C signature resulting from the biospheric fluxes is investigated using a three-dimensional atmospheric tracer model. The isotopic disequilibrium alone produces a hemispheric difference of ˜0.02‰ in atmospheric δ13C, comparable to the signal from a hypothetical carbon sink of 0.5 Gt C yr-1 into the midlatitude northern hemisphere biosphere. However, the rectifier effect, due to the seasonal covariation of CO2 fluxes and height of the atmospheric boundary layer, yields a background δ13C gradient of the opposite sign. These effects nearly cancel thus favoring a stronger net biospheric uptake than without the background CO2 gradient. Our analysis of the globally averaged carbon budget for the decade of the 1980s indicates that the biospheric uptake of fossil fuel CO2 is likely to be greater than the oceanic uptake; the relative proportions of the sinks cannot be uniquely determined using 12C and 13C alone. The land-ocean sink partitioning requires, in addition, information about the land use source, isotopic disequilibrium associated with gross oceanic exchanges, as well as the fractions of C3 and C4 vegetation involved in the biospheric uptake.

Exploring global carbon turnover and radiocarbon cycling in terrestrial biosphere models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graven, H. D.; Warren, H.

2017-12-01

The uptake of carbon into terrestrial ecosystems through net primary productivity (NPP) and the turnover of that carbon through various pathways are the fundamental drivers of changing carbon stocks on land, in addition to human-induced and natural disturbances. Terrestrial biosphere models use different formulations for carbon uptake and release, resulting in a range of values in NPP of 40-70 PgC/yr and biomass turnover times of about 25-40 years for the preindustrial period in current-generation models from CMIP5. Biases in carbon uptake and turnover impact simulated carbon uptake and storage in the historical period and later in the century under changing climate and CO2 concentration, however evaluating global-scale NPP and carbon turnover is challenging. Scaling up of plot-scale measurements involves uncertainty due to the large heterogeneity across ecosystems and biomass types, some of which are not well-observed. We are developing the modelling of radiocarbon in terrestrial biosphere models, with a particular focus on decadal 14C dynamics after the nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s-60s, including the impact of carbon flux trends and variability on 14C cycling. We use an estimate of the total inventory of excess 14C in the biosphere constructed by Naegler and Levin (2009) using a 14C budget approach incorporating estimates of total 14C produced by the weapons tests and atmospheric and oceanic 14C observations. By simulating radiocarbon in simple biosphere box models using carbon fluxes from the CMIP5 models, we find that carbon turnover is too rapid in many of the simple models - the models appear to take up too much 14C and release it too quickly. Therefore many CMIP5 models may also simulate carbon turnover that is too rapid. A caveat is that the simple box models we use may not adequately represent carbon dynamics in the full-scale models. Explicit simulation of radiocarbon in terrestrial biosphere models would allow more robust evaluation of biosphere models and the investigation of climate-carbon cycle feedbacks on various timescales. Explicit simulation of radiocarbon and carbon-13 in terrestrial biosphere models of Earth System Models, as well as in ocean models, is recommended by CMIP6 and supported by CMIP6 protocols and forcing datasets.

Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy

PubMed Central

Wackernagel, Mathis; Schulz, Niels B.; Deumling, Diana; Linares, Alejandro Callejas; Jenkins, Martin; Kapos, Valerie; Monfreda, Chad; Loh, Jonathan; Myers, Norman; Norgaard, Richard; Randers, Jørgen

2002-01-01

Sustainability requires living within the regenerative capacity of the biosphere. In an attempt to measure the extent to which humanity satisfies this requirement, we use existing data to translate human demand on the environment into the area required for the production of food and other goods, together with the absorption of wastes. Our accounts indicate that human demand may well have exceeded the biosphere's regenerative capacity since the 1980s. According to this preliminary and exploratory assessment, humanity's load corresponded to 70% of the capacity of the global biosphere in 1961, and grew to 120% in 1999. PMID:12089326

Evidence for an active rare biosphere within freshwater protists community.

PubMed

Debroas, Didier; Hugoni, Mylène; Domaizon, Isabelle

2015-03-01

Studies on the active rare biosphere at the RNA level are mainly focused on Bacteria and Archaea and fail to include the protists, which are involved in the main biogeochemical cycles of the earth. In this study, the richness, composition and activity of the rare protistan biosphere were determined from a temporal survey of two lakes by pyrosequencing. In these ecosystems, the always rare OTUs represented 77.2% of the total OTUs and 76.6% of the phylogenetic diversity. From the various phylogenetic indices computed, the phylogenetic units (PUs) constituted exclusively by always rare OTUs were discriminated from the other PUs. Therefore, the rare biosphere included mainly taxa that are distant from the reference databases compared to the dominant ones. In addition, the rarest OTUs represented 59.8% of the active biosphere depicted by rRNA and the activity (rRNA:rDNA ratio) increased with the rarity. The high rRNA:rDNA ratio determined in the rare fraction highlights that some protists were active at low abundances and contribute to ecosystem functioning. Interestingly, the always rare and active OTUs were characterized by seasonal changes in relation with the main environmental parameters measured. In conclusion, the rare eukaryotes represent an active, dynamic and overlooked fraction in the lacustrine ecosystems. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Earth applications of closed ecological systems: relevance to the development of sustainability in our global biosphere.

PubMed

Nelson, M; Allen, J; Alling, A; Dempster, W F; Silverstone, S

2003-01-01

The parallels between the challenges facing bioregenerative life support in artificial closed ecological systems and those in our global biosphere are striking. At the scale of the current global technosphere and expanding human population, it is increasingly obvious that the biosphere can no longer safely buffer and absorb technogenic and anthropogenic pollutants. The loss of biodiversity, reliance on non-renewable natural resources, and conversion of once wild ecosystems for human use with attendant desertification/soil erosion, has led to a shift of consciousness and the widespread call for sustainability of human activities. For researchers working on bioregenerative life support in closed systems, the small volumes and faster cycling times than in the Earth's biosphere make it starkly clear that systems must be designed to ensure renewal of water and atmosphere, nutrient recycling, production of healthy food, and safe environmental methods of maintaining technical systems. The development of technical systems that can be fully integrated and supportive of living systems is a harbinger of new perspectives as well as technologies in the global environment. In addition, closed system bioregenerative life support offers opportunities for public education and consciousness changing of how to live with our global biosphere. c2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the impact of climate change in Germany with biosphere models for long-term safety assessment of nuclear waste repositories.

PubMed

Staudt, C; Semiochkina, N; Kaiser, J C; Pröhl, G

2013-01-01

Biosphere models are used to evaluate the exposure of populations to radionuclides from a deep geological repository. Since the time frame for assessments of long-time disposal safety is 1 million years, potential future climate changes need to be accounted for. Potential future climate conditions were defined for northern Germany according to model results from the BIOCLIM project. Nine present day reference climate regions were defined to cover those future climate conditions. A biosphere model was developed according to the BIOMASS methodology of the IAEA and model parameters were adjusted to the conditions at the reference climate regions. The model includes exposure pathways common to those reference climate regions in a stylized biosphere and relevant to the exposure of a hypothetical self-sustaining population at the site of potential radionuclide contamination from a deep geological repository. The end points of the model are Biosphere Dose Conversion factors (BDCF) for a range of radionuclides and scenarios normalized for a constant radionuclide concentration in near-surface groundwater. Model results suggest an increased exposure of in dry climate regions with a high impact of drinking water consumption rates and the amount of irrigation water used for agriculture. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Group dynamics challenges: Insights from Biosphere 2 experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Mark; Gray, Kathelin; Allen, John P.

2015-07-01

Successfully managing group dynamics of small, physically isolated groups is vital for long duration space exploration/habitation and for terrestrial CELSS (Controlled Environmental Life Support System) facilities with human participants. Biosphere 2 had important differences and shares some key commonalities with both Antarctic and space environments. There were a multitude of stress factors during the first two year closure experiment as well as mitigating factors. A helpful tool used at Biosphere 2 was the work of W.R. Bion who identified two competing modalities of behavior in small groups. Task-oriented groups are governed by conscious acceptance of goals, reality-thinking in relation to time and resources, and intelligent management of challenges. The opposing unconscious mode, the "basic-assumption" ("group animal") group, manifests through Dependency/Kill the Leader, Fight/Flight and Pairing. These unconscious dynamics undermine and can defeat the task group's goal. The biospherians experienced some dynamics seen in other isolated teams: factions developing reflecting personal chemistry and disagreements on overall mission procedures. These conflicts were exacerbated by external power struggles which enlisted support of those inside. Nevertheless, the crew evolved a coherent, creative life style to deal with some of the deprivations of isolation. The experience of the first two year closure of Biosphere 2 vividly illustrates both vicissitudes and management of group dynamics. The crew overrode inevitable frictions to creatively manage both operational and research demands and opportunities of the facility, thus staying 'on task' in Bion's group dynamics terminology. The understanding that Biosphere 2 was their life support system may also have helped the mission to succeed. Insights from the Biosphere 2 experience can help space and remote missions cope successfully with the inherent challenges of small, isolated crews.

The Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization of a Corn Ecosystem's Oxidative Ratio and Its Carbon Cycle Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, M. E.; Masiello, C. A.; Hockaday, W. C.; McSwiney, C. P.; Robertson, G. P.

2008-12-01

One of the most effective ways to estimate the size of carbon sinks in the terrestrial biosphere and oceans is through paired measurements of atmospheric CO2 and O2 concentrations (e.g. (Keeling et al. 1996)). Successful use of this technique requires knowledge of the oxidative ratio (OR) of the terrestrial biosphere (the ratio of moles of O2 released per moles of CO2 consumed in gas fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere.) Historically the terrestrial biosphere's OR has been assumed to be a constant, approximately 1.1 (e.g. Prentice et al. 2001). However, small shifts in the biosphere's OR values can lead to large variations in the calculated sizes of the terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks (Randerson et al. 2006). We have recently shown that it is possible to measure the OR of biomass to at least +/- 0.01 units (Masiello et al., 2008), and that there is significant natural variability in ecosystem OR. Ecosystem OR is impacted by human activities. In this presentation, we explore the effects of one major form of anthropogenic ecosystem alteration: nitrogen fertilization. We are measuring ecosystem OR in corn agricultural ecosystems under a range of nitrogen fertilization treatments at the Kellogg Biological Station- Long Term Ecological Research Site (KBS-LTER) in Michigan. We measure OR indirectly, through its relationship with organic carbon oxidation state (Cox) (Masiello et al. 2008). Here we present data showing the effects of varying corn ecosystem nitrogen fertilization rates (from 0 to 202 kg N/ha) on ecosystem OR and the implications it will have on apportionment calculations.

An improved land biosphere module for use in the DCESS Earth system model (version 1.1) with application to the last glacial termination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichinger, Roland; Shaffer, Gary; Albarrán, Nelson; Rojas, Maisa; Lambert, Fabrice

2017-09-01

Interactions between the land biosphere and the atmosphere play an important role for the Earth's carbon cycle and thus should be considered in studies of global carbon cycling and climate. Simple approaches are a useful first step in this direction but may not be applicable for certain climatic conditions. To improve the ability of the reduced-complexity Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) Earth system model DCESS to address cold climate conditions, we reformulated the model's land biosphere module by extending it to include three dynamically varying vegetation zones as well as a permafrost component. The vegetation zones are formulated by emulating the behaviour of a complex land biosphere model. We show that with the new module, the size and timing of carbon exchanges between atmosphere and land are represented more realistically in cooling and warming experiments. In particular, we use the new module to address carbon cycling and climate change across the last glacial transition. Within the constraints provided by various proxy data records, we tune the DCESS model to a Last Glacial Maximum state and then conduct transient sensitivity experiments across the transition under the application of explicit transition functions for high-latitude ocean exchange, atmospheric dust, and the land ice sheet extent. We compare simulated time evolutions of global mean temperature, pCO2, atmospheric and oceanic carbon isotopes as well as ocean dissolved oxygen concentrations with proxy data records. In this way we estimate the importance of different processes across the transition with emphasis on the role of land biosphere variations and show that carbon outgassing from permafrost and uptake of carbon by the land biosphere broadly compensate for each other during the temperature rise of the early last deglaciation.

Towards understanding the variability in biospheric CO2 fluxes: using FTIR spectrometry and a chemical transport model to investigate the sources and sinks of carbonyl sulfide and its link to CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuting; Deutscher, Nicholas M.; Palm, Mathias; Warneke, Thorsten; Notholt, Justus; Baker, Ian; Berry, Joe; Suntharalingam, Parvadha; Jones, Nicholas; Mahieu, Emmanuel; Lejeune, Bernard; Hannigan, James; Conway, Stephanie; Mendonca, Joseph; Strong, Kimberly; Campbell, J. Elliott; Wolf, Adam; Kremser, Stefanie

2016-02-01

Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) biospheric processes is of great importance because the terrestrial exchange drives the seasonal and interannual variability of CO2 in the atmosphere. Atmospheric inversions based on CO2 concentration measurements alone can only determine net biosphere fluxes, but not differentiate between photosynthesis (uptake) and respiration (production). Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) could provide an important additional constraint: it is also taken up by plants during photosynthesis but not emitted during respiration, and therefore is a potential means to differentiate between these processes. Solar absorption Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry allows for the retrievals of the atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and OCS from measured solar absorption spectra. Here, we investigate co-located and quasi-simultaneous FTIR measurements of OCS and CO2 performed at five selected sites located in the Northern Hemisphere. These measurements are compared to simulations of OCS and CO2 using a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). The coupled biospheric fluxes of OCS and CO2 from the simple biosphere model (SiB) are used in the study. The CO2 simulation with SiB fluxes agrees with the measurements well, while the OCS simulation reproduced a weaker drawdown than FTIR measurements at selected sites, and a smaller latitudinal gradient in the Northern Hemisphere during growing season when comparing with HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations) data spanning both hemispheres. An offset in the timing of the seasonal cycle minimum between SiB simulation and measurements is also seen. Using OCS as a photosynthesis proxy can help to understand how the biospheric processes are reproduced in models and to further understand the carbon cycle in the real world.

Group dynamics challenges: Insights from Biosphere 2 experiments.

PubMed

Nelson, Mark; Gray, Kathelin; Allen, John P

2015-07-01

Successfully managing group dynamics of small, physically isolated groups is vital for long duration space exploration/habitation and for terrestrial CELSS (Controlled Environmental Life Support System) facilities with human participants. Biosphere 2 had important differences and shares some key commonalities with both Antarctic and space environments. There were a multitude of stress factors during the first two year closure experiment as well as mitigating factors. A helpful tool used at Biosphere 2 was the work of W.R. Bion who identified two competing modalities of behavior in small groups. Task-oriented groups are governed by conscious acceptance of goals, reality-thinking in relation to time and resources, and intelligent management of challenges. The opposing unconscious mode, the "basic-assumption" ("group animal") group, manifests through Dependency/Kill the Leader, Fight/Flight and Pairing. These unconscious dynamics undermine and can defeat the task group's goal. The biospherians experienced some dynamics seen in other isolated teams: factions developing reflecting personal chemistry and disagreements on overall mission procedures. These conflicts were exacerbated by external power struggles which enlisted support of those inside. Nevertheless, the crew evolved a coherent, creative life style to deal with some of the deprivations of isolation. The experience of the first two year closure of Biosphere 2 vividly illustrates both vicissitudes and management of group dynamics. The crew overrode inevitable frictions to creatively manage both operational and research demands and opportunities of the facility, thus staying 'on task' in Bion's group dynamics terminology. The understanding that Biosphere 2 was their life support system may also have helped the mission to succeed. Insights from the Biosphere 2 experience can help space and remote missions cope successfully with the inherent challenges of small, isolated crews. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Race for Space: Tracking Land-Cover Transformation in a Socio-ecological Landscape, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coetzer, Kaera L.; Erasmus, Barend F. N.; Witkowski, Edward T. F.; Reyers, Belinda

2013-09-01

Biosphere Reserves attempt to align existing biodiversity conservation with sustainable resource use, specifically for improving socio-economic circumstances of resident communities. Typically, the Biosphere Reserve model is applied to an established landscape mosaic of existing land uses; these are often socio-ecological systems where strict environmental protection and community livelihoods are in conflict, and environmental degradation frequently accompanies "use". This raises challenges for successful implementation of the model, as the reality of the existing land-use mosaic undermines the theoretical aspirations of the Biosphere concept. This study focuses on the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve (K2C), South Africa; a socio-ecological landscape where formal conservation is juxtaposed against extensive impoverished rural communities. We focus on land-cover changes of the existing land-use mosaic (1993-2006), specifically selected land-cover classes identified as important for biodiversity conservation and local-level resource utilization. We discuss the implications of transformation for conservation, sustainable resource-use, and K2C's functioning as a "Biosphere Reserve". Spatially, changes radiated outward from the settlement expanse, with little regard for the theoretical land-use zonation of the Biosphere Reserve. Settlement growth tracked transport routes, transforming cohesive areas of communal-use rangelands. Given the interdependencies between the settlement population and local environmental resources, the Impacted Vegetation class expanded accordingly, fragmenting the Intact Vegetation class, and merging rangelands. This has serious implications for sustainability of communal harvesting areas, and further transformation of intact habitat. The distribution and magnitude of Intact Vegetation losses raise concerns around connectivity and edge effects, with long-term consequences for ecological integrity of remnant habitat, and K2C's existing network of protected areas.

Patterns of new versus recycled primary production in the terrestrial biosphere

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability regulate plant productivity throughout the terrestrial biosphere, influencing the patterns and magnitude of net primary production (NPP) by land plants both now and into the future. These nutrients enter ecosystems via geologic and atmospheric pathways, a...

A biosphere assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal in Sweden.

PubMed

Kautsky, Ulrik; Lindborg, Tobias; Valentin, Jack

2015-04-01

Licence applications to build a repository for the disposal of Swedish spent nuclear fuel have been lodged, underpinned by myriad reports and several broader reviews. This paper sketches out the technical and administrative aspects and highlights a recent review of the biosphere effects of a potential release from the repository. A comprehensive database and an understanding of major fluxes and pools of water and organic matter in the landscape let one envisage the future by looking at older parts of the site. Thus, today's biosphere is used as a natural analogue of possible future landscapes. It is concluded that the planned repository can meet the safety criteria and will have no detectable radiological impact on plants and animals. This paper also briefly describes biosphere work undertaken after the review. The multidisciplinary approach used is relevant in a much wider context and may prove beneficial across many environmental contexts. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Towards understanding the variability in biospheric CO2 fluxes: using FTIR spectrometry and a chemical transport model to investigate the sources and sinks of carbonyl sulfide and its link to CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Deutscher, N. M.; Palm, M.; Warneke, T.; Notholt, J.; Baker, I.; Berry, J.; Suntharalingam, P.; Jones, N.; Mahieu, E.; Lejeune, B.; Campbell, J. E.; Wolf, A.; Kremser, S.

2015-09-01

Understanding carbon dioxide (CO2) biospheric processes is of great importance because the terrestrial exchange drives the seasonal and inter-annual variability of CO2 in the atmosphere. Atmospheric inversions based on CO2 concentration measurements alone can only determine net biosphere fluxes, but not differentiate between photosynthesis (uptake) and respiration (production). Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) could provide an important additional constraint: it is also taken up by plants during photosynthesis but not emitted during respiration, and therefore is a potential mean to differentiate between these processes. Solar absorption Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectrometry allows for the retrievals of the atmospheric concentrations of both CO2 and OCS from measured solar absorption spectra. Here, we investigate co-located and quasi-simultaneous FTIR measurements of OCS and CO2 performed at three selected sites located in the Northern Hemisphere. These measurements are compared to simulations of OCS and CO2 using a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). The OCS simulations are driven by different land biospheric fluxes to reproduce the seasonality of the measurements. Increasing the plant uptake of Kettle et al. (2002a) by a factor of three resulted in the best comparison with FTIR measurements. However, there are still discrepancies in the latitudinal distribution when comparing with HIPPO (HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations) data spanning both hemispheres. The coupled biospheric fluxes of OCS and CO2 from the simple biosphere model (SiB) are used in the study and compared to measurements. The CO2 simulation with SiB fluxes agrees with the measurements well, while the OCS simulation reproduced a weaker drawdown than FTIR measurements at selected sites, and a smaller latitudinal gradient in the Northern Hemisphere during growing season. An offset in the timing of the seasonal cycle minimum between SiB simulation and measurements is also seen. Using OCS as a photosynthesis proxy can help to understand how the biospheric processes are reproduced in models and to further understand the carbon cycle in the real world.

Quantifying the influence of the terrestrial biosphere on glacial-interglacial climate dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies-Barnard, Taraka; Ridgwell, Andy; Singarayer, Joy; Valdes, Paul

2017-10-01

The terrestrial biosphere is thought to be a key component in the climatic variability seen in the palaeo-record. It has a direct impact on surface temperature through changes in surface albedo and evapotranspiration (so-called biogeophysical effects) and, in addition, has an important indirect effect through changes in vegetation and soil carbon storage (biogeochemical effects) and hence modulates the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The biogeochemical and biogeophysical effects generally have opposite signs, meaning that the terrestrial biosphere could potentially have played only a very minor role in the dynamics of the glacial-interglacial cycles of the late Quaternary. Here we use a fully coupled dynamic atmosphere-ocean-vegetation general circulation model (GCM) to generate a set of 62 equilibrium simulations spanning the last 120 kyr. The analysis of these simulations elucidates the relative importance of the biogeophysical versus biogeochemical terrestrial biosphere interactions with climate. We find that the biogeophysical effects of vegetation account for up to an additional -0.91 °C global mean cooling, with regional cooling as large as -5 °C, but with considerable variability across the glacial-interglacial cycle. By comparison, while opposite in sign, our model estimates of the biogeochemical impacts are substantially smaller in magnitude. Offline simulations show a maximum of +0.33 °C warming due to an increase of 25 ppm above our (pre-industrial) baseline atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio. In contrast to shorter (century) timescale projections of future terrestrial biosphere response where direct and indirect responses may at times cancel out, we find that the biogeophysical effects consistently and strongly dominate the biogeochemical effect over the inter-glacial cycle. On average across the period, the terrestrial biosphere has a -0.26 °C effect on temperature, with -0.58 °C at the Last Glacial Maximum. Depending on assumptions made about the destination of terrestrial carbon under ice sheets and where sea level has changed, the average terrestrial biosphere contribution over the last 120 kyr could be as much as -50 °C and -0.83 °C at the Last Glacial Maximum.

Exploring frontiers of the deep biosphere through scientific ocean drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inagaki, F.; D'Hondt, S.; Hinrichs, K. U.

2015-12-01

Since the first deep biosphere-dedicated Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 201 using the US drill ship JOIDES Resolution in 2002, scientific ocean drilling has offered unique opportunities to expand our knowledge of the nature and extent of the deep biosphere. The latest estimate of the global subseafloor microbial biomass is ~1029cells, accounting for 4 Gt of carbon and ~1% of the Earth's total living biomass. The subseafloor microbial communities are evolutionarily diverse and their metabolic rates are extraordinarily slow. Nevertheless, accumulating activity most likely plays a significant role in elemental cycles over geological time. In 2010, during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 329, the JOIDES Resolutionexplored the deep biosphere in the open-ocean South Pacific Gyre—the largest oligotrophic province on our planet. During Expedition 329, relatively high concentrations of dissolved oxygen and significantly low biomass of microbial populations were observed in the entire sediment column, indicating that (i) there is no limit to life in open-ocean sediment and (ii) a significant amount of oxygen reaches through the sediment to the upper oceanic crust. This "deep aerobic biosphere" inhabits the sediment throughout up to ~37 percent of the world's oceans. The remaining ~63 percent of the oceans is comprised of higher productivity areas that contain the "deep anaerobic biosphere". In 2012, during IODP Expedition 337, the Japanese drill ship Chikyu explored coal-bearing sediments down to 2,466 meters below the seafloor off the Shimokita Peninsula, Japan. Geochemical and microbiological analyses consistently showed the occurrence of methane-producing communities associated with the coal beds. Cell concentrations in deep sediments were notably lower than those expected from the global regression line, implying that the bottom of the deep biosphere is approached in these beds. Taxonomic composition of the deep coal-bearing communities profoundly differs from those in shallower marine sediments and instead resembles organotrophic communities in forest soils. These findings suggest that the terrigenous microbial ecosystem has been partly retained from the original depositional setting over 20 million years and contributed to deep carbon cycling ever since.

Access 1996: A directory of permanent plots which monitor flora, fauna, climate, hydrology, soil, geology, and the effects of anthropogenic changes at 132 biosphere reserves in 27 countries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-07-01

This directory summarizes information about environmental data collected in permanent monitoring and research plots in 132 biosphere reserves in Canada, the United States, and 25 European countries. The text of the directory is organized alphabetically by country and, within each country, alphabetically according to the name of the biosphere reserve. Tabular summaries of information on permanent plots are provided. The summaries are organized topically . A general summary of basic information on permanent plots is followed by more detailed information on permanent plots dedicated primarily to monitroing and research on particular topics.

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the region surrounding the Yucca Mountain site. (b) DOE should not project changes in society, the biosphere (other than climate), human biology, or increases or decreases of human knowledge or technology... vary factors related to the geology, hydrology, and climate based upon cautious, but reasonable...

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the region surrounding the Yucca Mountain site. (b) DOE should not project changes in society, the biosphere (other than climate), human biology, or increases or decreases of human knowledge or technology... vary factors related to the geology, hydrology, and climate based upon cautious, but reasonable...

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the region surrounding the Yucca Mountain site. (b) DOE should not project changes in society, the biosphere (other than climate), human biology, or increases or decreases of human knowledge or technology... vary factors related to the geology, hydrology, and climate based upon cautious, but reasonable...

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the region surrounding the Yucca Mountain site. (b) DOE should not project changes in society, the biosphere (other than climate), human biology, or increases or decreases of human knowledge or technology... vary factors related to the geology, hydrology, and climate based upon cautious, but reasonable...

Reaching for Excellence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Emmett L.; Perna, Jack A.

1992-01-01

Presents the four program goals for biology set forth in the National Science Teacher Association's "A Focus on Excellence: Biology Revisited" to (1) address biosphere, human society, and individual needs; (2) encourage students to experience, understand, and appreciate of natural systems; (3) apply the basic concept of the biosphere; and (4)…

The World Campaign for the Biosphere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barman, Charles R.

1984-01-01

Lists and discusses goals of The World Campaign for the Biosphere and strategies designed to achieve these goals. Also lists eight suggestions for science teachers to help incorporate the goals into school curricula and programs. These include organizing assemblies which present information about environmental problems and presenting environmental…

Viral infections as controlling factors for the deep biosphere? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelen, B.; Engelhardt, T.; Sahlberg, M.; Cypionka, H.

2009-12-01

The marine deep biosphere represents the largest biotope on Earth. Throughout the last years, we have obtained interesting insights into its microbial community composition. However, one component that was completely overlooked so far is the viral inventory of deep-subsurface sediments. While viral infections were identified to have a major impact on the benthic microflora of deep-sea surface sediments (Danavaro et al. 2008), no studies were performed on deep-biosphere samples, so far. As grazers probably play only a minor role in anoxic and highly compressed deep sediments, viruses might be the main “predators” for indigenous microorganisms. Furthermore, the release of cell components, called “the viral shunt”, could have a major impact on the deep biosphere in providing labile organic compounds to non-infected microorganisms in these generally nutrient depleted sediments. However, direct counting of viruses in sediments is highly challenging due to the small size of viruses and the high background of small particles. Even molecular surveys using “universal” PCR primers that target phage-specific genes fail due to the vast phage diversity. One solution for this problem is the lysogenic viral life cycle as many bacteriophages integrate their DNA into the host genome. It is estimated that up to 70% of cultivated bacteria contain prophages within their genome. Therefore, culture collections (Batzke et al. 2007) represent an archive of the viral composition within the respective habitat. These prophages can be induced to become free phage particles in stimulation experiments in which the host cells are set under certain stress situations such as a treatment with UV exposure or DNA-damaging antibiotics. The study of the viral component within the deep biosphere offers to answer the following questions: To which extent are deep-biosphere populations controlled by viral infections? What is the inter- and intra-specific diversity and the host-specific viral biogeography? Can viral infections tell us something about the physiological state of indigenous microorganisms? Finally, we will obtain estimates for the viral shunt as an important factor for sustaining the deep biosphere. References: Batzke A, Engelen B, Sass H, Cypionka H (2007) Phylogenetic and physiological diversity of cultured deep-biosphere bacteria from Equatorial Pacific Ocean and Peru Margin sediments. Geomicrobiology J 24:261-273 Danovaro R, Dell'Anno A, Corinaldesi C, Magagnini M, Noble R, Tamburini C, Weinbauer M (2008) Major viral impact on the functioning of benthic deep-sea ecosystems. Nature 454: 1084-U1027.

Self-organization of the earth's biosphere-geochemical or geophysiological?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartzman, David W.; Shore, Steven N.; Volk, Tyler; Mcmenamin, Mark

1994-01-01

We explore the implications of indicating the biosphere's self-organization by the trend over time of the net entropic flow from the Earth's surface, the actual physical boundary of virtually all biotic mass. This flow, derived from the radiative surface entropy budget, is approximately inversely related to the surface temperature when the solar incident flux remains constant. In the geophysiological ('gaian') interpretation, biospheric self-organization has increased with the progressive colonization of the continents and evolutionary developments in the land biota, as a result of surface cooling arising from biotic enhancement of weathering. The key site for this self-organization is at the interface between land and atmosphere, the soil, where carbon is sequestered by its reaction (as carbonic and organic acids) with calcium magnesium silicates. Along with disequilibrium (steady-state) levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the occurrence of differentiated soil is the critical material evidence for biospheric self-organization, whether it be geophysiological or geochemical (ie., purely result of inorganic reactions). The computed equilibrium levels of carbon dioxide and corresponding equilibrium temperatures in the past are dramatically different from the steady-state levels. With future solar luminosity increase, the biospheric capacity for climatic regulation will decrease, leading to the ending of self-organization some two billion years from now. The Earth's surface will then approach chemical equilibrium with respect to the carbonate-silicate cycle.

Inhabitants' environmental perceptions in the city of Rome within the framework for urban biosphere reserves of the UNESCO programme on man and biosphere.

PubMed

Bonnes, Mirilia; Carrus, Giuseppe; Bonaiuto, Marino; Fornara, Ferdinando; Passafaro, Paola

2004-06-01

The article presents the main tenets of the UNESCO Programme on Man and Biosphere (MAB), launched by the United Nations at the beginning of the 1970s. The program aimed at supporting applied research and scientific knowledge for managing natural resources in a rational and sustainable way. The implication of the full ecological perspective, typical of the MAB, for promoting multidisciplinary and integrated approaches in the study of environmental issues is briefly outlined. In particular, we point out the role of the MAB, through the biosphere reserve concept, in supporting the collaboration between natural-biological and social-behavioral sciences when dealing with biodiversity conservation problems and with urban ecosystems. Then, the specific UNESCO-MAB Project on the city of Rome, launched at the end of the 1980s, is briefly presented, together with the recent project of the Department of the Environment of the Rome Municipality to propose Rome's urban and periurban green areas as a new UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve. The results of the main research activities conducted therein are summarized. In particular, the specific research lines of the environmental psychology research group, involved in the MAB-Rome Project for approximately two decades, are presented. These research lines dealt with various aspects of residents' environmental perceptions and behaviors in the city of Rome. The practical implications of these results are also briefly discussed.

Impact of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on river organic carbon provenance: Insight from biomarkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jin; Feng, Xiaojuan; Hilton, Robert; Jin, Zhangdong; Ma, Tian; Zhang, Fei; Li, Gen; Densmore, Alexander; West, A. Joshua

2017-04-01

Large earthquakes can trigger widespread landslides in active mountain belts, which can mobilize biospheric organic carbon (OC) from the soil and vegetation. Rivers can erode and export biospheric particulate organic carbon (POC), which is an export of ecosystem productivity and may result in a CO2 sink if buried in sedimentary deposits. Our previous work showed that the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake increased the discharge of biospheric OC by rivers, due to the increased supply by earthquake triggered landslides (Wang et al., 2016). However, while the OC derived from sedimentary rocks could be accounted for, the source of biospheric OC in rivers before and after the earthquake remains poorly constrained. Here we use suspended sediment samples collected from the Zagunao River before and after the Wenchuan earthquake and measured the specific compounds of OC, including fatty acids, lignin phenols and glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids. In combination with the analysis of bulk elemental concentration (C and N) and carbon isotopic ratio, the new data shows differential export patterns for OC components derived from varied terrestrial sources. A high frequency sampling enabled us to explore how the biospheric OC source changes following the earthquake, helping to better understand the link between active tectonics and the carbon cycle. Our results are also important in revealing how sedimentary biomarker records may record past earthquakes.

The Anthropocene: a conspicuous stratigraphical signal of anthropogenic changes in production and consumption across the biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Mark; Zalasiewicz, Jan; Waters, Colin N.; Edgeworth, Matt; Bennett, Carys; Barnosky, Anthony D.; Ellis, Erle C.; Ellis, Michael A.; Cearreta, Alejandro; Haff, Peter K.; Ivar do Sul, Juliana A.; Leinfelder, Reinhold; McNeill, John R.; Odada, Eric; Oreskes, Naomi; Revkin, Andrew; Richter, Daniel deB; Steffen, Will; Summerhayes, Colin; Syvitski, James P.; Vidas, Davor; Wagreich, Michael; Wing, Scott L.; Wolfe, Alexander P.; Zhisheng, An

2016-03-01

Biospheric relationships between production and consumption of biomass have been resilient to changes in the Earth system over billions of years. This relationship has increased in its complexity, from localized ecosystems predicated on anaerobic microbial production and consumption to a global biosphere founded on primary production from oxygenic photoautotrophs, through the evolution of Eukarya, metazoans, and the complexly networked ecosystems of microbes, animals, fungi, and plants that characterize the Phanerozoic Eon (the last ˜541 million years of Earth history). At present, one species, Homo sapiens, is refashioning this relationship between consumption and production in the biosphere with unknown consequences. This has left a distinctive stratigraphy of the production and consumption of biomass, of natural resources, and of produced goods. This can be traced through stone tool technologies and geochemical signals, later unfolding into a diachronous signal of technofossils and human bioturbation across the planet, leading to stratigraphically almost isochronous signals developing by the mid-20th century. These latter signals may provide an invaluable resource for informing and constraining a formal Anthropocene chronostratigraphy, but are perhaps yet more important as tracers of a biosphere state that is characterized by a geologically unprecedented pattern of global energy flow that is now pervasively influenced and mediated by humans, and which is necessary for maintaining the complexity of modern human societies.

Mars Exobiology: The Principles Behind The Plan For Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, D. J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L.; Carr, M. H.; Clark, B. C.; Farmer, J. D.; Hayes, J. M.; Holland, H.; Kerridge, J. F.; Klein, H. P.; McDonald, G. D.

1995-01-01

The search for evidence of life on Mars is a highly interdisciplinary enterprise which extends beyond the traditional life sciences. Mars conceivably had a pervasive ancient biosphere which may have persisted even to the present, but only in subsurface environments. Understanding the history of Mars' global environment, including its inventory of volatile elements, is a crucial part of the search strategy. Those deposits (minerals, sediments, etc.) which could have and retained a record of earlier biological activity must be identified and examined. While the importance of. seeking another biosphere has not diminished during the years since the Viking mission, the strategy for Mars exploration certainly has been modified by later discoveries. The Viking mission itself demonstrated that the present day surface environment of Mars is hostile to life as we know it. Thus, to search effectively for life on Mars, be it extant or extinct, we now must greatly improve our understanding of Mars the planet. Such an understanding will help us broaden our search beyond the Viking lander sites, both back in time to earlier epochs and elsewhere to other sites and beneath the surface. Exobiology involves much more than simply a search for extant life beyond Earth. It addresses the prospect of long-extinct biospheres and also the chemistry, organic and otherwise, which either led to life or which occurred on rocky planets that remained lifeless. Even a Mars without a biosphere would reveal much about life. How better to understand the origin and impact of a biosphere than to compare Earth with another similar but lifeless planet? Still, several relatively recent discoveries offer encouragement that a Martian biosphere indeed might have existed. The ancient Martian surface was extensively sculptured by volcanism and the activity of liquid water. Such observations invoke impressions of an ancient martian atmosphere and environment that resembled ancient Earth more than present-day Mars. Since Viking, we have learned that our own biosphere began prior to 3.5 billion years ago, during an early period when our solar system apparently was sustaining clement conditions on at least two of its planets. Also, we have found that microorganisms can survive, even flourish, in environments more extreme in temperature and water availability than had been previously recognized. The common ancestor of life on Earth probably was adapted to elevated temperatures, raising the possibility that hydrothermal systems played a central role in sustaining our early biosphere. If a biosphere ever arose on Mars, at least some of its constituents probably dwelled in the subsurface. Even today, conditions on Mars and Earth become more similar with increasing depth beneath their surfaces. For example, under the martian permafrost, the geothermal gradient very likely maintains liquid water in environments which resemble aquifers on Earth. Indigenous bacteria have recently been recovered from deep aquifers on Earth. Liquid groundwater very likely persisted throughout Mars' history. Thus, martian biota, if they ever existed, indeed might have survived in subsurface environments.

10 CFR 63.305 - Required characteristics of the reference biosphere.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

....305 Section 63.305 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE... biosphere (other than climate), human biology, or increases or decreases of human knowledge or technology... factors remain constant as they are at the time of submission of the license application. (c) DOE must...

Bright Coherent Optical Waveforms from the Infrared to the Vacuum Ultraviolet for Manipulation and Detection of Molecules

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-13

Margaret Murnane. Invited talk, ITAMP Winter School on Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics ( Biosphere 2, AZ, January 2012). McElvain Lecture...Molecular and Optical Physics ( Biosphere 2, AZ, January 2012). McElvain Lecture, University of Wisconsin Chemistry Department, February 2012. Seminar

A global biogeocenotical biosphere simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moiseyev, N. N.

1980-01-01

This model of the D. Forrester type, constructed in differential equations, predicts the food and mineral supply for the factors biosphere population, depending on two socio-economic factors, until about the year 2500. If contemporary rates of natural resources utilization are maintained and there is no management of the environment, food resources will begin to limit human population growth after 2200, and mineral resources will after 2300. A decrease in the biosphere pollution, increase in effective agricultural production, and discovery of new energy sources may forestall or completely avert the onset of a crisis situation. Conservation measures, according to the model, are to a considerable extent realizable only if carried out simultaneously in both areas.

Biospheres and solar system exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paine, Thomas O.

1990-01-01

The implications of biosphere technology is briefly examined. The exploration status and prospects of each world in the solar system is briefly reviewed, including the asteroid belt, the moon, and comets. Five program elements are listed as particularly critical for future interplanetary operations during the coming extraterrestrial century. They include the following: (1) a highway to Space (earth orbits); (2) Orbital Spaceports to support spacecraft assembly, storage, repair, maintenance, refueling, launch, and recovery; (3) a Bridge Between Worlds to transport cargo and crews to the moon and beyond to Mars; (4) Prospecting and Resource Utilization Systems to map and characterize the resources of planets, moons, and asteroids; and (5) Closed Ecology Biospheres. The progress in these five field is reviewed.

Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE): 2003 Drilling Campaign to Search for a Subsurface Biosphere at Rio Tinto Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoker, C.; Dunagan, S.; Stevens, T.; Amils, R.; Gómez-Elvira, J.; Fernández, D.; Hall, J.; Lynch, K.; Cannon, H.; Zavaleta, J.; Glass, B.; Lemke, L.

2004-03-01

The results of an drilling experiment to search for a subsurface biosphere in a pyritic mineral deposit at Rio Tinto, Spain, are described. The experiment provides ground truth for a simulation of a Mars drilling mission to search for subsurface life.

76 FR 23649 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition and Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-27

... field research), the potential global population of free-ranging Morelet's crocodiles in 2004 was... will include monitoring and harvest of Morelet's crocodiles and hybrids for scientific research (CITES... Biosphere Reserve, Laguna de T[eacute]rminos Biosphere Reserve, Hampolol Wildlife Conservation and Research...

Putting the Deep Biosphere and Gas Hydrates on the Map

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikorski, Janelle J.; Briggs, Brandon R.

2016-01-01

Microbial processes in the deep biosphere affect marine sediments, such as the formation of gas hydrate deposits. Gas hydrate deposits offer a large source of natural gas with the potential to augment energy reserves and affect climate and seafloor stability. Despite the significant interdependence between life and geology in the ocean, coverage…

On the design of an interactive biosphere for the GLAS general circulation model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mintz, Y.; Sellers, P. J.; Willmott, C. J.

1983-01-01

Improving the realism and accuracy of the GLAS general circulation model (by adding an interactive biosphere that will simulate the transfers of latent and sensible heat from land surface to atmosphere as functions of the atmospheric conditions and the morphology and physiology of the vegetation) is proposed.

The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia: Analyzing Regional Land Use Change Effects.

Treesearch

Michael Keller; Maria Assunção Silva-Dias; Daniel C. Nepstad; Meinrat O. Andreae

2004-01-01

The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) is a multi-disciplinary, multinational scientific project led by Brazil. LBA researchers seek to understand Amazonia in its global context especially with regard to regional and global climate. Current development activities in Amazonia including deforestation, logging, cattle ranching, and agriculture...

The potential impacts of nutrient and CO2 variations on ecosystem oxidative ratio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A fraction of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are being taken up by the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans. One particularly effective way of determining the sizes of these terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks is based on the measurements of changes in atmospheric oxygen (O2) a...

International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

Man and the Biosphere Program is an interdisciplinary program of research which emphasizes an ecological approach to the study of interrelationships between man and the environment. It is concerned with subjects of global or major regional significance which require international cooperation. This final report discusses areas in which…

Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity

Treesearch

R. Norby; E. DeLucia; B. Gielen; C. Calfapietra; C. Giardina; J. King; J. Ledford; H. McCarthy; D. Moore; R. Ceulemans; P. De Angelis; A. C. Finzi; D. F. Karnosky; M. E. Kubiske; M. Lukac; K. S. Pregitzer; G. E. Scarascia-Mugnozza; W. Schlesinger and R. Oren.

2005-01-01

Climate change predictions derived from coupled carbon-climate models are highly dependent on assumptions about feedbacks between the biosphere and atmosphere. One critical feedback occurs if C uptake by the biosphere increases in response to the fossil-fuel driven increase in atmospheric [CO2] ("CO2 fertilization...

Radiological risk assessment and biosphere modelling for radioactive waste disposal in Switzerland.

PubMed

Brennwald, M S; van Dorp, F

2009-12-01

Long-term safety assessments for geological disposal of radioactive waste in Switzerland involve the demonstration that the annual radiation dose to humans due to the potential release of radionuclides from the waste repository into the biosphere will not exceed the regulatory limit of 0.1 mSv. Here, we describe the simple but robust approach used by Nagra (Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) to quantify the dose to humans as a result to time-dependent release of radionuclides from the geosphere into the biosphere. The model calculates the concentrations of radionuclides in different terrestrial and aquatic compartments of the surface environment. The fluxes of water and solids within the environment are the drivers for the exchange of radionuclides between these compartments. The calculated radionuclide concentrations in the biosphere are then used to estimate the radiation doses to humans due to various exposure paths (e.g. ingestion of radionuclides via drinking water and food, inhalation of radionuclides, external irradiation from radionuclides in soils). In this paper we also discuss recent new achievements and planned future work.

Atmospheric dynamics and bioregenerative technologies in a soil-based ecological life support system: Initial results from biosphere 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, M.; Dempster, W.; Alvarez-Romo, N.; MacCallum, T.

1994-11-01

Biosphere 2 is the first man-made, soil-based, bioregenerative life support system to be developed and tested. The utilization and amendment of local space resources, e.g. martian soil or lunar regolith, for agricultural and other purposes will be necesary if we are to minimize the requirement for Earth materials in the creation of long-term off-planet bases and habitations. Several of the roles soil plays in Biosphere 2 are 1) for air purification 2) as a key component in created wetland systems to recycle human and animal wastes and 3) as nutrient base for a sustainable agricultural cropping program. Initial results from the Biosphere 2 closure experiment are presented. These include the accelerated cycling rates due to small reservoir sizes, strong diurnal and seasonal fluxes in atmospheric CO2, an unexpected and continuing decline in atmospheric oxygen, overall maintenance of low levels of trace gases, recycling of waste waters through biological regeneration systems, and operation of an agriculture designed to provide diverse and nutritionally adequate diets for the crew members.

Reconnecting to the biosphere.

PubMed

Folke, Carl; Jansson, Asa; Rockström, Johan; Olsson, Per; Carpenter, Stephen R; Chapin, F Stuart; Crépin, Anne-Sophie; Daily, Gretchen; Danell, Kjell; Ebbesson, Jonas; Elmqvist, Thomas; Galaz, Victor; Moberg, Fredrik; Nilsson, Måns; Osterblom, Henrik; Ostrom, Elinor; Persson, Asa; Peterson, Garry; Polasky, Stephen; Steffen, Will; Walker, Brian; Westley, Frances

2011-11-01

Humanity has emerged as a major force in the operation of the biosphere, with a significant imprint on the Earth System, challenging social-ecological resilience. This new situation calls for a fundamental shift in perspectives, world views, and institutions. Human development and progress must be reconnected to the capacity of the biosphere and essential ecosystem services to be sustained. Governance challenges include a highly interconnected and faster world, cascading social-ecological interactions and planetary boundaries that create vulnerabilities but also opportunities for social-ecological change and transformation. Tipping points and thresholds highlight the importance of understanding and managing resilience. New modes of flexible governance are emerging. A central challenge is to reconnect these efforts to the changing preconditions for societal development as active stewards of the Earth System. We suggest that the Millennium Development Goals need to be reframed in such a planetary stewardship context combined with a call for a new social contract on global sustainability. The ongoing mind shift in human relations with Earth and its boundaries provides exciting opportunities for societal development in collaboration with the biosphere--a global sustainability agenda for humanity.

Biological life-support systems for Mars mission.

PubMed

Gitelson, J I

1992-01-01

Mars mission like the Lunar base is the first venture to maintain human life beyond earth biosphere. So far, all manned space missions including the longest ones used stocked reserves and can not be considered egress from biosphere. Conventional path proposed by technology for Martian mission LSS is to use physical-chemical approaches proved by the experience of astronautics. But the problem of man living beyond the limits of the earth biosphere can be fundamentally solved by making a closed ecosystem for him. The choice optimum for a Mars mission LSS can be substantiated by comparing the merits and demerits of physical-chemical and biological principles without ruling out possible compromise between them. The work gives comparative analysis of ecological and physical-chemical principles for LSS. Taking into consideration universal significance of ecological problems with artificial LSS as a particular case of their solution, complexity and high cost of large-scale experiments with manned LSS, it would be expedient for these works to have the status of an International Program open to be joined. A program of making artificial biospheres based on preceding experience and analysis of current situation is proposed.

Comparing the effectiveness of monetary versus moral motives in environmental campaigning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolderdijk, J. W.; Steg, L.; Geller, E. S.; Lehman, P. K.; Postmes, T.

2013-04-01

Environmental campaigns often promote energy conservation by appealing to economic (for example, lower electricity bills) rather than biospheric concerns (for example, reduced carbon emissions), assuming that people are primarily motivated by economic self-interest. However, people also care about maintaining a favourable view of themselves (they want to maintain a `positive self-concept'), and may prefer to see themselves as `green' rather than `greedy'. Consequently, people may find economic appeals less attractive than biospheric appeals. Across two studies, participants indicated feeling better about biospheric (`Want to protect the environment? Check your car's tire pressure') than economic (`Want to save money? Check your car's tire pressure') tyre-check appeals. In a field experiment, we found that an economic tyre-check appeal (`Do you care about your finances? Get a free tire check') elicited significantly less compliance than parallel biospheric and neutral appeals. Together, these studies discredit the conventional wisdom that appealing to economic self-interest is the best way to secure behaviour change. At least in some cases, our studies suggest, this strategy is not effective.

Pharmaceutical Residues Affecting the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Kristianstads Vattenrike Wetlands: Sources and Sinks.

PubMed

Björklund, Erland; Svahn, Ola; Bak, Søren; Bekoe, Samuel Oppong; Hansen, Martin

2016-10-01

This study is the first to investigate the pharmaceutical burden from point sources affecting the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Kristianstads Vattenrike, Sweden. The investigated Biosphere Reserve is a >1000 km(2) wetland system with inflows from lakes, rivers, leachate from landfill, and wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs). We analysed influent and treated wastewater, leachate water, lake, river, and wetland water alongside sediment for six model pharmaceuticals. The two WWTPs investigated released pharmaceutical residues at levels close to those previously observed in Swedish monitoring exercises. Compound-dependent WWTP removal efficiencies ranging from 12 to 100 % for bendroflumethiazide, oxazepam, atenolol, carbamazepine, and diclofenac were observed. Surface-water concentrations in the most affected lake were ≥100 ng/L for the various pharmaceuticals with atenolol showing the highest levels (>300 ng/L). A small risk assessment showed that adverse single-substance toxicity on aquatic organisms within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is unlikely. However, the effects of combinations of a large number of known and unknown pharmaceuticals, metals, and nutrients are still unknown.

The Effects of Recreation Experience, Environmental Attitude, and Biospheric Value on the Environmentally Responsible Behavior of Nature-Based Tourists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Tsung Hung; Jan, Fen-Hauh

2015-07-01

The scientific understanding of the recreation experience and the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists is limited. This study examines the relationship among the recreation experience, environmental attitude, biospheric value, and the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists in Taomi, Liuqiu Island, and Aowanda and Najenshan in Taiwan. A total of 1342 usable questionnaires were collected for this study. The empirical results indicate that the recreation experience influences biospheric value and environmental attitude; subsequently, it then indirectly influences the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists. Our theoretical behavioral model elucidates previously proposed but unexamined behavioral models among nature-based tourists, and it offers a theoretical framework for researchers, decision makers, managers, and tourists in the field of nature-based tourism. We conclude that when an individual participates in nature-based tourism as described here, these recreation experiences strengthen their environmental attitude and biospheric value, and consequently increase their engagement in both general and site-specific environmentally responsible behaviors.

The effects of recreation experience, environmental attitude, and biospheric value on the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists.

PubMed

Lee, Tsung Hung; Jan, Fen-Hauh

2015-07-01

The scientific understanding of the recreation experience and the environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists is limited. This study examines the relationship among the recreation experience, environmental attitude, biospheric value, and the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists in Taomi, Liuqiu Island, and Aowanda and Najenshan in Taiwan. A total of 1342 usable questionnaires were collected for this study. The empirical results indicate that the recreation experience influences biospheric value and environmental attitude; subsequently, it then indirectly influences the general and site-specific environmentally responsible behavior of nature-based tourists. Our theoretical behavioral model elucidates previously proposed but unexamined behavioral models among nature-based tourists, and it offers a theoretical framework for researchers, decision makers, managers, and tourists in the field of nature-based tourism. We conclude that when an individual participates in nature-based tourism as described here, these recreation experiences strengthen their environmental attitude and biospheric value, and consequently increase their engagement in both general and site-specific environmentally responsible behaviors.

Harvesting the biosphere: the human impact.

PubMed

Smil, Vaclav

2011-01-01

The human species has evolved to dominate the biosphere: global anthropomass is now an order of magnitude greater than the mass of all wild terrestrial mammals. As a result, our dependence on harvesting the products of photosynthesis for food, animal feed, raw materials, and energy has grown to make substantial global impacts. During the past two millennia these harvests, and changes of land use due to deforestation and conversions of grasslands and wetlands, have reduced the stock of global terrestrial plant mass by as much as 45 percent, with the twentieth-century reduction amounting to more than 15 percent. Current annual harvests of phytomass have been a significant share of the global net primary productivity (NPP, the total amount of new plant tissues created by photosynthesis). Some studies put the human appropriation of NPP (the ratio of these two variables) as high as 40 percent but the measure itself is problematic. Future population growth and improved quality of life will result in additional claims on the biosphere, but options to accommodate these demands exist without severely compromising the irreplaceable biospheric services.

Putting the Deep Biosphere on the Map for Oceanography Courses: Gas Hydrates As a Case Study for the Deep Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikorski, J. J.; Briggs, B. R.

2014-12-01

The ocean is essential for life on our planet. It covers 71% of the Earth's surface, is the source of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat. Yet, the exponential growth in human population is putting the ocean and thus life on our planet at risk. However, based on student evaluations from our introductory oceanography course it is clear that our students have deficiencies in ocean literacy that impact their ability to recognize that the ocean and humans are inextricably connected. Furthermore, life present in deep subsurface marine environments is also interconnected to the study of the ocean, yet the deep biosphere is not typically covered in undergraduate oceanography courses. In an effort to improve student ocean literacy we developed an instructional module on the deep biosphere focused on gas hydrate deposits. Specifically, our module utilizes Google Earth and cutting edge research about microbial life in the ocean to support three inquiry-based activities that each explore different facets of gas hydrates (i.e. environmental controls, biologic controls, and societal implications). The relevant nature of the proposed module also makes it possible for instructors of introductory geology courses to modify module components to discuss related topics, such as climate, energy, and geologic hazards. This work, which will be available online as a free download, is a solid contribution toward increasing the available teaching resources focused on the deep biosphere for geoscience educators.

Aeolian Processes and the Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravi, Sujith; D'Odorico, Paolo; Breshears, David D.; Field, Jason P.; Goudie, Andrew S.; Huxman, Travis E.; Li, Junran; Okin, Gregory S.; Swap, Robert J.; Thomas, Andrew D.; Van Pelt, Scott; Whicker, Jeffrey J.; Zobeck, Ted M.

2011-08-01

Aeolian processes affect the biosphere in a wide variety of contexts, including landform evolution, biogeochemical cycles, regional climate, human health, and desertification. Collectively, research on aeolian processes and the biosphere is developing rapidly in many diverse and specialized areas, but integration of these recent advances is needed to better address management issues and to set future research priorities. Here we review recent literature on aeolian processes and their interactions with the biosphere, focusing on (1) geography of dust emissions, (2) impacts, interactions, and feedbacks, (3) drivers of dust emissions, and (4) methodological approaches. Geographically, dust emissions are highly spatially variable but also provide connectivity at global scales between sources and effects, with “hot spots” being of particular concern. Recent research reveals that aeolian processes have impacts, interactions, and feedbacks at a variety of scales, including large-scale dust transport and global biogeochemical cycles, climate mediated interactions between atmospheric dust and ecosystems, impacts on human health, impacts on agriculture, and interactions between aeolian processes and dryland vegetation. Aeolian dust emissions are driven largely by, in addition to climate, a combination of soil properties, soil moisture, vegetation and roughness, biological and physical crusts, and disturbances. Aeolian research methods span laboratory and field techniques, modeling, and remote sensing. Together these integrated perspectives on aeolian processes and the biosphere provide insights into management options and aid in identifying research priorities, both of which are increasingly important given that global climate models predict an increase in aridity in many dryland systems of the world.

Exploration of a Subsurface Biosphere in a Volcanic Massive Sulfide: Results of the Mars Analog Rio Tinto Drilling Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoker, C. R.; Stevens, T.; Amils, R.; Fernandez, D.

2005-12-01

Biological systems on Earth require three key ingredients-- liquid water, an energy source, and a carbon source, that are found in very few extraterrestrial environments. Previous examples of independent subsurface ecosystems have been found only in basalt aquifers. Such lithotrophic microbial ecosystems (LME) have been proposed as models for steps in the early evolution of Earth's biosphere and for potential biospheres on other planets where the surface is uninhabitable, such as Mars and Europa.. The Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE) has searched in a volcanic massive sulfide deposit in Rio Tinto Spain for a subsurface biosphere capable of living without sunlight or oxygen and found a subsurface ecosystem driven by the weathering of the massive sulfide deposit (VMS) in which the rock matrix provides sufficient resources to support microbial metabolism, including the vigorous production of H2 by water-rock interactions. Microbial production of methane and sulfate occurred in the sulfide orebody and microbial production of methane and hydrogen sulfide continued in an anoxic plume downgradient from the sulfide ore. Organic carbon concentrations in the parent rock were too low to support microbes. The Rio Tinto system thus represents a new type of subsurface ecosystem with strong relevance for exobiological studies. Commercial drilling was used to reach the aquifer system at 100 m depth and conventional laboratory techniques were used to identify and characterize the biosphere. Then, the life search strategy that led to successful identification of this biosphere was applied to the development of a robotic drilling, core handling, inspection, subsampling, and life detection system built on a prototype planetary lander that was deployed in Rio Tinto Spain in September 2005 to test the capability of a robotic drilling system to search for subsurface life. A remote science team directed the simulation and analyzed the data from the MARTE robotic drill. The results of this experiment have important implications for the strategy for searching for life on Mars.

“Modular Biospheres” New testbed platforms for public environmental education and research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, M.; Dempster, W. F.; Allen, J. P.

This paper will review the potential of a relatively new type of testbed platform for environmental education and research because of the unique advantages resulting from their material closure and separation from the outside environment. These facilities which we term "modular biospheres", have emerged from research centered on space life support research but offer a wider range of application. Examples of this type of facility include the Bios-3 facility in Russia, the Japanese CEEF (Closed Ecological Experiment Facility), the NASA Kennedy Space Center Breadboard facility, the Biosphere 2 Test Module and the Laboratory Biosphere. Modular biosphere facilities offer unique research and public real-time science education opportunities. Ecosystem behavior can be studied since initial state conditions can be precisely specified and tracked over different ranges of time. With material closure (apart from very small air exchange rate which can be determined), biogeochemical cycles between soil and soil microorganisms, water, plants, and atmosphere can be studied in detail. Such studies offer a major advance from studies conducted with phytotrons which because of their small size, limit the number of organisms to a very small number, and which crucially do not have a high degree of atmospheric, water and overall material closure. Modular biospheres take advantage of the unique properties of closure, as representing a distinct system "metabolism" and therefore are essentially a "mini-world". Though relatively large in comparison with most phytotrons and ecological microcosms, which are now standard research and educational tools, modular biospheres are small enough that they can be economically reconfigured to reflect a changing research agenda. Some design elements include lighting via electric lights and/or sunlight, hydroponic or soil substrate for plants, opaque or glazed structures, and variable volume chambers or other methods to handle atmospheric pressure differences between the facility and the outside environment.

A comparison between the example reference biosphere model ERB 2B and a process-based model: simulation of a natural release scenario.

PubMed

Almahayni, T

2014-12-01

The BIOMASS methodology was developed with the objective of constructing defensible assessment biospheres for assessing potential radiological impacts of radioactive waste repositories. To this end, a set of Example Reference Biospheres were developed to demonstrate the use of the methodology and to provide an international point of reference. In this paper, the performance of the Example Reference Biosphere model ERB 2B associated with the natural release scenario, discharge of contaminated groundwater to the surface environment, was evaluated by comparing its long-term projections of radionuclide dynamics and distribution in a soil-plant system to those of a process-based, transient advection-dispersion model (AD). The models were parametrised with data characteristic of a typical rainfed winter wheat crop grown on a sandy loam soil under temperate climate conditions. Three safety-relevant radionuclides, (99)Tc, (129)I and (237)Np with different degree of sorption were selected for the study. Although the models were driven by the same hydraulic (soil moisture content and water fluxes) and radiological (Kds) input data, their projections were remarkably different. On one hand, both models were able to capture short and long-term variation in activity concentration in the subsoil compartment. On the other hand, the Reference Biosphere model did not project any radionuclide accumulation in the topsoil and crop compartments. This behaviour would underestimate the radiological exposure under natural release scenarios. The results highlight the potential role deep roots play in soil-to-plant transfer under a natural release scenario where radionuclides are released into the subsoil. When considering the relative activity and root depth profiles within the soil column, much of the radioactivity was taken up into the crop from the subsoil compartment. Further improvements were suggested to address the limitations of the Reference Biosphere model presented in this paper. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward Reducing Uncertainties in Biospheric Carbon Uptake in the American West: An Atmospheric Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J. C.; Stephens, B. B.; Mallia, D.; Wu, D.; Jacobson, A. R.

2015-12-01

Despite the need for an understanding of terrestrial biospheric carbon fluxes to account for carbon cycle feedbacks and predict future CO2 concentrations, knowledge of such fluxes at the regional scale remains poor. This is particularly true in mountainous areas, where lack of observations combined with difficulties in their interpretation lead to significant uncertainties. Yet mountainous regions are also where significant forest cover and biomass are found—areas that have the potential to serve as carbon sinks. In particular, understanding carbon fluxes in the American West is of critical importance for the U.S. carbon budget, as the large area and biomass indicate potential for carbon sequestration. However, disturbances such as drought, insect outbreak, and wildfires in this region can introduce significant perturbations to the carbon cycle and thereby affect the amount of carbon sequestered by vegetation in the Rockies. To date, there have been few atmospheric CO2 observations in the American Rockies due to a combination of difficulties associated with logistics and interpretation of the measurements in the midst of complex terrain. Among the few sites are those associated with NCAR's Regional Atmospheric Continuous CO2 Network in the Rocky Mountains (Rocky RACCOON). As CO2 observations in mountainous areas increase in the future, it is imperative that they can be properly interpreted to yield information about biospheric carbon fluxes. In this paper, we will present CO2 observations from RACCOON, along with atmospheric simulations that attempt to extract information about biospheric carbon fluxes in the Western U.S. from these observations. We show that atmospheric models can significantly misinterpret the CO2 observations, leading to large errors in the retrieved biospheric fluxes, due to erroneous atmospheric flows. Recommendations for ways to minimize such errors and properly link the CO2 concentrations to biospheric fluxes are discussed.

Clustering XCO2 temporal change to assess CO2 exchanging strength of biosphere-atmosphere with GOSAT observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Zhonghua; Lei, Liping; Bie, Nian; Yang, Shaoyuan; Wu, Changjiang; Zeng, Zhao-Cheng

2017-04-01

The temporal change of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, greatly related to the local activities of CO2 uptake and emission, including biospheric exchange and anthropogenic emission, is one of important information for regions identification of carbon source and sink. Satellite observations of CO2 has been used for detecting the change of CO2 concentration for a long time. In this study, we used the grid data of column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction (XCO2) with the spatial resolution of 1 degree and the temporal resolution of 3 days from 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2014 over the land area of 30° - 60° N to implement a clustering of temporal changing characteristics for the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) XCO2 retrievals. Grid data is derived using the gap filling method of spatio-temporal geostatistics. The clustering method is one adjusted K-mean for the gap existed time-series data. As a result, types and number of clusters are specified based on the temporal characteristic of XCO2 by using the optimal clustering parameters. The biospheric absorption and surface emission of atmospheric CO2 is discussed through the analysis of the different yearly increase and seasonal amplitude of XCO2 each cluster combined with correlation analysis with vegetation index from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and fossil fuel CO2 emission data from Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 (Odiac). Regions of strong or weak biosphere-atmosphere exchange, or significant disturbance from anthropogenic activities can be identified. In conclusion, gap filled XCO2 from satellite observations can help us to take an analysis of atmospheric CO2, results of the coupled biosphere-atmosphere, by their spatio-temporal characteristics as well as the relationship with the other remote sensing parameters e.g. MODIS related with biospheric photosynthetic or respiration activities.

Sequential optimization of a terrestrial biosphere model constrained by multiple satellite based products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichii, K.; Kondo, M.; Wang, W.; Hashimoto, H.; Nemani, R. R.

2012-12-01

Various satellite-based spatial products such as evapotranspiration (ET) and gross primary productivity (GPP) are now produced by integration of ground and satellite observations. Effective use of these multiple satellite-based products in terrestrial biosphere models is an important step toward better understanding of terrestrial carbon and water cycles. However, due to the complexity of terrestrial biosphere models with large number of model parameters, the application of these spatial data sets in terrestrial biosphere models is difficult. In this study, we established an effective but simple framework to refine a terrestrial biosphere model, Biome-BGC, using multiple satellite-based products as constraints. We tested the framework in the monsoon Asia region covered by AsiaFlux observations. The framework is based on the hierarchical analysis (Wang et al. 2009) with model parameter optimization constrained by satellite-based spatial data. The Biome-BGC model is separated into several tiers to minimize the freedom of model parameter selections and maximize the independency from the whole model. For example, the snow sub-model is first optimized using MODIS snow cover product, followed by soil water sub-model optimized by satellite-based ET (estimated by an empirical upscaling method; Support Vector Regression (SVR) method; Yang et al. 2007), photosynthesis model optimized by satellite-based GPP (based on SVR method), and respiration and residual carbon cycle models optimized by biomass data. As a result of initial assessment, we found that most of default sub-models (e.g. snow, water cycle and carbon cycle) showed large deviations from remote sensing observations. However, these biases were removed by applying the proposed framework. For example, gross primary productivities were initially underestimated in boreal and temperate forest and overestimated in tropical forests. However, the parameter optimization scheme successfully reduced these biases. Our analysis shows that terrestrial carbon and water cycle simulations in monsoon Asia were greatly improved, and the use of multiple satellite observations with this framework is an effective way for improving terrestrial biosphere models.

Evaluation of simulated biospheric carbon dioxide fluxes and atmospheric concentrations using global in situ observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philip, S.; Johnson, M. S.; Potter, C. S.; Genovese, V. B.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

B33C-0612: Evaluation of Simulated Biospheric Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Atmospheric Concentrations Using Global in Situ Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philip, Sajeev; Johnson, Matthew S.; Potter, Christopher S.; Genovese, Vanessa

2016-01-01

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

[Microbes on the edge of global biosphere].

PubMed

Naganuma, T

2000-12-01

The search for life on the edge of global biosphere is a frontier to bridge conventional bio/ecology and exo/astrobiology. This communication reviews the foci of microbiological studies on the inhabitants of the selected "edges", i.e., deep-sea, deep subsurface and Antarctic habitats. The deep-sea is characterized as the no-light (non-photosynthetic) habitat, and the primary production is mostly due to the chemosynthetic autotrophy at the hydrothermal vents and methane-rich seeps. Formation of the chemosynthesis-dependent animal communities in the deep leads to the idea that such communities may be found in "ocean" of the Jovian satellite, Europa. The oxygen minimal layer (OML) in mid-water provides another field of deep-sea research. Modern OML is a relatively thin layer, found between the water depth of 200 and 1000 m, but was much thicker during the periods of oceanic anoxia events (OAEs) in the past. The history of oceanic biosphere is regarded as the cycle of OAE and non-OAE periods, and the remnants of the past OAEs may be seen in the modem OML. Anoxic (no-O2) condition is also characteristic of deep subsurface biosphere. Microorganisms in deep subsurface biosphere exploit every available oxidant, or terminal electron acceptor (TEA), for anaerobic respiration. Sulfate, nitrate, iron (III) and CO2 are the representative TEAs in the deep subsurface. Subsurface of hydrothermal vents, or sub-vent biosphere, may house brine (high salt) habitats and halophilic microorganisms. Some sub-vent halophiles were phylogenetically closely similar to the ones found in the Antarctic habitats which are extremely dry by the liophilizing climate. Below the 3000-4000 m-thick glacier on Antarctica, there have been >70 lakes with liquid water located. One of such sub-glacial lakes, Lake Vostok, has been a target of "life in extreme environments" and is about to be drill-penetrated for microbiological studies. These 'microbiological platforms' will provide new knowledge about the diversity and potential of the Earth's life and facilitate the capability of astrobiologial exploration.

The past, present and future supernova threat to Earth's biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beech, Martin

2011-12-01

A brief review of the threat posed to Earth's biosphere via near-by supernova detonations is presented. The expected radiation dosage, cosmic ray flux and expanding blast wave collision effects are considered, and it is argued that a typical supernova must be closer than ˜10-pc before any appreciable and potentially harmful atmosphere/biosphere effects are likely to occur. In contrast, the critical distance for Gamma-ray bursts is of order 1-kpc. In spite of the high energy effects potentially involved, the geological record provides no clear-cut evidence for any historic supernova induced mass extinctions and/or strong climate change episodes. This, however, is mostly a reflection of their being numerous possible (terrestrial and astronomical) forcing mechanisms acting upon the biosphere and the difficulty of distinguishing between competing scenarios. Key to resolving this situation, it is suggested, is the development of supernova specific extinction and climate change linked ecological models. Moving to the future, we estimate that over the remaining lifetime of the biosphere (˜2 Gyr) the Earth might experience 1 GRB and 20 supernova detonations within their respective harmful threat ranges. There are currently at least 12 potential pre-supernova systems within 1-kpc of the Sun. Of these systems IK Pegasi is the closest Type Ia pre-supernova candidate and Betelgeuse is the closest potential Type II supernova candidate. We review in some detail the past, present and future behavior of these two systems. Developing a detailed evolutionary model we find that IK Pegasi will likely not detonate until some 1.9 billion years hence, and that it affords absolutely no threat to Earth's biosphere. Betelgeuse is the closest, reasonably well understood, pre-supernova candidate to the Sun at the present epoch, and may undergo detonation any time within the next several million years. The stand-off distance of Betelgeuse at the time of its detonation is estimated to fall between 150 and 300-pc—again, affording no possible threat to Earth's biosphere. Temporally, the next most likely, close, potential Type Ic supernova to the Sun is the Wolf-Rayet star within the γ 2 Velorum binary system located at least 260-pc away. It is suggested that evidence relating to large-scale astroengineering projects might fruitfully be looked for in those regions located within 10 to 30-pc of any pre-supernova candidate system.

Implementation of the geoethics principal to environmental technologies by Biogeosystem Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Kalinitchenko, Valery; Minkina, Tatiana; Mandzhieva, Saglara; Sushkova, Svetlana

2017-04-01

The uncertainty and degradation of biosphere is a result of outdated industrial technologies. The incorrect principals of the nature resources use paradigm are to be radically changed corresponding to principals of Geoethics. Technological dead-end is linked to Philosophy of Technology. The organic protection and imitation of natural patterns are till now the theoretical base of technology. The technological and social determinism are proposed as the "inevitable" for humankind. One is forced to believe that the only way for humanity is to agree that the outdated way of technical development is the only possibility for humankind to survive. But rough imitation as a method of outdated technological platform is fruitless now. Survival under practice of industrial technology platform now has become extremely dangerous. The challenge for humanity is to overcome the chain of environmental hazards of agronomy, irrigation, industry, and other human activities in biosphere, which awkwardly imitate the natural processes: plowing leads to degradation of soil and greenhouse gases emission; irrigation leads to excessive moistening and degradation of soil, landscape, greenhouse gases emission, loss of freshwater - the global deficit; waste utilization leads to greenhouse gases emission, loss of oxigen and other ecological hazards. The fundamentally new technologies are to be generates for development of biosphere, food and resources renewing. Aristotle told that technique can go beyond nature and implement "what nature can't bring to a finish." To overcome fundamental shortcomings of industrial technologies, incorrect land use we propose the Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) for biosphere sustainability. The BGT* key point is transcendent approach (not imitating of the natural processes) - new technical solutions for biosphere - soil construction, the fluxes of energy, matter, and water control and biological productivity of terrestrial systems. Intra-soil milling which provides the new soil dispersed system synthesis - biological productivity of soil increases twice; intra-soil pulse discrete plants watering which permits to save the freshwater - global deficit - up to 20 times, protect the soil and landscape from excess water, and optimize soil water regime for higher plant's productivity; environmentally safe return of the substances into the active stage of biosphere during synthesis of soil dispersed system and (or) intra-soil pulse discrete plant watering for proper waste recycling. BGT* optimizes an anthropogenic carbon cycle of the Earth, reduces the greenhouse gases emission, implements conditions for green economy, provides an extension of the active area of the biosphere on Earth, water saving, soil and land health. The additional biological product, including food, raw materials and biofuels will be obtained. BGT* can be implemented on the basis of robotics providing cost savings compared to existing industrial technologies of agronomy and environment management. BGT* is the implementation of Geoethics in environmentally safe, productive and low cost technologies of Biosphere at the stage of Noosphere.

Biogeosystem technique as a method to overcome the Biological and Environmental Hazards of modern Agricultural, Irrigational and Technological Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinitchenko, Valery; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Zinchenko, Vladimir; Zarmaev, Ali; Magomadov, Ali; Chernenko, Vladimir; Startsev, Viktor; Bakoev, Serojdin; Dikaev, Zaurbek

2014-05-01

Modern challenge for humanity is to replace the paradigm of nature use and overcome environmental hazards of agronomy, irrigation, industry, and other human activities in biosphere. It is utterly reasonable to stop dividing biosphere on shares - the human habitat and the environment. In the 21st century it is an outdated anthropocentrism. Contradicting himself to biosphere Humankind has the problems. The new paradigm of biosphere control by methods of Biogeosystem technique is on agenda of Humankind. Key directions of Biogeosystem technique. Tillage. Single rotary milling 20…30-50…60 sm soil layer optimizes the evolution and environment of soil, creates a favorable conditions for the rhizosphere, increases the biological productivity of biosphere by 30-50% compared to the standard agricultural practices for the period up to 40 years. Recycle material. Recycling of mineral and organic substances in soil layer of 20…30-50…60 sm in rotary milling soil processing provides wastes clean return to biosphere. Direct intrasoil substances synthesis. Environmentally friendly robot wasteless nanotechnology provides direct substances synthesis, including fertilizers, inside the soil. It eliminates the prerequisites of the wastes formation under standard industrial technologies. Selective substance's extraction from soil. Electrochemical robotic nanotechnology provides selective substances extraction from soil. The technology provides recovery, collection and subsequent safe industrial use of extracted substances out of landscape. Saving fresh water. An important task is to save fresh water in biosphere. Irrigation spends water 4-5 times more of biological requirements of plants, leads to degradation of soil and landscape. The intrasoil pulse continuous-discrete paradigm of irrigation is proposed. It provides the soil and landscape conservation, increases the biological productivity, save the fresh water up to 10-20 times. The subsurface soil rotary processing and intrasoil pulsed continuous-discrete irrigation provide environmentally safe disposal of municipal, industrial, biological and agricultural wastes. Hazardous chemical and biological agents are under the soil surface. It provided a medical and veterinary safety of environment. Biogeosystem technic controls the equilibria in the soil and soil solution, prevents excessive mineralization of organic matter in the surface layers of soil. Simultaneously a soil chemical reduction excluded, biological substance do not degrade to gases. Products of organic matter decomposition are directed to the food chain, 100% waste recycling is obtained. Biogeosystems technique allows producing more biological products hence to recycle excessive amount of man-made CO2 and other substances. Biogeosystems technique increases the rate of photosynthesis of the biosphere, the degree of air ionization. This enhances the formation of rains over land, ensures stability of the ionosphere, magnetosphere and atmosphere of Earth. The nowadays technologies allow applying technical solutions based on Biogeosystem technique, there is unique opportunity to accelerate the noosphere new technological platform.

Weather summaries for Coram Experimental Forest, northwestern Montana-an International Biosphere Reserve

Treesearch

Roger D. Hungerford; Joyce A. Schlieter

1984-01-01

Presents weather data summaries (1934-82) for most of the weather stations within the Coram Experimental Forest (a Biosphere Reserve) in northwestern Montana and for three stations adjacent to the Forest. These data aid in the interpretation of silvicultural and other biological research, particularly the relationships of climatological variations to forest growth and...

Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading

Treesearch

Patrick J Mulholland; Ashely M. Helton; Geoffrey C. Poole; Robert O. Hall; Stephen K. Hamilton; Bruce J. Peterson; Jennifer L. Tank; Linda R. Ashkenas; Lee W. Cooper; Clifford N. Dahm; Walter K. Dodds; Stuart E.G. Findlay; Stanley V. Gregory; Nancy B. Grimm; Sherri L. Johnson; William H. McDowell; Judy L. Meyer; H. Maurice Valett; Jackson R. Webster; Clay P. Arango; Jake J. Beaulieu; Melody J. Bernot; Amy J. Burgin; Chelsea L. Crenshaw; Laura T. Johnson; B.R. Niederlehner; Jonathan M. O' Brien; Jody D. Potter; Richard W. Sheibley; Daniel J. Sobota; Suzanne M. Thomas

2008-01-01

Anthropogenic addition of bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere is increasing, and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly nitrogen-saturated, causing more bioavailable nitrogen to enter groundwater and surface waters. Large-scale nitrogen budgets show that an average of about 20 to 25 percent of the nitrogen added to the biosphere is exported from rivers to...

Environmental Art as an Innovative Medium for Environmental Education in Biosphere Reserves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, M.; Chandler, L.; Baldwin, C.

2017-01-01

A key goal of Biosphere Reserves (BR) is to foster environmental education for sustainable development. In this study we systematically analyse two cases in which environmental art is used as a mechanism to engage communities in "building environmental understanding", in Noosa BR in Australia and North Devon BR in the United Kingdom.…

The Loss of Genetic Diversity: An Impending Global Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, James P.

Definitions of biosphere and ecosystem are provided as the basis for understanding a problem that threatens to become (or already is) a global issue, namely, human activity which results in reducing the diversity of life forms present in the biosphere as an ecosystem. Two aspects of this problem are: (1) the growth of human populations worldwide…

Lunar subsurface architecture enhanced by artificial biosphere concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klassi, Jason D.; Rocha, Carlos J.; Carr, Charles A.

1992-01-01

The integration of artificial biosphere technology with subselene architecture can create a life-enhancing, productive habitat that is safe from solar radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations while maximizing resources brought from Earth and derived from lunar regolith. In the short term, the resulting biotectural (biosphere and architectural) designs will not only make the structures more habitable, productive, and manageable, but will ultimately provide the self-sufficiency factors necessary for the mature lunar settlement. From a long-term perspective, this biotecture approach to astronautics and extraterrestrial development (1) helps reduce mass lift requirements, (2) contributes to habitat self-sufficiency, and (3) actualizes at least one philosophy of solar system exploration, which is to exploit nonterrestrial resources in an effort to conserve our natural resources on this planet.

C-LAMP Subproject Description:Climate Forcing by the Terrestrial Biosphere During the Second Half of the 20th Century

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Covey, Curt; Hoffman, Forrest

2008-10-02

This project will quantify selected components of climate forcing due to changes in the terrestrial biosphere over the period 1948-2004, as simulated by the climate / carboncycle models participating in C-LAMP (the Carbon-Land Model Intercomparison Project; see http://www.climatemodeling.org/c-lamp). Unlike other C-LAMP projects that attempt to close the carbon budget, this project will focus on the contributions of individual biomes in terms of the resulting climate forcing. Bala et al. (2007) used a similar (though more comprehensive) model-based technique to assess and compare different components of biospheric climate forcing, but their focus was on potential future deforestation rather than the historicalmore » period.« less

[Is there a connection between biodiversity and the greenhouse effect].

PubMed

Rozanov, S I

1998-01-01

It was discussed the role of biodiversity in ecosystems capacity to control CO2 in atmosphere as the main reason not only of "greenhouse effect" but "greenhouse catastrophe". The necessity to perfect the preventive measures has been defined by time factor. This time may be so little for completing the evolution theory and models of biosphere management. The temps of contemporaneous species extinction exceed two orders as minimum ones how it has been known from planet history. It doesn't permit to discharge that evolutional process will be successful to create organisms which have been capable to stabilize biosphere in conditions of its changing status. It's possible that such change may be provocated with the crisis in civilization-biosphere interrelations.

Egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric environmental concerns: a path analytic investigation of their determinants.

PubMed

Swami, Viren; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas; Snelgar, Rosemary; Furnham, Adrian

2010-04-01

Previous studies have shown that environmental concerns (ECs) can be reduced to a three-factor model - comprising altruistic, biospheric, and egoistic concerns - but there have been few studies examining individual difference predictors of ECs. In this study with 203 individuals from a British community sample, we show that biospheric concern was significantly associated with participants' age, political orientation, Machiavellianism, and the Big Five personality traits of Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Conscientiousness. Altruistic concern was significantly associated with sex, age, political orientation, and Machiavellianism, but not the Big Five traits, whereas egoistic concern was not significantly associated with any of these predictors except sex. These results are discussed in relation to previous work on ECs and pro-environmental behavior.

Sensitivity properties of a biosphere model based on BATS and a statistical-dynamical climate model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, T.

A biosphere model based on the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) and the Saltzman-Vernekar (SV) statistical-dynamical climate model is developed. Some equations of BATS are adopted either intact or with modifications, some are conceptually modified, and still others are replaced with equations of the SV model. The model is designed so that it can be run independently as long as the parameters related to the physiology and physiognomy of the vegetation, the atmospheric conditions, solar radiation, and soil conditions are given. With this stand-alone biosphere model, a series of sensitivity investigations, particularly the model sensitivity to fractional area of vegetation cover,more » soil surface water availability, and solar radiation for different types of vegetation, were conducted as a first step. These numerical experiments indicate that the presence of a vegetation cover greatly enhances the exchanges of momentum, water vapor, and energy between the atmosphere and the surface of the earth. An interesting result is that a dense and thick vegetation cover tends to serve as an environment conditioner or, more specifically, a thermostat and a humidistat, since the soil surface temperature, foliage temperature, and temperature and vapor pressure of air within the foliage are practically insensitive to variation of soil surface water availability and even solar radiation within a wide range. An attempt is also made to simulate the gradual deterioration of environment accompanying gradual degradation of a tropical forest to grasslands. Comparison with field data shows that this model can realistically simulate the land surface processes involving biospheric variations. 46 refs., 10 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Sensitivity properties of a biosphere model based on BATS and a statistical-dynamical climate model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Taiping

1994-01-01

A biosphere model based on the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) and the Saltzman-Vernekar (SV) statistical-dynamical climate model is developed. Some equations of BATS are adopted either intact or with modifications, some are conceptually modified, and still others are replaced with equations of the SV model. The model is designed so that it can be run independently as long as the parameters related to the physiology and physiognomy of the vegetation, the atmospheric conditions, solar radiation, and soil conditions are given. With this stand-alone biosphere model, a series of sensitivity investigations, particularly the model sensitivity to fractional area of vegetation cover, soil surface water availability, and solar radiation for different types of vegetation, were conducted as a first step. These numerical experiments indicate that the presence of a vegetation cover greatly enhances the exchanges of momentum, water vapor, and energy between the atmosphere and the surface of the earth. An interesting result is that a dense and thick vegetation cover tends to serve as an environment conditioner or, more specifically, a thermostat and a humidistat, since the soil surface temperature, foliage temperature, and temperature and vapor pressure of air within the foliage are practically insensitive to variation of soil surface water availability and even solar radiation within a wide range. An attempt is also made to simulate the gradual deterioration of environment accompanying gradual degradation of a tropical forest to grasslands. Comparison with field data shows that this model can realistically simulate the land surface processes involving biospheric variations.

Publications of the biospheric research program: 1981-1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Janice S. (Editor)

1988-01-01

Presented is a list of publications of investigators supported by the Biospheric Research Program of the Biological Systems Research Branch, Life Sciences Division, and the Office of Space Science and Applications. It includes publications dated as of December 31, 1987 and entered into the Life Sciences Bibliographic Database at the George Washington University. Publications are organized by the year published.

"Biosphere Reserve"--The Actual Research Subject of the Sustainable Development Process"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khasaev, Gabibulla R.; Sadovenko, Marina Yu.; Isaev, Roman O.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the analyzed issue is caused by the growing slippage of research funds of sustainable development in its practice. The purpose of the article is the theoretical basis of the biosphere reserve as a scientific research subject that is relevant to rules of the scientific activity. The leading approach to the study of this issue is…

Bird checklist, Guánica Biosphere Reserve, Puerto Rico

Treesearch

Wayne J. Arendt; John Faaborg; Miguel Canals; Jerry Bauer

2015-01-01

This research note compiles 43 years of research and monitoring data to produce the first comprehensive checklist of the dry forest avian community found within the Guánica Biosphere Reserve. We provide an overview of the reserve along with sighting locales, a list of 185 birds with their resident status and abundance, and a list of the available bird habitats....

Monitoring recreational impacts in wilderness of Kamchatka (on example of Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Preserve)

Treesearch

Anya V. Zavadskaya

2011-01-01

This paper describes an assessment and monitoring program that was designed and initiated for monitoring recreational impacts in a wilderness in Kamchatka. The framework of the recreational assessment was tested through its application to a case study conducted during the summers of 2008 and 2009 in the Kronotsky State Natural Biosphere Preserve (Kamchatka peninsula,...

Understanding the Relationship between Christian Orthodoxy and Environmentalism : The Mediating Role of Perceived Environmental Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truelove, Heather Barnes; Joireman, Jeff

2009-01-01

The present study evaluated the hypothesis that people who strongly adhere to Christian orthodoxy may be less proenvironmental to the extent that they are less aware of the biospheric consequences of environmental problems (biospheric AC) but that they may be more proenvironmental than others to the extent that they are more aware of the egoistic…

Astrobiology: Life on Earth (and Elsewhere?)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, David J.

2016-01-01

Astrobiology investigates the origins, evolution and distribution of life in the universe. Scientists study how stellar systems and their planets can create planetary environments that sustain biospheres. They search for biosignatures, which are objects, substances and or patterns that indicate the presence of life. Studies of Earth's early biosphere enhance these search strategies and also provide key insights about our own origins.

Searching for Life Underground: An Analysis of Remote Sensing Observations of a Drill Core from Rio Tinto, Spain for Mineralogical Indications of Biological Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Battler, M.; Stoker, C.

2005-01-01

Water is unstable on the surface of Mars, and therefore the Martian surface is not likely to support life. It is possible, however, that liquid water exists beneath the surface of Mars, and thus life might also be found in the subsurface. Subsurface life would most likely be microbial, anaerobic, and chemoautotrophic; these types of biospheres on Earth are rare, and not well understood. Finding water and life are high priorities for Mars exploration, and therefore it is important that we learn to explore the subsurface robotically, by drilling. The Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE), has searched successfully for a subsurface biosphere at Rio Tinto, Spain [1,2,3,4]. The Rio Tinto study site was selected to search for a subsurface biosphere because the extremely low pH and high concentrations of elements such as iron and copper in the Tinto River suggest the presence of a chemoautotrophic biosphere in the subsurface beneath the river. The Rio Tinto has been recognized as an important mineralogical analog to the Sinus Meridiani site on Mars [5].

Methane Production and Transport within the Marsh Biome of Biosphere 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molnar, Jennifer; Goodridge, Kelven

1997-01-01

In recent decades, the concentration of methane in the earth's atmosphere increased 1-2% annually. It's rate of increases, combined with methane's effectiveness as a greenhouse gas, has led to an intensive research effort to determine the sources and sinks of the gas in the environment. Biosphere 2 offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the effort because it lacks a major photochemical sink present in the Earth's atmosphere. Researchers can therefore concentrate on biological processes involved in methane cycles. Wetlands are a large source of atmospheric methane, due to anoxic conditions in the sediments and the abundance of organic materials. In order to determine if these conditions in Biosphere 2 also promote methane production, this study looked for the fluxes of methane and methods of transport of the gas from from the water and sediments to the atmosphere in the Marsh Biome. Fluxes of methane from the sediments and waters were measured using static chambers, peepers, and leaf bags. Fluxes and vertical profiles of methane in the sediments show that substantial amounts of methane are being produced in the marsh and are being transported into the Biosphere 2 environment.

The physics, biology, and environmental ethics of making mars habitable.

PubMed

McKay, C P; Marinova, M M

2001-01-01

The considerable evidence that Mars once had a wetter, more clement, environment motivates the search for past or present life on that planet. This evidence also suggests the possibility of restoring habitable conditions on Mars. While the total amounts of the key molecules--carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen--needed for creating a biosphere on Mars are unknown, estimates suggest that there may be enough in the subsurface. Super greenhouse gases, in particular, perfluorocarbons, are currently the most effective and practical way to warm Mars and thicken its atmosphere so that liquid water is stable on the surface. This process could take approximately 100 years. If enough carbon dioxide is frozen in the South Polar Cap and absorbed in the regolith, the resulting thick and warm carbon dioxide atmosphere could support many types of microorganisms, plants, and invertebrates. If a planet-wide martian biosphere converted carbon dioxide into oxygen with an average efficiency equal to that for Earth's biosphere, it would take > 100,000 years to create Earth-like oxygen levels. Ethical issues associated with bringing life to Mars center on the possibility of indigenous martian life and the relative value of a planet with or without a global biosphere.

Biochemical and physiological bases for the use of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in environmental and ecological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Ogawa, Nanako O.; Chikaraishi, Yoshito; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Wada, Eitaro

2015-12-01

We review the biochemical and physiological bases of the use of carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions as an approach for environmental and ecological studies. Biochemical processes commonly observed in the biosphere, including the decarboxylation and deamination of amino acids, are the key factors in this isotopic approach. The principles drawn from the isotopic distributions disentangle the complex dynamics of the biosphere and allow the interactions between the geosphere and biosphere to be analyzed in detail. We also summarize two recently examined topics with new datasets: the isotopic compositions of individual biosynthetic products (chlorophylls and amino acids) and those of animal organs for further pursuing the basis of the methodology. As a tool for investigating complex systems, compound-specific isotopic analysis compensates the intrinsic disadvantages of bulk isotopic signatures. Chlorophylls provide information about the particular processes of various photoautotrophs, whereas amino acids provide a precise measure of the trophic positions of heterotrophs. The isotopic distributions of carbon and nitrogen in a single organism as well as in the whole biosphere are strongly regulated, so that their major components such as amino acids are coordinated appropriately rather than controlled separately.

The physics, biology, and environmental ethics of making mars habitable

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McKay, C. P.; Marinova, M. M.

2001-01-01

The considerable evidence that Mars once had a wetter, more clement, environment motivates the search for past or present life on that planet. This evidence also suggests the possibility of restoring habitable conditions on Mars. While the total amounts of the key molecules--carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen--needed for creating a biosphere on Mars are unknown, estimates suggest that there may be enough in the subsurface. Super greenhouse gases, in particular, perfluorocarbons, are currently the most effective and practical way to warm Mars and thicken its atmosphere so that liquid water is stable on the surface. This process could take approximately 100 years. If enough carbon dioxide is frozen in the South Polar Cap and absorbed in the regolith, the resulting thick and warm carbon dioxide atmosphere could support many types of microorganisms, plants, and invertebrates. If a planet-wide martian biosphere converted carbon dioxide into oxygen with an average efficiency equal to that for Earth's biosphere, it would take > 100,000 years to create Earth-like oxygen levels. Ethical issues associated with bringing life to Mars center on the possibility of indigenous martian life and the relative value of a planet with or without a global biosphere.

Cytonuclear genetics of experimental fish hybrid zones inside Biosphere 2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scribner, K.T.; Avise, John C.

1994-01-01

Two species of mosquitofish (family Poeciliidae) known to hybridize in nature were introduced into freshwater habitats inside Biosphere 2, and their population genetics were monitored after 2 years. Within four to six generations, nuclear and cytoplasmic markers characteristic of Gambusia holbrooki had risen greatly in frequency, although some Gambusia affinis alleles and haplotypes were retained primarily in recombinant genotypes, indicative of introgressive hybridization. The temporal cytonuclear dynamics proved similar to population genetic changes observed in replicated experimental hybrid populations outside of Biosphere 2, thus indicating strong directional selection favoring G. holbrooki genotypes across the range of environments monitored. When interpreted in the context of species-specific population demographies observed previously, results suggest that the extremely rapid evolution in these zones of secondary contact is attributable primarily to species differences in life-history traits.

Information in the Biosphere: Biological and Digital Worlds.

PubMed

Gillings, Michael R; Hilbert, Martin; Kemp, Darrell J

2016-03-01

Evolution has transformed life through key innovations in information storage and replication, including RNA, DNA, multicellularity, and culture and language. We argue that the carbon-based biosphere has generated a cognitive system (humans) capable of creating technology that will result in a comparable evolutionary transition. Digital information has reached a similar magnitude to information in the biosphere. It increases exponentially, exhibits high-fidelity replication, evolves through differential fitness, is expressed through artificial intelligence (AI), and has facility for virtually limitless recombination. Like previous evolutionary transitions, the potential symbiosis between biological and digital information will reach a critical point where these codes could compete via natural selection. Alternatively, this fusion could create a higher-level superorganism employing a low-conflict division of labor in performing informational tasks. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data management at Biosphere 2 center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCreary, Leone F.

1997-01-01

Throughout the history of Biosphere 2, the collecting and recording of biological data has been sporadic. Currently no active effort to administer and record regular biological surveys is being made. Also, there is no central location, such as an on-site data library, where all records from various studies have been archived. As a research institute, good, complete data records are at the core of all Biosphere 2's scientific endeavors. It is therefore imperative that an effective data management system be implemented within the management and research departments as soon as possible. Establishing this system would require three general phases: (1) Design/implement a new archiving/management program (including storage, cataloging and retrieval systems); (2) Organize and input baseline and intermediate data from existing archives; and (3) Maintain records by inputting new data.

Deuterobiosphere the chemosynthetic second biosphere of the globe. A first review.

PubMed

Por, Francis D

2008-06-01

With the discovery of Ophel, a chemosynthesis-based continental subterranean environment (Por 2007), it became evident that such environments, previously known only from the sea, are spanning the world as a parallel biosphere, the deuterobiosphere. In this preliminary contribution the different known biomes of the deuterobiosphere are reviewed and some general and comparative features are listed. © 2008 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program: Past contributions and future directions

Treesearch

P. N. Manley; D. C. Hayes

2006-01-01

U.S. Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) MAB program, and is one of six regional MAB programs that span the globe. The MAB Program was created in 1971 with the goal to explore, demonstrate, promote, and encourage harmonious relationships between people and their environments....

Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading

Treesearch

Patrick J. Mulholland; Ashley M. Helton; Geoffrey C. Poole; Robert O. Hall; Stephen K. Hamilton; et al

2008-01-01

Anthropogenic addition of bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere is increasing1, 2 and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly nitrogen-saturated3, causing more bioavailable nitrogen to enter groundwater and surface waters4, 5, 6. Large-scale nitrogen budgets show that an average of about 20–25 per cent of the nitrogen added to the biosphere is exported from...

Land-related global habitability science issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The scientific investigation of the viewpoint of the biosphere that living organisms and their physical and chemical environment are bound, inseparable parts of one set of closely coupled global processes of the global biogeochemical system, life and life support cycles, is discussed as one of the major scientific challenges of the next decade by building from understanding land processes to interdisciplinary, holistic studies of biospheric dynamics including human impacts.

SeaWiFS Third Anniversary Global Biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

September 18,2000 is the third anniversary of the start of regular SeaWiFS operations of this remarkable planet called Earth. This SeaWiFS image is of the Global Biosphere depicting the ocean's long-term average phytoplankton chlorophyll concentration acquired between September 1997 and August 2000 combined with the SeaWiFS-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) over land during July 2000.

A terrestrial biosphere model optimized to atmospheric CO2 concentration and above ground woody biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, M.; Ito, A.; Maksyutov, S. S.

2013-12-01

This study documents an optimization of a prognostic biosphere model (VISIT; Vegetation Integrative Similator for Trace gases) to observations of atmospheric CO2 concentration and above ground woody biomass by using a Bayesian inversion method combined with an atmospheric tracer transport model (NIES-TM; National Institute for Environmental Studies / Frontier Research Center for Global Change (NIES/FRCGC) off-line global atmospheric tracer transport model). The assimilated observations include 74 station records of surface atmospheric CO2 concentration and aggregated grid data sets of above ground woody biomass (AGB) and net primary productivity (NPP) over the globe. Both the biosphere model and the atmospheric transport model are used at a horizontal resolution of 2.5 deg x 2.5 deg grid with temporal resolutions of a day and an hour, respectively. The atmospheric transport model simulates atmospheric CO2 concentration with nine vertical levels using daily net ecosystem CO2 exchange rate (NEE) from the biosphere model, oceanic CO2 flux, and fossil fuel emission inventory. The models are driven by meteorological data from JRA-25 (Japanese 25-year ReAnalysis) and JCDAS (JMA Climate Data Assimilation System). Statistically optimum physiological parameters in the biosphere model are found by iterative minimization of the corresponding Bayesian cost function. We select thirteen physiological parameter with high sensitivity to NEE, NPP, and AGB for the minimization. Given the optimized physiological parameters, the model shows error reductions in seasonal variation of the CO2 concentrations especially in the northern hemisphere due to abundant observation stations, while errors remain at a few stations that are located in coastal coastal area and stations in the southern hemisphere. The model also produces moderate estimates of the mean magnitudes and probability distributions in AGB and NPP for each biome. However, the model fails in the simulation of the terrestrial vegetation compositions in some grids. These misfits are assumed to derive from simplified representation in the biosphere model without the impact of land use change and dire disturbance and the seasonal variability in the physiological parameters.

Is there a shadow biosphere of silicon utilizing organisms on earth?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, P.; Das, S.

2012-12-01

The idea of shadow biosphere was first visualized by Carol Cleland and Shelley Copley of the University of Colorado in 2005. Since that time many scientists were interested in this subject and the basis of this paper is also correlated with this novel idea. A shadow biosphere essentially consists of self replicating bodies utilizing one or more chemicals which are not exploited to such extent by organisms of the real biosphere. Silicon-utilizing organisms mainly belong to the diatoms, some other algae, sponges, monocotyledon plants in this category are classified by us. They can survive in extremes of temperature, pressure, radiation, pH, salinity and nutrient conditions and this unusual tolerance to stress depends on their silicon biomineralization occurring either as a biologically controlled process or as a biologically induced process. In the control process silicate is sequestered and transferred to the intracellular silica deposition vesicle by energy driven pump mechanism in presence of specific transporter protein. In induced silicon mineralization, initial amorphous nucleation of silicon is gradually transformed to a crystalline phase. Besides these two methods, there are also other processes in which formation of silanol and siloxane can occur from oligomers of silica originating from monomers by Hydrogen bonding, cation bridging and direct electrostatic interactions. The structure of the silica biomineralised cell wall in silicon utilizing organisms is very complex, but this may explain their ability to stress tolerance and their possible coordinating role with other essential bioactive elements in nature. When electropositive elements are less, then polymerization of silicon-oxygen excess may occur easily, particularly in carbon and nitrogen paucity in the environment. Thus all these features indicate possibility of a shadow biosphere of these organisms on earth.

Natural Variation in the Carbon Oxidation State and Oxidative Ratio of a Deciduous Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiello, C. A.; Calligan, L. J.; Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Robertson, G. P.

2007-12-01

Here we report natural variability in the oxidative ratio (OR) and carbon oxidation state (Cox) of a temperate, deciduous forest measured on an annual basis via elemental analysis of leaf litter. The OR of the terrestrial biosphere is a key component in O2 -based calculations of the biosphere's uptake of fossil fuel CO2 (eg [ Keeling, et al., 1996]). Ecosystem OR has been assumed to be invariant; however, small OR variations may cause significant shifts in the calculated size of the terrestrial biospheric C sink [ Randerson, et al., 2006]. Accurate measurements of OR are necessary for the accurate apportionment of fossil fuel CO2 between the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial biosphere. Ecosystem OR is linearly related to Cox, a parameter which can be easily measured via elemental analysis, calorimetry, or solid state nuclear magnetic resonance [ Masiello, et al., 2007]. We are measuring Cox and OR at the three deciduous forest sites within the Kellogg Biological Station NSF LTER (lter.kbs.msu.edu). We report OR from litter collected from three forest sites from 1998-2003, a time series which covers periods of both normal and low precipitation. We also report error introduced in the Cox to OR conversion via a range of plausible assumptions about ecosystem N cycling. Keeling, R. F., et al. (1996), Global and hemispheric CO2 sinks deduced from changes in atmospheric O2 concentration, Nature, 381, 218-221. Masiello, C.A. et al. (in review 2007) Two new approaches for measuring ecosystem carbon oxidation state and oxidative ratio. J.G.R. Biogeosciences. Randerson, J. T., et al. (2006), Is carbon within the global terrestrial biosphere becoming more oxidized? Implications for trends in atmospheric O2, Global Change Biology, 12, 260-271.

The Potential Feasibility of Chlorinic Photosynthesis on Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, Johnson R.

2010-11-01

The modern search for life-bearing exoplanets emphasizes the potential detection of O2 and O3 absorption spectra in exoplanetary atmospheres as ideal signatures of biology. However, oxygenic photosynthesis may not arise ubiquitously in exoplanetary biospheres. Alternative evolutionary paths may yield planetary atmospheres tinted with the waste products of other dominant metabolisms, including potentially exotic biochemistries. This paper defines chlorinic photosynthesis (CPS) as biologically mediated photolytic oxidation of aqueous Cl- to form halocarbon or dihalogen products, coupled with CO2 assimilation. This hypothetical metabolism appears to be feasible energetically, physically, and geochemically, and could potentially develop under conditions that approximate the terrestrial Archean. It is hypothesized that an exoplanetary biosphere in which chlorinic photosynthesis dominates primary production would tend to evolve a strongly oxidizing, halogen-enriched atmosphere over geologic time. It is recommended that astronomical observations of exoplanetary outgoing thermal emission spectra consider signs of halogenated chemical species as likely indicators of the presence of a chlorinic biosphere. Planets that favor the evolution of CPS would probably receive equivalent or greater surface UV flux than is produced by the Sun, which would promote stronger abiotic UV photolysis of aqueous halides than occurred during Earth's Archean era and impose stronger evolutionary selection pressures on endemic life to accommodate and utilize halogenated compounds. Ocean-bearing planets of stars with metallicities equivalent to, or greater than, the Sun should especially favor the evolution of chlorinic biospheres because of the higher relative seawater abundances of Cl, Br, and I such planets would tend to host. Directed searches for chlorinic biospheres should probably focus on G0-G2, F, and A spectral class stars that have bulk metallicities of +0.0 Dex or greater.

Biospheric feedback effects in a synchronously coupled model of human and Earth systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thornton, Peter E.; Calvin, Katherine; Jones, Andrew D.

Fossil fuel combustion and land-use change are the first and second largest contributors to industrial-era increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, which is itself the largest driver of present-day climate change1. Projections of fossil fuel consumption and land-use change are thus fundamental inputs for coupled Earth system models (ESM) used to estimate the physical and biological consequences of future climate system forcing2,3. While empirical datasets are available to inform historical analyses4,5, assessments of future climate change have relied on projections of energy and land use based on energy economic models, constrained using historical and present-day data and forced with assumptionsmore » about future policy, land-use patterns, and socio-economic development trajectories6. Here we show that the influence of biospheric change – the integrated effect of climatic, ecological, and geochemical processes – on land ecosystems has a significant impact on energy, agriculture, and land-use projections for the 21st century. Such feedbacks have been ignored in previous ESM studies of future climate. We find that synchronous exposure of land ecosystem productivity in the economic system to biospheric change as it develops in an ESM results in a 10% reduction of land area used for crop cultivation; increased managed forest area and land carbon; a 15-20% decrease in global crop price; and a 17% reduction in fossil fuel emissions for a low-mid range forcing scenario7. These simulation results demonstrate that biospheric change can significantly alter primary human system forcings to the climate system. This synchronous two-way coupling approach removes inconsistencies in description of climate change between human and biosphere components of the coupled model, mitigating a major source of uncertainty identified in assessments of future climate projections8-10.« less

The potential feasibility of chlorinic photosynthesis on exoplanets.

PubMed

Haas, Johnson R

2010-11-01

The modern search for life-bearing exoplanets emphasizes the potential detection of O(2) and O(3) absorption spectra in exoplanetary atmospheres as ideal signatures of biology. However, oxygenic photosynthesis may not arise ubiquitously in exoplanetary biospheres. Alternative evolutionary paths may yield planetary atmospheres tinted with the waste products of other dominant metabolisms, including potentially exotic biochemistries. This paper defines chlorinic photosynthesis (CPS) as biologically mediated photolytic oxidation of aqueous Cl(-) to form halocarbon or dihalogen products, coupled with CO(2) assimilation. This hypothetical metabolism appears to be feasible energetically, physically, and geochemically, and could potentially develop under conditions that approximate the terrestrial Archean. It is hypothesized that an exoplanetary biosphere in which chlorinic photosynthesis dominates primary production would tend to evolve a strongly oxidizing, halogen-enriched atmosphere over geologic time. It is recommended that astronomical observations of exoplanetary outgoing thermal emission spectra consider signs of halogenated chemical species as likely indicators of the presence of a chlorinic biosphere. Planets that favor the evolution of CPS would probably receive equivalent or greater surface UV flux than is produced by the Sun, which would promote stronger abiotic UV photolysis of aqueous halides than occurred during Earth's Archean era and impose stronger evolutionary selection pressures on endemic life to accommodate and utilize halogenated compounds. Ocean-bearing planets of stars with metallicities equivalent to, or greater than, the Sun should especially favor the evolution of chlorinic biospheres because of the higher relative seawater abundances of Cl, Br, and I such planets would tend to host. Directed searches for chlorinic biospheres should probably focus on G0-G2, F, and A spectral class stars that have bulk metallicities of +0.0 Dex or greater.

Turnover of microbial lipids in the deep biosphere and growth of benthic archaeal populations

PubMed Central

Xie, Sitan; Lipp, Julius S.; Wegener, Gunter; Ferdelman, Timothy G.; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe

2013-01-01

Deep subseafloor sediments host a microbial biosphere with unknown impact on global biogeochemical cycles. This study tests previous evidence based on microbial intact polar lipids (IPLs) as proxies of live biomass, suggesting that Archaea dominate the marine sedimentary biosphere. We devised a sensitive radiotracer assay to measure the decay rate of ([14C]glucosyl)-diphytanylglyceroldiether (GlcDGD) as an analog of archaeal IPLs in continental margin sediments. The degradation kinetics were incorporated in model simulations that constrained the fossil fraction of subseafloor IPLs and rates of archaeal turnover. Simulating the top 1 km in a generic continental margin sediment column, we estimated degradation rate constants of GlcDGD being one to two orders of magnitude lower than those of bacterial IPLs, with half-lives of GlcDGD increasing with depth to 310 ky. Given estimated microbial community turnover times of 1.6–73 ky in sediments deeper than 1 m, 50–96% of archaeal IPLs represent fossil signals. Consequently, previous lipid-based estimates of global subseafloor biomass probably are too high, and the widely observed dominance of archaeal IPLs does not rule out a deep biosphere dominated by Bacteria. Reverse modeling of existing concentration profiles suggest that archaeal IPL synthesis rates decline from around 1,000 pg⋅mL−1 sediment⋅y−1 at the surface to 0.2 pg⋅mL−1⋅y−1 at 1 km depth, equivalent to production of 7 × 105 to 140 archaeal cells⋅mL−1 sediment⋅y−1, respectively. These constraints on microbial growth are an important step toward understanding the relationship between the deep biosphere and the carbon cycle. PMID:23530229

Earth Applications of Closed Ecological Systems: Relevance to the Development of Sustainability in our Global Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, W.; van Thillo, M.; Alling, A.; Allen, J.; Silverstone, S.; Nelson, M.

The parallels between the challenges facing bioregenerative life support and closed ecological systems and those in our global biosphere are striking. At the scale of the current global technosphere and human population, it is increasingly obvious that the biosphere can no longer be counted on to be vast enough to safely buffer and absorb technogenic and anthropogenic pollutants. With an increasing percentage of the world's natural resources and primary productivity being dictated by, and directed to, humans, our species is starting to appreciate its survival and quality of life depends on regulating its activities, and insuring that crucial biogeochemical cycles continue to function. This shift of consciousness has led to the widespread call for moving towards the sustainability of human activities. For researchers working on bioreenerative life support, the small volumes and faster cycling times have made it obvious that systems must be created in to ensure renewal of water and atmosphere, nutrient recycling, and where all technical systems can be safely integrated with the maintenance of safe environmental conditions. The development of technical systems that can be fully integrated with the living systems that they support should be a harbinger of new perspectives in the global environment. The paper will review some of these environmental technologies which are emerging from bioregenerative life support system research such as high-yield intensive agricultural methods, waste treatment and nutrient recycling, air purification, modeling, sensor and control systems and their potential applications in the global biosphere. In addition, a review of the human experience in closed ecological systems shows that these can offer opportunities for public education and consciousness-changing of how humans regard our global biosphere.

A statistical approach for isolating fossil fuel emissions in atmospheric inverse problems

DOE PAGES

Yadav, Vineet; Michalak, Anna M.; Ray, Jaideep; ...

2016-10-27

We study independent verification and quantification of fossil fuel (FF) emissions that constitutes a considerable scientific challenge. By coupling atmospheric observations of CO 2 with models of atmospheric transport, inverse models offer the possibility of overcoming this challenge. However, disaggregating the biospheric and FF flux components of terrestrial fluxes from CO 2 concentration measurements has proven to be difficult, due to observational and modeling limitations. In this study, we propose a statistical inverse modeling scheme for disaggregating winter time fluxes on the basis of their unique error covariances and covariates, where these covariances and covariates are representative of the underlyingmore » processes affecting FF and biospheric fluxes. The application of the method is demonstrated with one synthetic and two real data prototypical inversions by using in situ CO 2 measurements over North America. Also, inversions are performed only for the month of January, as predominance of biospheric CO 2 signal relative to FF CO 2 signal and observational limitations preclude disaggregation of the fluxes in other months. The quality of disaggregation is assessed primarily through examination of a posteriori covariance between disaggregated FF and biospheric fluxes at regional scales. Findings indicate that the proposed method is able to robustly disaggregate fluxes regionally at monthly temporal resolution with a posteriori cross covariance lower than 0.15 µmol m -2 s -1 between FF and biospheric fluxes. Error covariance models and covariates based on temporally varying FF inventory data provide a more robust disaggregation over static proxies (e.g., nightlight intensity and population density). However, the synthetic data case study shows that disaggregation is possible even in absence of detailed temporally varying FF inventory data.« less

Predicting ecosystem dynamics at regional scales: an evaluation of a terrestrial biosphere model for the forests of northeastern North America.

PubMed

Medvigy, David; Moorcroft, Paul R

2012-01-19

Terrestrial biosphere models are important tools for diagnosing both the current state of the terrestrial carbon cycle and forecasting terrestrial ecosystem responses to global change. While there are a number of ongoing assessments of the short-term predictive capabilities of terrestrial biosphere models using flux-tower measurements, to date there have been relatively few assessments of their ability to predict longer term, decadal-scale biomass dynamics. Here, we present the results of a regional-scale evaluation of the Ecosystem Demography version 2 (ED2)-structured terrestrial biosphere model, evaluating the model's predictions against forest inventory measurements for the northeast USA and Quebec from 1985 to 1995. Simulations were conducted using a default parametrization, which used parameter values from the literature, and a constrained model parametrization, which had been developed by constraining the model's predictions against 2 years of measurements from a single site, Harvard Forest (42.5° N, 72.1° W). The analysis shows that the constrained model parametrization offered marked improvements over the default model formulation, capturing large-scale variation in patterns of biomass dynamics despite marked differences in climate forcing, land-use history and species-composition across the region. These results imply that data-constrained parametrizations of structured biosphere models such as ED2 can be successfully used for regional-scale ecosystem prediction and forecasting. We also assess the model's ability to capture sub-grid scale heterogeneity in the dynamics of biomass growth and mortality of different sizes and types of trees, and then discuss the implications of these analyses for further reducing the remaining biases in the model's predictions.

Turnover of microbial lipids in the deep biosphere and growth of benthic archaeal populations.

PubMed

Xie, Sitan; Lipp, Julius S; Wegener, Gunter; Ferdelman, Timothy G; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe

2013-04-09

Deep subseafloor sediments host a microbial biosphere with unknown impact on global biogeochemical cycles. This study tests previous evidence based on microbial intact polar lipids (IPLs) as proxies of live biomass, suggesting that Archaea dominate the marine sedimentary biosphere. We devised a sensitive radiotracer assay to measure the decay rate of ([(14)C]glucosyl)-diphytanylglyceroldiether (GlcDGD) as an analog of archaeal IPLs in continental margin sediments. The degradation kinetics were incorporated in model simulations that constrained the fossil fraction of subseafloor IPLs and rates of archaeal turnover. Simulating the top 1 km in a generic continental margin sediment column, we estimated degradation rate constants of GlcDGD being one to two orders of magnitude lower than those of bacterial IPLs, with half-lives of GlcDGD increasing with depth to 310 ky. Given estimated microbial community turnover times of 1.6-73 ky in sediments deeper than 1 m, 50-96% of archaeal IPLs represent fossil signals. Consequently, previous lipid-based estimates of global subseafloor biomass probably are too high, and the widely observed dominance of archaeal IPLs does not rule out a deep biosphere dominated by Bacteria. Reverse modeling of existing concentration profiles suggest that archaeal IPL synthesis rates decline from around 1,000 pg⋅mL(-1) sediment⋅y(-1) at the surface to 0.2 pg⋅mL(-1)⋅y(-1) at 1 km depth, equivalent to production of 7 × 10(5) to 140 archaeal cells⋅mL(-1) sediment⋅y(-1), respectively. These constraints on microbial growth are an important step toward understanding the relationship between the deep biosphere and the carbon cycle.

Atribacteria from the Subseafloor Sedimentary Biosphere Disperse to the Hydrosphere through Submarine Mud Volcanoes.

PubMed

Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Toki, Tomohiro; Ijiri, Akira; Morono, Yuki; Machiyama, Hideaki; Ashi, Juichiro; Okamura, Kei; Inagaki, Fumio

2017-01-01

Submarine mud volcanoes (SMVs) are formed by muddy sediments and breccias extruded to the seafloor from a source in the deep subseafloor and are characterized by the discharge of methane and other hydrocarbon gasses and deep-sourced fluids into the overlying seawater. Although SMVs act as a natural pipeline connecting the Earth's surface and subsurface biospheres, the dispersal of deep-biosphere microorganisms and their ecological roles remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the microbial communities in sediment and overlying seawater at two SMVs located on the Ryukyu Trench off Tanegashima Island, southern Japan. The microbial communities in mud volcano sediments were generally distinct from those in the overlying seawaters and in the well-stratified Pacific margin sediments collected at the Peru Margin, the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank off Oregon, and offshore of Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan. Nevertheless, in-depth analysis of different taxonomic groups at the sub-species level revealed that the taxon affiliated with Atribacteria , heterotrophic anaerobic bacteria that typically occur in organic-rich anoxic subseafloor sediments, were commonly found not only in SMV sediments but also in the overlying seawater. We designed a new oligonucleotide probe for detecting Atribacteria using the catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). CARD-FISH, digital PCR and sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes consistently showed that Atribacteria are abundant in the methane plumes of the two SMVs (0.58 and 1.5 × 10 4 cells/mL, respectively) but not in surrounding waters, suggesting that microbial cells in subseafloor sediments are dispersed as "deep-biosphere seeds" into the ocean. These findings may have important implications for the microbial transmigration between the deep subseafloor biosphere and the hydrosphere.

Atribacteria from the Subseafloor Sedimentary Biosphere Disperse to the Hydrosphere through Submarine Mud Volcanoes

PubMed Central

Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Toki, Tomohiro; Ijiri, Akira; Morono, Yuki; Machiyama, Hideaki; Ashi, Juichiro; Okamura, Kei; Inagaki, Fumio

2017-01-01

Submarine mud volcanoes (SMVs) are formed by muddy sediments and breccias extruded to the seafloor from a source in the deep subseafloor and are characterized by the discharge of methane and other hydrocarbon gasses and deep-sourced fluids into the overlying seawater. Although SMVs act as a natural pipeline connecting the Earth’s surface and subsurface biospheres, the dispersal of deep-biosphere microorganisms and their ecological roles remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the microbial communities in sediment and overlying seawater at two SMVs located on the Ryukyu Trench off Tanegashima Island, southern Japan. The microbial communities in mud volcano sediments were generally distinct from those in the overlying seawaters and in the well-stratified Pacific margin sediments collected at the Peru Margin, the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank off Oregon, and offshore of Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan. Nevertheless, in-depth analysis of different taxonomic groups at the sub-species level revealed that the taxon affiliated with Atribacteria, heterotrophic anaerobic bacteria that typically occur in organic-rich anoxic subseafloor sediments, were commonly found not only in SMV sediments but also in the overlying seawater. We designed a new oligonucleotide probe for detecting Atribacteria using the catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). CARD-FISH, digital PCR and sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes consistently showed that Atribacteria are abundant in the methane plumes of the two SMVs (0.58 and 1.5 × 104 cells/mL, respectively) but not in surrounding waters, suggesting that microbial cells in subseafloor sediments are dispersed as “deep-biosphere seeds” into the ocean. These findings may have important implications for the microbial transmigration between the deep subseafloor biosphere and the hydrosphere. PMID:28676800

Estimation of Pre-industrial Nitrous Oxide Emission from the Terrestrial Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, R.; Tian, H.; Lu, C.; Zhang, B.; Pan, S.; Yang, J.

2015-12-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is currently the third most important greenhouse gases (GHG) after methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Global N2O emission increased substantially primarily due to reactive nitrogen (N) enrichment through fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer production, and legume crop cultivation etc. In order to understand how climate system is perturbed by anthropogenic N2O emissions from the terrestrial biosphere, it is necessary to better estimate the pre-industrial N2O emissions. Previous estimations of natural N2O emissions from the terrestrial biosphere range from 3.3-9.0 Tg N2O-N yr-1. This large uncertainty in the estimation of pre-industrial N2O emissions from the terrestrial biosphere may be caused by uncertainty associated with key parameters such as maximum nitrification and denitrification rates, half-saturation coefficients of soil ammonium and nitrate, N fixation rate, and maximum N uptake rate. In addition to the large estimation range, previous studies did not provide an estimate on preindustrial N2O emissions at regional and biome levels. In this study, we applied a process-based coupled biogeochemical model to estimate the magnitude and spatial patterns of pre-industrial N2O fluxes at biome and continental scales as driven by multiple input data, including pre-industrial climate data, atmospheric CO2 concentration, N deposition, N fixation, and land cover types and distributions. Uncertainty associated with key parameters is also evaluated. Finally, we generate sector-based estimates of pre-industrial N2O emission, which provides a reference for assessing the climate forcing of anthropogenic N2O emission from the land biosphere.

Toward an understanding of global change: Initial priorities for US contributions to the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A limited number of high-priority research initiatives are recommended for early implementation as part of the U.S. contribution to the preparatory phase of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program. The recommendations are based on the committee's analysis of the most critical gaps in the scientific knowledge needed to understand the changes that are occurring in the earth system not being addressed by existing programs. The report articulates a number of important key issues and interactions that characterize global change in the geosphere-biosphere system on time scales of decades to centuries; identifies the knowledge that is the most urgently needed to improve understanding of those issues and interactions; and formulates initial priorities for initial U.S. contributions to the IGBP, recognizing the contributions of other ongoing and proposed programs.

A modern earth narrative: What will be the fate of the biosphere?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, R.S.

2000-01-01

The modern Earth Narrative is the scientific description of the natural and human history of the Earth, and it is based on two fundamental concepts: Deep (or Geologic) Time and Biological Evolution. Changes in the Earth's biosphere and geosphere are discussed from the perspective of natural variability and impacts of the rapid increase in the human population. The failure of humans to comprehend and understand the Earth Narrative, especially the place of humans in it, presages dire consequences for the Earth's biosphere. The actions humans take, individually and collectively, during the 21st century will likely determine the fate of many millions of species, including our own. It is argued that we must quickly establish an Earth System-based conservation ethic that has the objective of complete preservation of the Earth's biotic inheritance. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Intergovernmental Conference of Experts on the Scientific Basis for Rational Use and Conservation of the Resources of the Biosphere (Paris, France, September 4-13, 1968), Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

This document contains twenty recommendations put forth at the Intergovernmental Conference of Experts on the Scientific Basis for Rational Use and Conservation of the Resources of the Biosphere under the direction of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). The conference was held at the UNESCO House, Paris,…

Studies of land-cover, land-use, and biophysical properties of vegetation in the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere experiment in Amazonia.

Treesearch

Dar A. Robertsa; Michael Keller; Joao Vianei Soares

2003-01-01

We summarize early research on land-cover, land-use, and biophysical properties of vegetation from the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere (LBA) experiment in Amazoˆnia. LBA is an international research program developed to evaluate regional function and to determine how land-use and climate modify biological, chemical and physical processes there. Remote sensing has...

Effects of primitive photosynthesis on Earth's early climate system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozaki, Kazumi; Tajika, Eiichi; Hong, Peng K.; Nakagawa, Yusuke; Reinhard, Christopher T.

2018-01-01

The evolution of different forms of photosynthetic life has profoundly altered the activity level of the biosphere, radically reshaping the composition of Earth's oceans and atmosphere over time. However, the mechanistic impacts of a primitive photosynthetic biosphere on Earth's early atmospheric chemistry and climate are poorly understood. Here, we use a global redox balance model to explore the biogeochemical and climatological effects of different forms of primitive photosynthesis. We find that a hybrid ecosystem of H2-based and Fe2+-based anoxygenic photoautotrophs—organisms that perform photosynthesis without producing oxygen—gives rise to a strong nonlinear amplification of Earth's methane (CH4) cycle, and would thus have represented a critical component of Earth's early climate system before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis. Using a Monte Carlo approach, we find that a hybrid photosynthetic biosphere widens the range of geochemical conditions that allow for warm climate states well beyond either of these metabolic processes acting in isolation. Our results imply that the Earth's early climate was governed by a novel and poorly explored set of regulatory feedbacks linking the anoxic biosphere and the coupled H, C and Fe cycles. We suggest that similar processes should be considered when assessing the potential for sustained habitability on Earth-like planets with reducing atmospheres.

Intraterrestrial life in igneous ocean crust: advances, technologies, and the future (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, K. J.; Wheat, C. G.

2010-12-01

The “next frontier” of scientific investigation in the deep sub-seafloor microbial biosphere lies in a realm that has been a completely unexplored until just the past decade: the igneous oceanic crust. Problems that have hampered exploration of the “hard rock” marine deep biosphere have revolved around sample access (hard rock drilling is technologically complex), contamination (a major hurdle), momentum (why take on this challenge when the relatively “easier” marine muds also have been a frontier) and suspicion that microbes in more readily accessed using (simpler) non-drilling technologies - like vents - are truly are endemic of subsurface clades/activities. Since the late 1990’s, however, technologies and resultant studies on microbes in the igneous ocean crust deep biosphere have risen sharply, and offer a new and distinct view on this biome. Moreover, microbiologists are now taking leading roles in technological developments that are critically required to address this biosphere - interfacing and collaborating closely with engineers, genomic biologists, geologists, seismologists, and geochemists to accomplish logistically complex and long-term studies that bring observatory research to this deep realm. The future of this field for the least decade is rich - opportunities abound for microbiologists to play new roles in how we study microbiology in the deep subsurface in an oceanographic and Earth system science perspective.

Searching for a shadow biosphere on Earth as a test of the 'cosmic imperative'.

PubMed

Davies, P C W

2011-02-13

Estimates for the number of communicating civilizations in the galaxy, based on the so-called Drake equation, are meaningless without a plausible estimate for the probability that life will emerge on an Earth-like planet. In the absence of a theory of the origin of life, that number can be anywhere from 0 to 1. Distinguished scientists have been known to argue that life on Earth is a freak accident, unique in the observable universe and, conversely, that life is almost bound to arise in the course of time, given Earth-like conditions. De Duve, adopting the latter position, coined the phrase that 'life is a cosmic imperative'. De Duve's position would be immediately verified if we were to discover a second sample of life that we could be sure arose from scratch independently of known life. Given the current absence of evidence for life beyond Earth, the best way to test the hypothesis of the cosmic imperative is to see whether terrestrial life began more than once. If it did, it is possible that descendants of a second genesis might be extant, forming a sort of 'shadow biosphere' existing alongside, or perhaps interpenetrating, the known biosphere. I outline a strategy to detect the existence of such a shadow biosphere.

Life in a dark biosphere: a review of circadian physiology in "arrhythmic" environments.

PubMed

Beale, Andrew David; Whitmore, David; Moran, Damian

2016-12-01

Most of the life with which humans interact is exposed to highly rhythmic and extremely predictable changes in illumination that occur with the daily events of sunrise and sunset. However, while the influence of the sun feels omnipotent to surface dwellers such as ourselves, life on earth is dominated, in terms of biomass, by organisms isolated from the direct effects of the sun. A limited understanding of what life is like away from the sun can be inferred from our knowledge of physiology and ecology in the light biosphere, but a full understanding can only be gained by studying animals from the dark biosphere, both in the laboratory and in their natural habitats. One of the least understood aspects of life in the dark biosphere is the rhythmicity of physiology and what it means to live in an environment of low or no rhythmicity. Here we describe methods that may be used to understand rhythmic physiology in the dark and summarise some of the studies of rhythmic physiology in "arrhythmic" environments, such as the poles, deep sea and caves. We review what can be understood about the adaptive value of rhythmic physiology on the Earth's surface from studies of animals from arrhythmic environments and what role a circadian clock may play in the dark.

Microbial metagenomes from three aquifers in the Fennoscandian shield terrestrial deep biosphere reveal metabolic partitioning among populations

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiaofen; Holmfeldt, Karin; Hubalek, Valerie; Lundin, Daniel; Åström, Mats; Bertilsson, Stefan; Dopson, Mark

2016-01-01

Microorganisms in the terrestrial deep biosphere host up to 20% of the earth's biomass and are suggested to be sustained by the gases hydrogen and carbon dioxide. A metagenome analysis of three deep subsurface water types of contrasting age (from <20 to several thousand years) and depth (171 to 448 m) revealed phylogenetically distinct microbial community subsets that either passed or were retained by a 0.22 μm filter. Such cells of <0.22 μm would have been overlooked in previous studies relying on membrane capture. Metagenomes from the three water types were used for reconstruction of 69 distinct microbial genomes, each with >86% coverage. The populations were dominated by Proteobacteria, Candidate divisions, unclassified archaea and unclassified bacteria. The estimated genome sizes of the <0.22 μm populations were generally smaller than their phylogenetically closest relatives, suggesting that small dimensions along with a reduced genome size may be adaptations to oligotrophy. Shallow ‘modern marine' water showed community members with a predominantly heterotrophic lifestyle. In contrast, the deeper, ‘old saline' water adhered more closely to the current paradigm of a hydrogen-driven deep biosphere. The data were finally used to create a combined metabolic model of the deep terrestrial biosphere microbial community. PMID:26484735

Microbial metagenomes from three aquifers in the Fennoscandian shield terrestrial deep biosphere reveal metabolic partitioning among populations.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaofen; Holmfeldt, Karin; Hubalek, Valerie; Lundin, Daniel; Åström, Mats; Bertilsson, Stefan; Dopson, Mark

2016-05-01

Microorganisms in the terrestrial deep biosphere host up to 20% of the earth's biomass and are suggested to be sustained by the gases hydrogen and carbon dioxide. A metagenome analysis of three deep subsurface water types of contrasting age (from <20 to several thousand years) and depth (171 to 448 m) revealed phylogenetically distinct microbial community subsets that either passed or were retained by a 0.22 μm filter. Such cells of <0.22 μm would have been overlooked in previous studies relying on membrane capture. Metagenomes from the three water types were used for reconstruction of 69 distinct microbial genomes, each with >86% coverage. The populations were dominated by Proteobacteria, Candidate divisions, unclassified archaea and unclassified bacteria. The estimated genome sizes of the <0.22 μm populations were generally smaller than their phylogenetically closest relatives, suggesting that small dimensions along with a reduced genome size may be adaptations to oligotrophy. Shallow 'modern marine' water showed community members with a predominantly heterotrophic lifestyle. In contrast, the deeper, 'old saline' water adhered more closely to the current paradigm of a hydrogen-driven deep biosphere. The data were finally used to create a combined metabolic model of the deep terrestrial biosphere microbial community.

Community structure of rare methanogenic archaea: insight from a single functional group

PubMed Central

Winkel, Matthias; Wagner, Dirk

2017-01-01

Abstract The rare biosphere, the low abundant microbial populations, is suggested to be a conserved way of microbial life. Here we conducted a molecular survey of rare methanogenic archaea in the environment targeting the mcrA gene in order to test if general concepts associated with the structure of the rare bacterial biosphere also apply to single functional groups. Similar to what is known about rare bacterial communities, the contribution of rare methanogens to the alpha diversity is much larger than to Bray-Curtis measures. Moreover, a similar core group of methanogens harbored by the abundant and rare communities suggests similar sources and environmental controls of both groups. Among the communities of different levels of rarity, the conditionally rare methanogenic taxa largely account for the overall community dynamics of the rare biosphere and likely enter the dominant community under favorable environmental conditions. In addition, we observed a positive correlation between the alpha diversity and the production of methane when the rare taxa were taken into account. This supports the concept that increasing microbial biodiversity enhances ecological function. The composition and environmental associations of the rare methanogenic biosphere allow us to conclude that rarity is a conserved way also for single functional groups. PMID:29029047

Interplay between solid Earth and biological evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höning, Dennis; Spohn, Tilman

2017-04-01

Major shifts in Earth's evolution led to progressive adaptations of the biosphere. Particularly the emergence of continents permitted efficient use of solar energy. However, the widespread evolution of the biosphere fed back to the Earth system, often argued as a cause for the great oxidation event or as an important component in stabilizing Earth's climate. Furthermore, biologically enhanced weathering rates alter the flux of sediments in subduction zones, establishing a potential link to the deep interior. Stably bound water within subducting sediments not only enhances partial melting but further affects the mantle rheology. The mantle responds by enhancing its rates of convection, water outgassing, and subduction. How crucial is the emergence and evolution of life on Earth to these processes, and how would Earth have been evolved without the emergence of life? We here discuss concepts and present models addressing these questions and discuss the biosphere as a major component in evolving Earth system feedback cycles.

An extensive phase space for the potential martian biosphere.

PubMed

Jones, Eriita G; Lineweaver, Charles H; Clarke, Jonathan D

2011-12-01

We present a comprehensive model of martian pressure-temperature (P-T) phase space and compare it with that of Earth. Martian P-T conditions compatible with liquid water extend to a depth of ∼310 km. We use our phase space model of Mars and of terrestrial life to estimate the depths and extent of the water on Mars that is habitable for terrestrial life. We find an extensive overlap between inhabited terrestrial phase space and martian phase space. The lower martian surface temperatures and shallower martian geotherm suggest that, if there is a hot deep biosphere on Mars, it could extend 7 times deeper than the ∼5 km depth of the hot deep terrestrial biosphere in the crust inhabited by hyperthermophilic chemolithotrophs. This corresponds to ∼3.2% of the volume of present-day Mars being potentially habitable for terrestrial-like life.

The oxygen side of sulfate constrains global biospheric productivity in the mid-Phanerozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wing, B. A.

2009-12-01

Recent work has read in the oxygen side of sulfate a record of CO2 concentrations and extreme environments on Neoproterozoic Earth [1, 2]. The connection between CO2 levels and total isotopic composition of mineral proxies for marine sulfate was motivated by an empirical correlation between CO2 concentrations and in 17O anomalies in samples of atmospheric gases preserved as bubbles in ice cores [3,4]. The 17O anomaly in atmospheric O2 has been interpreted to originate primarily from stratospheric photochemical cycles of O3, O2, and CO2 [3, 4]. Both CO2 and O3 form the 17O-enriched partners for the 17O-depleted O2 and, given a fixed atmospheric lifetime for O2, isotopic mass balance dictates that increasing CO2 levels will drive larger relative 17O deficits in O2. With a photochemically-calibrated relationship between the relative 17O anomaly in atmospheric O2 and atmospheric CO2 levels [1], the amount of CO2 in an ancient atmosphere can be directly estimated from the isotopic record of atmospheric O2 bound up in the oxygen side of sulfate. Although they are correlated, the relative 17O anomaly in atmospheric O2 is not only a function of atmospheric CO2 levels. Photosynthetic O2 is characterized by isotopically ‘normal’ oxygen sourced from the global hydrosphere [3]. Increased photosynthetic O2 production, therefore, dilutes the isotopic anomaly found in atmospheric O2. Measurements of the 17O anomaly in O2 from ice cores allow global changes in global biosphere productivity to be traced back to 60 ka ago [3, 4]. Applying similar analysis to recent datasets of the 17O anomaly in marine sulfates [1] and atmospheric CO2 levels [5] produces quantitative global biospheric productivity estimates for the time interval from 310 to 240 Ma ago. Although the time resolution is coarse, much of the mid-Phanerozoic was characterized by global biospheric productivity similar in magnitude to the average global biospheric productivity for the last 10 ka. Counterintuitively, this includes the global mid-Carboniferous biosphere. Global biospheric productivity at the end of the Permian, however, was apparently greatly enhanced relative to the rest of the mid-Phanerozoic. [1] Huiming Bao, J. Lyons, Chuanming Zhou (2008) Nature 453 504. [2] Huiming Bao, I.J. Fairchild, P.M. Wynn, C. Spötl (2009) Science 323 119. [3] B. Luz, E. Barkan, M. L. Bender, M. H. Thiemens, K. A. Boering (1999) Nature 400 547. [4] T. Blunier, B. Barnett, M. L. Bender, M. B. Hendricks (2002) Global Biogeochem. Cycles 16 doi:10.1029/2001GB001460. [5] D. L. Royer (2006) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 70 5665.

Understanding Microbial Contributions to Planetary Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, David J.

2000-01-01

Should our search of distant, extrasolar planetary atmospheres encounter evidence of life, that evidence will most likely be the gaseous products of microorganisms. Our biosphere was exclusively microbial for over 80 percent of its history and, even today, microbes strongly influence atmospheric composition. Life's greatest environmental impact arises from its capacity for harvesting energy and creating organic matter. Microorganisms catalyze the equilibration of C, S and transition metal species at temperatures where such reactions can be very slow in the absence of life. Sunlight has been harvested through photosynthesis to create enormous energy reservoirs that exist in the form of coexisting reservoirs of reduced, organic C and S stored in Earth's crust, and highly oxidized species (oxygen, sulfate and ferric iron) stored in the crust, oceans and atmosphere. Our civilization taps that storehouse of energy by burning fossil fuels. As astrobiologists, we identify the chemical consequences of distant biospheres as expressed in the atmospheres of their planets. Our approach must recognize that planets, biospheres and atmospheres evolve and change. For example, a tectonically more active early Earth hosted a thermophilic, non-photosynthetic biosphere and a mildly reducing, carbon dioxide-rich and oxygen-poor atmosphere. Microorganisms acquired energy by consuming hydrogen and sulfide and producing a broad array of reduced C and S gases, most notably, methane. Later, diverse types of bacterial photosynthesis developed that enhanced productivity but were incapable of splitting water to produce oxygen. Later, but still prior to 2.6 billion years ago, oxygenic photosynthesis developed. We can expect to encounter distant biospheres that represent various stages of evolution and that coexist with atmospheres ranging from mildly reducing to oxidizing compositions. Accordinaly, we must be prepared to interpret a broad range of atmospheric compositions, all containing signatures of life. Remarkably little is known about the composition of our own earlier atmosphere, particularly prior to the rise of oxygen levels some 2.0 to 2.2 billion years ago. Thus, field and laboratory observations and theoretical simulations should be conducted to examine the relationships between the structure and function of microbial ecosystems and their gaseous products. Ecosystems that are analogs of our ancient biosphere (e.g., based upon chemosynthesis or non-oxygenic photosynthesis, thermophilic and subsurface communities, etc.) should be included. Because key environmental parameters such as temperature and levels of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen varied during planetary evolution, their consequences for microbial ecosystems should be explored.

Ocean Drilling Program Contributions to the Understanding of the Deep Subsurface Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisk, M. R.

2003-12-01

Tantalizing evidence for microbes in oceanic basalts has been reported for a few decades, but it was from rocks cored on Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 148 in 1993 that the first clear-cut evidence of microbial invasion of ocean basalts was obtained. (Work on ODP legs, starting with Leg 112 in 1986, had already revealed the presence of significant microbial biomass in sediments.) In 1997 ODP created the Deep Biosphere Program Planning Group to promote the investigation of the microbiology of the ocean crust. In 1999 ODP built a microbiology lab on the JOIDES Resolution, and used the lab that year (Legs 185 and 187) to test the amount of microbial contamination introduced into rocks during drilling and to establish cultures from cored basalts. These experiments have been repeated on several legs since then. The development of CORKs has permitted long-term sampling of subseafloor fluids, and microorganisms have been recovered from CORKed holes. Thus, ODP made it possible for the scientific community to address major questions about the biology of the igneous crust, such as, (1) What microbes are present? (2) How abundant are they? (3) How are they distributed? DNA from basalts and subseafloor fluids reveal what types of organisms are present. Cell abundance and biomass have been estimated based on cell counts and on organic content of basalts. Surveys of basalts in DSDP/ODP repositories indicate that microorganisms are ubiquitous in the igneous crust. Microorganisms are found in rocks that are close to 100° C. They are found as deep as 1500 m below the sea floor, and in rocks as young as a few years and as old as 170 million years. Because of the vast size of the habitat, microorganism, even if present in small numbers, could be a significant fraction of the Earth's biomass. In a short time ODP contributed to advances in our understanding of the oceanic subsurface biosphere. Answers to other significant questions such as: (1) How do the microorganisms live?, (2) What impact do subsurface microorganisms have on the surface biosphere? (3) And, what roles do the subsurface biosphere play in element cycling? will be answered by future drilling. The International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is in the enviable position of providing support to address these key questions about the Earth's subsurface biosphere.

Modern Microbial Ecosystems are a Key to Understanding Our Biosphere's Early Evolution and its Contributions To The Atmosphere and Rock Record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, David J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The survival of our early biosphere depended upon efficient coordination anion- diverse microbial populations. Microbial mats exhibit a 3.46-billion-year fossil record, thus they are the oldest known ecosystems. Photosynthetic microbial mats were key because, today, sunlight powers more than 99 percent of global primary productivity. Thus photosynthetic ecosystems have affected the atmosphere profoundly and have created the most pervasive, easily-detected fossils. Photosynthetic biospheres elsewhere will be most detectible via telescopes or spacecraft. As a part of the Astrobiology Institute, our Ames Microbial Ecosystems group examines the roles played by ecological processes in the early evolution of our biosphere, as recorded in geologic fossils and in the macromolecules of living cells: (1) We are defining the microbial mat microenvironment, which was an important milieu for early evolution. (2) We are comparing mats in contrasting environments to discern strategies of adaptation and diversification, traits that were key for long-term survival. (3) We have selected sites that mimic key environmental attributes of early Earth and thereby focus upon evolutionary adaptations to long-term changes in the global environment. (4) Our studies of gas exchange contribute to better estimates of biogenic gases in Earth's early atmosphere. This group therefore directly addresses the question: How have the Earth and its biosphere influenced each other over time Our studies strengthen the systematics for interpreting the microbial fossil record and thereby enhance astrobiological studies of martian samples. Our models of biogenic gas emissions will enhance models of atmospheres that might be detected on inhabited extrasolar planets. This work therefore also addresses the question: How can other biospheres be recogniZed" Our choice of field sites helps us explore Earth's evolving early environment. For example, modern mats that occupy thermal springs and certain freshwater environments experience conditions such as low O2 and sulfate and high inorganic carbon and sulfide levels that resemble those of ancient marine environments. Later in history, both biologically-induced carbonate precipitation and the trapping and binding of suspended grains of carbonate became a dominant mechanism for carbonate deposition. Modern marine carbonate platforms and alkaline offer good examples of microbiologically-induced calcification. Both marine platforms and solar salterns illustrate microbially-driven trapping and binding. We are also exploring the effects of water composition upon the exchange of biogenic gases with the atmosphere.

USSR and Eastern Europe Scientific Abstracts. Geophysics, Astronomy and Space, Number 430

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-10-02

making the necessary preparations. (PRAVDA 30 Aug 78 p 1) 30 AUGUST 31 AUGUST In accordance with the " Biosfera " (biosphere) experiment, the...On their sixth day on board the space complex, cosmonauts Bykovskiy and Jaehn continued the " Biosfera " environmental studies experiment as well as...AUGUST In accordance with the " Biosfera " (biosphere) experiment, the internatxonal crew conducted observations of the earth’s surface, a variety of

Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Year 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

forests of the southern Yucatan Peninsula form the largest expanse of this ecosystem type remaining in Mexico. It forms an ecocline between a drier...Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to preserve this unique forested area. The Southern Yucatan Peninsular Region Project is currently engaged in an assessment of the...Eastman, B.L. Turner II, S. Calme, R. Dickson, C. Pozo, and F. Sangermano, 2007: Land Change in the southern Yucatan and Calamul biosphere reserve

Improved Carbon Flux Observations over Urban Areas Using Carbonyl Sulfide (COS) to Differentiate Contributions from Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelan, M.; LaFranchi, B. W.; Bambha, R.; Michelsen, H. A.; Fischer, M. L.; Graven, H. D.; Baker, I. T.; Guilderson, T.; Campbell, J. E.

2016-12-01

Direct measurement and attribution of carbon exchange over urban areas is challenging because of the heterogeneity of the landscape and errors introduced by flux source partitioning. One important contribution to uncertainty is the influence of the urban biosphere on the regional carbon budget. Atmospheric observations of carbonyl sulfide (COS) are an emerging tool for estimating gross primary productivity: COS is consumed in plant leaves by parallel pathways to CO2 uptake, without the additional complexity of an analogous respiration term. This study makes use of COS measurements to better understand fluctuations in total CO2 concentrations over an urban region due to the balance of photosynthesis and respiration. In situ ground-based observations of trace gas concentrations were made from a tower in Livermore, CA, USA, and interpreted with WRF-STILT back trajectories and gridded data sets (e.g. VULCAN, a new anthropogenic COS inventory), supplemented with biosphere models (SiB, CASA-GFED3). CO2, 14CO2, and CO observations were used to first parse the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to total CO2. Changes in the remainder CO2 was differentiated as the sum of biosphere components with associated uncertainties. This approach could be used to better validate carbon emissions reduction measures and ecosytem-based carbon capture projects on the regional scale.

Multiple greenhouse-gas feedbacks from the land biosphere under future climate change scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocker, Benjamin D.; Roth, Raphael; Joos, Fortunat; Spahni, Renato; Steinacher, Marco; Zaehle, Soenke; Bouwman, Lex; Xu-Ri; Prentice, Iain Colin

2013-07-01

Atmospheric concentrations of the three important greenhouse gases (GHGs) CO2, CH4 and N2O are mediated by processes in the terrestrial biosphere that are sensitive to climate and CO2. This leads to feedbacks between climate and land and has contributed to the sharp rise in atmospheric GHG concentrations since pre-industrial times. Here, we apply a process-based model to reproduce the historical atmospheric N2O and CH4 budgets within their uncertainties and apply future scenarios for climate, land-use change and reactive nitrogen (Nr) inputs to investigate future GHG emissions and their feedbacks with climate in a consistent and comprehensive framework. Results suggest that in a business-as-usual scenario, terrestrial N2O and CH4 emissions increase by 80 and 45%, respectively, and the land becomes a net source of C by AD 2100. N2O and CH4 feedbacks imply an additional warming of 0.4-0.5°C by AD 2300; on top of 0.8-1.0°C caused by terrestrial carbon cycle and Albedo feedbacks. The land biosphere represents an increasingly positive feedback to anthropogenic climate change and amplifies equilibrium climate sensitivity by 22-27%. Strong mitigation limits the increase of terrestrial GHG emissions and prevents the land biosphere from acting as an increasingly strong amplifier to anthropogenic climate change.

[The high pressure life of piezophiles].

PubMed

Oger, Philippe; Cario, Anaïs

2014-01-01

The deep biosphere is composed of very different biotopes located in the depth of the oceans, the ocean crust or the lithosphere. Although very different, deep biosphere biotopes share one common feature, high hydrostatic pressure. The deep biosphere is colonized by specific organisms, called piezophiles, that are able to grow under high hydrostatic pressure. Bacterial piezophiles are mainly psychrophiles belonging to five genera of γ-proteobacteria, Photobacterium, Shewanella, Colwellia, Psychromonas and Moritella, while piezophilic Archaea are mostly (hyper)thermophiles from the Thermococcales. None of these genera are specific for the deep biosphere. High pressure deeply impacts the activity of cells and cellular components, and reduces the activity of numerous key processes, eventually leading to cell death of piezosensitive organisms. Biochemical and genomic studies yield a fragmented view on the adaptive mechanisms in piezophiles. It is yet unclear whether piezophilic adaptation requires the modification of a few genes, or metabolic pathways, or a more profound reorganization of the genome, the fine tuning of gene expression to compensate the pressure-induced loss of activity of the proteins most affected by high pressure, or a stress-like physiological cell response. In contrast to what has been seen for thermophily or halophily, the adaptation to high pressure is diffuse in the genome and may concern only a small fraction of the genes. © Société de Biologie, 2014.

Constraining Centennial-Scale Ecosystem-Climate Interactions with a Pre-colonial Forest Reconstruction across the Upper Midwest and Northeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthes, J. H.; Dietze, M.; Fox, A. M.; Goring, S. J.; McLachlan, J. S.; Moore, D. J.; Poulter, B.; Quaife, T. L.; Schaefer, K. M.; Steinkamp, J.; Williams, J. W.

2014-12-01

Interactions between ecological systems and the atmosphere are the result of dynamic processes with system memories that persist from seconds to centuries. Adequately capturing long-term biosphere-atmosphere exchange within earth system models (ESMs) requires an accurate representation of changes in plant functional types (PFTs) through time and space, particularly at timescales associated with ecological succession. However, most model parameterization and development has occurred using datasets than span less than a decade. We tested the ability of ESMs to capture the ecological dynamics observed in paleoecological and historical data spanning the last millennium. Focusing on an area from the Upper Midwest to New England, we examined differences in the magnitude and spatial pattern of PFT distributions and ecotones between historic datasets and the CMIP5 inter-comparison project's large-scale ESMs. We then conducted a 1000-year model inter-comparison using six state-of-the-art biosphere models at sites that bridged regional temperature and precipitation gradients. The distribution of ecosystem characteristics in modeled climate space reveals widely disparate relationships between modeled climate and vegetation that led to large differences in long-term biosphere-atmosphere fluxes for this region. Model simulations revealed that both the interaction between climate and vegetation and the representation of ecosystem dynamics within models were important controls on biosphere-atmosphere exchange.

Impact craters as biospheric microenvironments, Lawn Hill Structure, Northern Australia.

PubMed

Lindsay, John; Brasier, Martin

2006-04-01

Impact craters on Mars act as traps for eolian sediment and in the past may have provided suitable microenvironments that could have supported and preserved a stressed biosphere. If this is so, terrestrial impact structures such as the 18-km-diameter Lawn Hill Structure, in northern Australia, may prove useful as martian analogs. We sampled outcrop and drill core from the carbonate fill of the Lawn Hill Structure and recorded its gamma-log signature. Facies data along with whole rock geochemistry and stable isotope signatures show that the crater fill is an outlier of the Georgina Basin and was formed by impact at, or shortly before, approximately 509-506 million years ago. Subsequently, it was rapidly engulfed by the Middle Cambrian marine transgression, which filled it with shallow marine carbonates and evaporites. The crater formed a protected but restricted microenvironment in which sediments four times the thickness of the nearby basinal succession accumulated. Similar structures, common on the martian surface, may well have acted as biospheric refuges as the planet's water resources declined. Low-pH aqueous environments on Earth similar to those on Mars, while extreme, support diverse ecologies. The architecture of the eolian crater fill would have been defined by long-term ground water cycles resulting from intermittent precipitation in an extremely arid climate. Nutrient recycling, critical to a closed lacustrine sub-ice biosphere, could be provided by eolian transport onto the frozen water surface.

Predicting what extra-terrestrials will be like: and preparing for the worst.

PubMed

Morris, Simon Conway

2011-02-13

It is difficult to imagine evolution in alien biospheres operating in any manner other than Darwinian. Yet, it is also widely assumed that alien life-forms will be just that: strange, un-nerving and probably repulsive. There are two reasons for this view. First, it is assumed that the range of habitable environments available to extra-terrestrial life is far wider than on Earth. I suggest, however, that terrestrial life is close to the physical and chemical limits of life anywhere. Second, it is a neo-Darwinian orthodoxy that evolution lacks predictability; imagining what extra-terrestrial life would look like in any detail is a futile exercise. To the contrary, I suggest that the outcomes of evolution are remarkably predictable. This, however, leads us to consider two opposites, both of which should make our blood run cold. The first, and actually extremely unlikely, is that alien biospheres will be strikingly similar to our terrestrial equivalent and that in such biospheres intelligence will inevitably emerge. The reasons for this revolve around the ubiquity of evolutionary convergence, the determinate structure of the Tree of Life and molecular inherency. But if something like a human is an inevitability, why do I also claim that the first possibility is 'extremely unlikely'? Simply because the other possibility is actually the correct answer. Paradoxically, we and our biosphere are completely alone. So which is worse? Meeting ourselves or meeting nobody?

Developing Starlight connections with UNESCO sites through the Biosphere Smart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin, Cipriano

2015-08-01

The large number of UNESCO Sites around the world, in outstanding sites ranging from small islands to cities, makes it possible to build and share a comprehensive knowledge base on good practices and policies on the preservation of the night skies consistent with the protection of the associated scientific, natural and cultural values. In this context, the Starlight Initiative and other organizations such as IDA play a catalytic role in an essential international process to promote comprehensive, holistic approaches on dark sky preservation, astronomical observation, environmental protection, responsible lighting, sustainable energy, climate change and global sustainability.Many of these places have the potential to become models of excellence to foster the recovery of the dark skies and its defence against light pollution, included some case studies mentioned in the Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy.Fighting light pollution and recovering starry sky are already elements of a new emerging culture in biosphere reserves and world heritage sites committed to acting on climate change and sustainable development. Over thirty territories, including biosphere reserves and world heritage sites, have been developed successful initiatives to ensure night sky quality and promote sustainable lighting. Clear night skies also provide sustainable income opportunities as tourists and visitors are eagerly looking for sites with impressive night skies.Taking into account the high visibility and the ability of UNESCO sites to replicate network experiences, the Starlight Initiative has launched an action In cooperation with Biosphere Smart, aimed at promoting the Benchmark sites.Biosphere Smart is a global observatory created in partnership with UNESCO MaB Programme to share good practices, and experiences among UNESCO sites. The Benchmark sites window allows access to all the information of the most relevant astronomical heritage sites, dark sky protected areas and other places committed to the preservation of the values associated with the night sky. A new step ahead in our common task of protecting the starry skies at UNESCO sites.

Evolvability Is an Evolved Ability: The Coding Concept as the Arch-Unit of Natural Selection.

PubMed

Janković, Srdja; Ćirković, Milan M

2016-03-01

Physical processes that characterize living matter are qualitatively distinct in that they involve encoding and transfer of specific types of information. Such information plays an active part in the control of events that are ultimately linked to the capacity of the system to persist and multiply. This algorithmicity of life is a key prerequisite for its Darwinian evolution, driven by natural selection acting upon stochastically arising variations of the encoded information. The concept of evolvability attempts to define the total capacity of a system to evolve new encoded traits under appropriate conditions, i.e., the accessible section of total morphological space. Since this is dependent on previously evolved regulatory networks that govern information flow in the system, evolvability itself may be regarded as an evolved ability. The way information is physically written, read and modified in living cells (the "coding concept") has not changed substantially during the whole history of the Earth's biosphere. This biosphere, be it alone or one of many, is, accordingly, itself a product of natural selection, since the overall evolvability conferred by its coding concept (nucleic acids as information carriers with the "rulebook of meanings" provided by codons, as well as all the subsystems that regulate various conditional information-reading modes) certainly played a key role in enabling this biosphere to survive up to the present, through alterations of planetary conditions, including at least five catastrophic events linked to major mass extinctions. We submit that, whatever the actual prebiotic physical and chemical processes may have been on our home planet, or may, in principle, occur at some time and place in the Universe, a particular coding concept, with its respective potential to give rise to a biosphere, or class of biospheres, of a certain evolvability, may itself be regarded as a unit (indeed the arch-unit) of natural selection.

Multilevel approach to mentoring in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonine, K. E.; Dontsova, K.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Paavo, B.; Hogan, D.; Oberg, E.; Gay, J.

2015-12-01

This presentation focuses on different types of mentoring for students participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs with examples, including some new approaches, from The Environmental and Earth Systems Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program at Biosphere 2. While traditional faculty mentors play essential role in students' development as researchers and professionals, other formal and informal mentoring can be important component of the REU program and student experiences. Students receive mentoring from program directors, coordinators, and on site undergraduate advisors. While working on their research projects, REU students receive essential support and mentoring from undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in the research groups of their primary mentors. Cohort living and group activities give multiple opportunities for peer mentoring where each student brings their own strengths and experiences to the group. Biosphere 2 REU program puts strong emphasis on teaching students to effectively communicate their research to public. In order to help REUs learn needed skills the outreach personnel at Biosphere 2 mentor and advise students both in groups and individually, in lecture format and by personal example, on best outreach approaches in general and on individual outreach projects students develop. To further enhance and strengthen outreach mentoring we used a novel approach of blending cohort of REU students with the Cal Poly STAR (STEM Teacher And Researcher) Program fellows, future K-12 STEM teachers who are gaining research experience at Biosphere 2. STAR fellows live together with the REU students and participate with them in professional development activities, as well as perform research side by side. Educational background and experiences gives these students a different view and better preparation and tools to effectively communicate and adapt science to lay audiences, a challenge commonly facing researchers but rarely taught to future scientists. In addition, REU students act as mentors themselves to the middle and high school students in Biosphere 2 Science Academy sharing with them exciting research they are doing and their experiences about doing science and life in college.

What are the Outstanding Questions in Biosphere-Atmosphere Exchange?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katul, G.; Finnigan, J.

2002-12-01

Our answer to this question has three parts. At the highest level human population is now so large (and will grow to 10-12 million by 2050 before stabilizing and reversing) and our capacity to influence the biosphere is so profound that we must now treat human, biophysical and geophysical processes as a single interacting system: the Anthroposphere. The Anthroposphere is a complex adaptive system (CAS) in the sense that action of humans individually or in groups (as large as nations) are a response to an environment that includes not just the geosphere and biosphere but the sum of human interactions as well. These actions, in turn, will change this system that provides critical ecosystem services that we are just now realizing are finite and threatened. At present we lack the tools and understanding even to frame key questions about the Anthroposphere although the emerging discipline of Complex System Science is hinting at ways this might be done. At the next level we address the problems posed by cross-scale interactions central to the state and function of the geosphere and biosphere, where processes at the cellular level, (e.g. photosynthesis and respiration), have consequences on the global level and vice-versa through a sequence of non-linear upscale and downscale interactions. Currently there are large gaps in our understanding of this scale cascade that inhibit our ability to parameterize, model and predict phenomena such as the rapid shifts in climate that recent studies of the paleo record have revealed. In short, we need to quantify the risk that our current actions may cause abrupt climate changes that may then feed upon the Anthrosphere. Unless we can reduce the uncertainty with which we describe quantitatively the non-human parts of the Anthroposphere, the injection of models of human interaction, initially tentative, may reduce our predictive ability to unusable levels. Finally we can detail a set of key processes that are themselves critical to geosphere-biosphere functioning but which are poorly understood as yet.

Top-Down Assessment of the Asian Carbon Budget Since the Mid 1990s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, R.; Canadell, J.; Patra, P. K.; Chevallier, F.; Maksyutov, S. S.; Law, R. M.; Ziehn, T.; van der Laan-Luijkx, I. T.; Peters, W.; Ganshin, A.; Zhuravlev, R.; Maki, T.; Nakamura, T.; Shirai, T.; Ishizawa, M.; Saeki, T.; Poulter, B.; Ciais, P.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principle driver of anthropogenic climate change. Asia is an important region for the global carbon budget, with four of the world's ten largest national emitters of CO2, but it is also a region with considerable uncertainty in both anthropogenic emissions and land biosphere fluxes of CO2. Furthermore, Asia has undergone rapid economic growth over the past two decades, which has been associated with large increases in fossil fuel emissions, 190% for India and 240% for China between 1990 and 2010. We have used an ensemble of seven atmospheric CO2 inversions and three standard fossil fuel and cement fluxes, based on the inventories of CDIAC, EDGAR and IEA, to determine the land biosphere fluxes for East, South and Southeast Asia, and to ascertain the robustness and overall uncertainty of the results. We find that the East Asian land biosphere was on average a carbon sink of -0.35 ± 0.37 PgC y-1 (median and MAD), or equivalently 17 ± 18% of East Asia's fossil fuel and cement emissions, over 1996 - 2012. Between 1996 - 2001 and 2008 - 2012, we find an increase in the sink of 0.74 ± 0.28 PgC y-1, however the magnitude of this is contingent on the assumed increase in fossil fuel emissions. For South Asia, we find that on average the land biosphere was close to carbon neutral, -0.01 ± 0.20 PgC y-1 over 1996 - 2012 and that there was no significant trend. For Southeast Asia, we find no evidence for a trend in the land biosphere flux over 1996 - 2012 and we cannot determine any difference from carbon neutrality (as assumed a priori by most inversions) with a flux of 0.06 ± 0.29 PgC y-1, throughout this period despite extensive tropical deforestation.

Benthic δ13C stacks: Metrics for deglacial changes in deep ocean carbon storage and the terrestrial biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, C.; Lisiecki, L. E.

2016-12-01

Across the deglaciation, atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures rise while the deep ocean ventilates carbon to the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. As the terrestrial biosphere expands, the mean global ocean δ13C signature increases in response. How well constrained is the global mean benthic δ13C from 20-6 ka? Are the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere signals in benthic δ13C coupled across the deglaciation? Improved understanding of deglacial carbon cycle interactions can help close the gap between data-based and model-based estimates of global mean benthic δ13C and deep ocean carbon storage changes. Here we present a 118-record compilation of Cibicides wuellerstorfi δ13C time series that span 20-6 kyr. The δ13C records with a resolution better than 3 kyr and gaps between data smaller than 4 kyr are aligned to age models that are constrained by planktic 14C ages (Stern and Lisiecki, 2014). The δ13C records are stacked within nine regions. Then these regional stacks are combined using volume-weighted averages to create intermediate, deep and whole ocean δ13C stacks. The δ13C gradient between the intermediate and deep stacks covaries with atmospheric CO2 change. Meanwhile the deglacial global ocean mean δ13C rise tracks the expansion of the global terrestrial biosphere from 19-6 ka. From this volume-weighted global δ13C stack, the LGM-Holocene mean δ13C change is 0.35±0.10‰ similar to previous estimates (Curry et al., 1988; Duplessy et al., 1988; Peterson et al., 2015; Gebbie et al., 2015). The δ13C stacks and this 4D δ13C compilation are ideal for model-data comparisons and time-stepping 3D visualizations.

Initial experimental results from the Laboratory Biosphere closed ecological system facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alling, A.; Allen, J.; Dempster, W.; Nelson, M.; Silverstone, S.; van Thillo, M.

Results from the closure and initial closed ecological system research in the "Laboratory Biosphere" facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA) will be presented. The facility was initially sealed in April 2002; and the first crop experiments with soybeans commenced in May 2002. The Laboratory Biosphere was created by the team which invented, built and operated Biosphere 2 during its years of closed ecological system functioning (1991-94) and is a testbed to build upon the lessons learned. It is an opportunity to continue experiments with a sustainable soil based agriculture system unlike most bioregenerative systems which use hydroponic systems dependent on a supply of nutrient solution. Because of the small volume of the system (34-45 m3), developing mechanisms to keep parameters like carbon dioxide within acceptable limits will be critical. Recycle of nutrients within the system to maintain soil fertility; and the ability of the inherent complex ecology of soils and a soil bed reactor to handle trace gas buildups are primary research goals. Other research goals are determination of short and long-term exchanges between soil, plants and atmosphere, especially for carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, NOX, and methane, impact of cultivation (tillage) on soil/atmospheric exchanges., investigation and development of strategies to return nutrients to the soil to maintain fertility, e.g. shredding biomass vs. composting, impact on soil chemistry of returning leachate water to the soil as irrigation water. The microbiological status of soils prior to experiments and over time will allow measurement of changes in microbial diversity and the determination of the role of soil microbes in biogeochemical cycles. Integration of automated sensor and control in the system with real-time modeling has importance for operation, research and educational outreach programs. The Laboratory Biosphere is intended to test and develop a "cybersphere" (network of shared intelligence) that may be scaled up for natural ecosystems and the global environment.

Technical Review of the Laboratory Biosphere Closed Ecological System Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, W.; van Thillo, M.; Alling, A.; Allen, J.; Silverstone, S.; Nelson, M.

The "Laboratory Biosphere", a new closed ecological system facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA) has been constructed and became operational in May 2002. Built and operated by the Global Ecotechnics consortium (Biosphere Technologies and Biosphere Foundation with Biospheric Design Inc., and the Institute of Ecotechnics), the research apparatus for intensive crop growth, biogeochemical cycle dynamics and recycling of inedible crop biomass comprises a sealed cylindrical steel chamber and attached variable volume chamber (lung) to prevent pressures caused by the expansion and contraction of the contained air. The cylindrical growing chamber is 3.7m (12 feet) long and 3.7m (12 foot) diameter, giving an internal volume of 34 m3 (1200 ft 3 ). The two crop growth beds cover 5.5 m2, with a soil depth of 0.3m (12 inches), with 12 x 1000 watt high-pressure sodium lights capable of variable lighting of 40-70 mol per m2 per day. A small soil bed reactor in the chamber can be activated to help with metabolism of chamber trace gases. The volume of the attached variable volume chamber (lung) can range between 0-11 m3 (0-400 ft 3 ). Evapotranspired and soil leachate water are collected, combined and recycled to water the planting beds. Sampling ports enable testing of water quality of leachate, condensate and irrigation water. Visual inspection windows provide views of the entire interior and growing beds. The chamber is also outfitted with an airlock to minimize air exchange when people enter and work in the chamber. Continuous sensors include atmospheric CO2 and oxygen, temperature, humidity, soil moisture, light level and water levels in reservoirs. Both "sniffer" (air ports) and "sipper" (water ports) will enable collection of water or air samples for detailed analysis. This paper reports on the development of this new soil-based bioregenerative life support closed system apparatus and its technical challenges and capabilities.

A brief description of the simple biosphere model (SiB)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Mintz, Y.; Sud, Y. C.

1986-01-01

A biosphere model for calculating the transfer of energy, mass, and momentum between the atmosphere and the vegetated surface of the Earth was designed for atmospheric general circulation models. An upper vegetation layer represents the perennial canopy of trees or shrubs, a lower layer represents the annual ground cover of grasses and other herbacious species. The local coverage of each vegetation layer may be fractional or complete but as the individual vegetation elements are considered to be evenly spaced, their root systems are assumed to extend uniformly throughout the entire grid-area. The biosphere has seven prognostic physical-state variables: two temperatures (one for the canopy and one for the ground cover and soil surface); two interception water stores (one for the canopy and one for the ground cover); and three soil moisture stores (two of which can be reached by the vegetation root systems and one underlying recharge layer into and out of which moisture is transferred only by hydraulic diffusion).

Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE): 2003 Drilling Campaign to Search for a Subsurface Biosphere at Rio Tinto Spain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoker, Carol; Dunagan, Stephen; Stevens, Todd; Amils, Ricardo; Gomez-Elvira, Javier; Fernandez, David; Hall, James; Lynch, Kennda; Cannon, Howard; Zavaleta, Jhony

2004-01-01

The MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment) project, an ASTEP field experiment, is exploring for a hypothesized subsurface anaerobic chemoautotrophic biosphere in the region of the Tinto River- or Rio Tinto- in southwestern Spain. It is also demonstrating technology needed to search for a subsurface biosphere on Mars. The project has three primary objectives: (1) search for and characterize subsurface life at Rio Tinto along with the physical and chemical properties and sustaining energy sources of its environment, (2) perform a high fidelity simulation of a robotic Mars drilling mission to search for life, and (3) demonstrate the drilling, sample handling, and instrument technologies relevant to searching for life on Mars. The simulation of the robotic drilling mission is guided by the results of the aseptic drilling campaign to search for life at Rio Tinto. This paper describes results of the first phase of the aseptic drilling campaign.

Cosmic Rays as a Factor of Biosphere Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miroshnichenko, L. I.

2014-11-01

There are no doubts that the Earth's space environment in the past inevitably exerted direct and/or indirect influence [1--4] on the conditions of terrestrial life and biospheric evolution. Well-known cosmic factors are usually streams of cosmic dust and gas, comets and asteroids, cosmic rays (energetic particles of galactic and/or solar origin), interplanetary plasma (solar wind), and electromagnetic radiation of different energies, wavelengths, or frequencies. Of great interest are radiation conditions and their variations, especially in the remote past (over the geological time scales). The Sun, the most important and indispensable condition for the existence of the Earth's biosphere, is also a potential source of dangerous emissions. In continuation of (and in addition to) our review paper [3], below we summarize the observational data and results of theoretical works that have been carried out and/or published mainly after 2012. These studies are actually in the frontier region between the Astrobiology and Space Weather. Our main attention is paid to cosmic rays (CR) of galactic and solar origin (GCR and SCR, respectively).

Agricultural ecosystems - The world is watching

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Madison, M.F.; Licht, L.A.

1990-02-01

Environmental degradation is displacing nuclear war as the overriding concern of the world's people. An accusing finger is rightfully pointed at agricultural practices - for degrading water, air, food, and societal quality. As reported in the popular and technical press, there is a clamor for farming technology that is both productive and ecological. We cannot survive without a productive agriculture. Yet, the eroding soil, the degrading water quality, the decrease in farm profitability, the reductions in wildlife populations, and the closing store fronts in rural America point to a need for new management approaches. The word sustainable continues to bemore » mentioned as an underlying theme for future management techniques. Soil, air, and water form a seamless whole - the thin envelope we call the biosphere. The term sustainable agriculture implies a nourishing stewardship of the biosphere when used by farmers in pursuit of their livelihood. This biosphere simultaneously produces and sustains a multitude of products, including ourselves. It is all we have to create both our present and our future.« less

'Rare biosphere' bacteria as key phenanthrene degraders in coastal seawaters.

PubMed

Sauret, Caroline; Séverin, Tatiana; Vétion, Gilles; Guigue, Catherine; Goutx, Madeleine; Pujo-Pay, Mireille; Conan, Pascal; Fagervold, Sonja K; Ghiglione, Jean-François

2014-11-01

By coupling DNA-SIP and pyrosequencing approaches, we identified Cycloclasticus sp. as a keystone degrader of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) despite being a member of the 'rare biosphere' in NW Mediterranean seawaters. We discovered novel PAH-degrading bacteria (Oceanibaculum sp., Sneathiella sp.) and we identified other groups already known to possess this function (Alteromonas sp., Paracoccus sp.). Together with Cycloclasticus sp., these groups contributed to potential in situ phenanthrene degradation at a rate >0.5 mg l(-1) day(-1), sufficient to account for a considerable part of PAH degradation. Further, we characterized the PAH-tolerant bacterial communities, which were much more diverse in the polluted site by comparison to unpolluted marine references. PAH-tolerant bacteria were also members of the rare biosphere, such as Glaciecola sp. Collectively, these data show the complex interactions between PAH-degraders and PAH-tolerant bacteria and provide new insights for the understanding of the functional ecology of marine bacteria in polluted waters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploration and protection of Europa's biosphere: implications of permeable ice.

PubMed

Greenberg, Richard

2011-03-01

Europa has become a high-priority objective for exploration because it may harbor life. Strategic planning for its exploration has been predicated on an extreme model in which the expected oceanic biosphere lies under a thick ice crust, buried too deep to be reached in the foreseeable future, which would beg the question of whether other active satellites might be more realistic objectives. However, Europa's ice may in fact be permeable, with very different implications for the possibilities for life and for mission planning. A biosphere may extend up to near the surface, making life far more readily accessible to exploration while at the same time making it vulnerable to contamination. The chances of finding life on Europa are substantially improved while the need for planetary protection becomes essential. The new National Research Council planetary protection study will need to go beyond its current mandate if meaningful standards are to be put in place. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

An Investigation of the Critical Events and Influential Factors to the Evolution of the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomsen, Jennifer M.

2018-04-01

The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program has operated for 45 years as an international program that started in the 1970s to conserve biotic communities and provide areas for research, education, and training. The program later evolved in the 1990s to address social and environmental issues in a sustainable manner across a landscape. This program was one of the first efforts that recognized the importance of working beyond park and protected area boundaries and the need to sustain livelihoods as much as the resources. In the MAB program's infancy, the United States (U.S.) was a major advocate and leader with more than 45 biosphere reserves, most of them established in or around 1976. Yet, many political, economic, and other external factors influenced the U.S. MAB involvement in subsequent years. Consequently, the U.S. has remained largely inactive in the international MAB network for the past fifteen years until a recent push to revive the program under the leadership of the State Department and the National Park Service. Through in-depth research on two longterm U.S. biosphere reserves, this paper provides a description of the key events impacting the U.S. MAB program over the past several decades and discusses the influential role of politics, a public image, and the perceptions of international designations. Through the lessons presented in this paper, recommendations are provided to support the revival of the MAB program in the U.S.

The deep, hot biosphere: Twenty-five years of retrospection.

PubMed

Colman, Daniel R; Poudel, Saroj; Stamps, Blake W; Boyd, Eric S; Spear, John R

2017-07-03

Twenty-five years ago this month, Thomas Gold published a seminal manuscript suggesting the presence of a "deep, hot biosphere" in the Earth's crust. Since this publication, a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of deep biospheres, their role in geochemical cycles, and their potential to inform on the origin of life and its potential outside of Earth. Overwhelming evidence now supports the presence of a deep biosphere ubiquitously distributed on Earth in both terrestrial and marine settings. Furthermore, it has become apparent that much of this life is dependent on lithogenically sourced high-energy compounds to sustain productivity. A vast diversity of uncultivated microorganisms has been detected in subsurface environments, and we show that H 2 , CH 4 , and CO feature prominently in many of their predicted metabolisms. Despite 25 years of intense study, key questions remain on life in the deep subsurface, including whether it is endemic and the extent of its involvement in the anaerobic formation and degradation of hydrocarbons. Emergent data from cultivation and next-generation sequencing approaches continue to provide promising new hints to answer these questions. As Gold suggested, and as has become increasingly evident, to better understand the subsurface is critical to further understanding the Earth, life, the evolution of life, and the potential for life elsewhere. To this end, we suggest the need to develop a robust network of interdisciplinary scientists and accessible field sites for long-term monitoring of the Earth's subsurface in the form of a deep subsurface microbiome initiative.

Probabilistic biosphere modeling for the long-term safety assessment of geological disposal facilities for radioactive waste using first- and second-order Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Ciecior, Willy; Röhlig, Klaus-Jürgen; Kirchner, Gerald

2018-10-01

In the present paper, deterministic as well as first- and second-order probabilistic biosphere modeling approaches are compared. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the influence of the probability distribution function shape (empirical distribution functions and fitted lognormal probability functions) representing the aleatory uncertainty (also called variability) of a radioecological model parameter as well as the role of interacting parameters are studied. Differences in the shape of the output distributions for the biosphere dose conversion factor from first-order Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis using empirical and fitted lognormal distribution functions for input parameters suggest that a lognormal approximation is possibly not always an adequate representation of the aleatory uncertainty of a radioecological parameter. Concerning the comparison of the impact of aleatory and epistemic parameter uncertainty on the biosphere dose conversion factor, the latter here is described using uncertain moments (mean, variance) while the distribution itself represents the aleatory uncertainty of the parameter. From the results obtained, the solution space of second-order Monte Carlo simulation is much larger than that from first-order Monte Carlo simulation. Therefore, the influence of epistemic uncertainty of a radioecological parameter on the output result is much larger than that one caused by its aleatory uncertainty. Parameter interactions are only of significant influence in the upper percentiles of the distribution of results as well as only in the region of the upper percentiles of the model parameters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biospheric Cooling and the Emergence of Intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartzman, David; Middendorf, George

The long-term cooling history of the Earth's biosphere implies a temperature constraint on the timing of major events in biologic evolution, e.g., emergence of cyanobacteria, eucaryotes and Metazoa apparently occurred at times when temperatures were near their upper growth limits. Could biospheric cooling also have been a necessary condition for the emergence of veterbrates and their encephalization? The upper temperature limit for vertebrate growth is about 10 degrees below the limit for Metazoa (50 degrees C). Heterothermy followed by full homeothermy was likely a necessary condition for greater encephalization because of the energy requirement of larger brains. The temperature differential between an animal and a cooler environment, all other factors equal, will increase the efficiency of heat loss from the brain, but too large a differential will shift metabolic energy away from the brain to the procurement of food. Encephalization has also entailed the evolution of internal cooling mechanisms to avoid overheating the brain. The two periods of pronounced Phanerozoic cooling, the PermoCarboniferous and late Cenozoic, corresponded to the emergence of mammal-like reptiles and hominids respectively, with a variety of explanations offered for the apparent link. The origin of highly encephalized whales, dolphins and porpoises occurred with the drop in ocean temperatures 25-30 mya. Of course, other possible paths to encephalization are conceivable, with radically different solutions to the problem of heat dissipation. But the intrinsic requirements for information processing capacity necessary for intelligence suggest our terrestrial pattern may resemble those of alien biospheres given similar histories.

Value orientation and payment for ecosystem services: Perceived detrimental consequences lead to willingness-to-pay for ecosystem services.

PubMed

Obeng, Elizabeth Asantewaa; Aguilar, Francisco Xavier

2018-01-15

This research analyzed whether the three distinct value orientations posited under the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) model determine willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a payment for ecosystem services (PES) program. A survey instrument gathered U.S. residents' knowledge and attitudes toward ecosystem services and PES, and elicited WTP for the restoration of a hypothetical degraded forest watershed for improved ecosystem services. Data from over 1000 respondents nationwide were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and ordered logistic regression. Urban respondents were more familiar with the concepts of ecosystem service and PES than rural respondents but familiarity did not yield statistically different WTP estimates. Based on results from the EFA, we posit that latent value orientations might be distinguished as 'detrimental', 'biospheric' and 'beneficial (egoistic)' - as compared to 'altruistic', 'biospheric' and 'egoistic' as suggested in the VBN's general awareness of consequences scale. Awareness of biospheric and detrimental consequences along with ascriptions to personal norms had positive and significant effects on stated WTP. Beneficial (egoistic) value orientation was negatively associated with WTP and carried a negative average WTP per household per year (US$ -30.48) for the proposed PES restoration program as compared with biospheric (US$ 15.53) and detrimental (US$ 3.96) orientations. Besides personal norms, awareness of detrimental consequences to human wellbeing from environmental degradation seems the stronger driver of WTP for the restoration and protection of forest watershed ecosystem services under a PES program. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Investigation of the Critical Events and Influential Factors to the Evolution of the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program.

PubMed

Thomsen, Jennifer M

2018-04-01

The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program has operated for 45 years as an international program that started in the 1970s to conserve biotic communities and provide areas for research, education, and training. The program later evolved in the 1990s to address social and environmental issues in a sustainable manner across a landscape. This program was one of the first efforts that recognized the importance of working beyond park and protected area boundaries and the need to sustain livelihoods as much as the resources. In the MAB program's infancy, the United States (U.S.) was a major advocate and leader with more than 45 biosphere reserves, most of them established in or around 1976. Yet, many political, economic, and other external factors influenced the U.S. MAB involvement in subsequent years. Consequently, the U.S. has remained largely inactive in the international MAB network for the past fifteen years until a recent push to revive the program under the leadership of the State Department and the National Park Service. Through in-depth research on two longterm U.S. biosphere reserves, this paper provides a description of the key events impacting the U.S. MAB program over the past several decades and discusses the influential role of politics, a public image, and the perceptions of international designations. Through the lessons presented in this paper, recommendations are provided to support the revival of the MAB program in the U.S.

Snowball Earth: Response of the biosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runnegar, B.

2001-05-01

Snowball Earth is a script for global catastrophe that rivals giant impact theories in the likely severity of its environmental effects. This is particularly true for the "hard" version of the hypothesis, which requires the atmosphere to be effectively isolated from the ocean so that its carbon dioxide concentration can build up to the level ( ~100 PAL) ultimately required to melt the ice. However, coupled GCM-EMB models (Hyde et al. Nature 405, 425-430; Crowley & Hyde, GRL 28, 283-286) allow equatorial open water solutions under plausible Neoproterozoic conditions. These "softer" scenarios are more appealing if one considers the possible effects of snowball Earth episodes on the global biosphere. The meager Neoproterozoic fossil record makes it difficult to observe the biospheric response directly, but we know from evolutionary trees constructed from aligned protein and DNA sequences from living organisms, calibrated by the fossil record, that many lines of descent passed through the Cryogenian glacial periods. They include various kinds of prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae, a range of protists, and probably, a number of different kinds of animals and fungi. In addition, most of the microbial groups shown on comprehensive 16S rRNA trees have molecular clock ages that predate the snowball episodes. As the global environmental perturbations associated with the "hard" snowball hypothesis (freezing temperatures; huge and rapid changes in temperature; sudden carbon dioxide overload) are thought to have been biologically limiting during the Phanerozoic, the inferred response of the biosphere to Neoprotereozic glaciations may, indeed, provide a way of testing alternative snowball Earth scenarios.

Human impact on the planet: an earth system science perspective and ethical considerations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Richard S.

2002-01-01

The modern Earth Narrative, the scientific story of the 4.5 billion-year natural and human history of the Earth, has emerged from the solid foundation of two factual concepts: Deep (or Geologic) Time and Biological Evolution. spread acceptance of the Earth Narrative is critically important as we begin the third millennium, because it provides a clear understanding of the growing impact of human population growth and associated activities on the Earth System, especially the negative impact on Earth?s biosphere. It is important for humans to realize that we are but one of 4,500 species of mammals that exist on Earth and that we are but one species in the estimated 30 to 100 million species that form the complex biosphere. We also need to recognize that all species exist within the physical limits imposed by the geosphere. We are totally dependent on the biosphere for food, oxygen, and other necessities of life. mans are one of the latest results of biological evolution operating over a long period of Geologic Time. We find ourselves on Earth, after 4.5 billion years of Earth history by chance, not by design. Humans have become so successful at modifying their environment that many of the natural limitations on the expansion of populations of our fellow animals have been overcome by technological and cultural innovations. According to Peter Raven, ?Humans, at a current population of 6 billion [expected to nearly double by 2050], are consuming or wasting about 50 percent of the total net biological productivity on land and 50 percent of the available supply of freshwater. The overwhelming and expanding human presence leaves less and less room in the environment for other biota.? st century will be a pivotal time in the fate of Earth?s biosphere. Whereas human modification of the geosphere will slowly recover over time, human changes to the biosphere are a far more consequential matter? extinction of a species is forever! Will humans effectively use our new knowledge of natural and human history to stop further degradation of Earth?s ecosystems and extinction of its biota? The fate of the biosphere, including humanity, depends on a reaffirmation by all humans of all cultures and religions of the global importance of a planet-wide conservation of the Earth?s biotic heritage. For the world?s religions it means elevation of stewardship of the Earth to a moral imperative and a goal of complete preservation of the Earth?s biotic inheritance, one which is based on a Do No Harm ethic.

Using observations to evaluate biosphere-atmosphere interactions in models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Julia; Konings, Alexandra G.; Alemohammad, Seyed H.; Gentine, Pierre

2017-04-01

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions influence the hydrologic cycle by altering climate and weather patterns (Charney, 1975; Koster et al., 2006; Seneviratne et al., 2006), contributing up to 30% of precipitation and radiation variability in certain regions (Green et al., 2017). They have been shown to contribute to the persistence of drought in Europe (Seneviratne et al., 2006), as well as to increase rainfall in the Amazon (Spracklen et al., 2012). Thus, a true representation of these feedbacks in Earth System Models (ESMs) is crucial for accurate forecasting and planning. However, it has been difficult to validate the performance of ESMs since often-times surface and atmospheric flux data are scarce and/or difficult to observe. In this study, we use the results of a new global observational study (using remotely sensed solar-induced fluorescence to represent the biosphere flux) (Green et al., 2017) to determine how well a suite of 13 ESMs capture biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. We perform a Conditional Multivariate Granger Causality analysis in the frequency domain with radiation, precipitation and temperature as atmospheric inputs and GPP as the biospheric input. Performing the analysis in the frequency domain allows for separation of feedbacks at different time-scales (subseasonal, seasonal or interannual). Our findings can be used to determine whether there is agreement between models, as well as, to pinpoint regions or time-scales of model bias or inaccuracy, which will provide insight on potential improvement. We demonstrate that in addition to the well-known problem of convective parameterization over land in models, the main issue in representing feedbacks between the land and the atmosphere is due to the misrepresentation of water stress. These results provide a direct quantitative assessment of feedbacks in models and how to improve them. References: Charney, J.G. Dynamics of deserts and drought in the Sahel. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 101, 193-202 (1975). Green, J.K., Konings, A.G., Alemohammad, S.H., Berry, J., Entekhabi, D., Kolassa, J., Lee, J.E., Gentine, P. Hotspots of terrestrial biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. In review. (2017). Koster, R. D. et al. GLACE: The Global Land - Atmosphere Coupling Experiment. Part I: Overview. J. Hydrometeorol. 7, 611-625 (2006). Seneviratne, S.I., Lüthi, D., Litschi M., Schär, C. Land-atmosphere coupling and climate change in Europe. Nature 443, 205-209 (2006). Spracklen, D.V, Arnold, S.R., Taylor, C.M. Observations of increased tropical rainfall preceded by air passage over forests. Nature 489, 282-285 (2012).

Earth's Early Biosphere and the Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, David

2004-01-01

Our biosphere has altered the global environment principally by influencing the chemistry of those elements most important for life, e g., C, N, S, O, P and transition metals (e.g., Fe and Mn). The coupling of oxygenic photosynthesis with the burial in sediments of photosynthetic organic matter, and with the escape of H2 to space, has increased the state of oxidation of the Oceans and atmosphere. It has also created highly reduced conditions within sedimentary rocks that have also extensively affected the geochemistry of several elements. The decline of volcanism during Earth's history reduced the flow of reduced chemical species that reacted with photosynthetically produced O2. The long-term net accumulation of photosynthetic O2 via biogeochemical processes has profoundly influenced our atmosphere and biosphere, as evidenced by the O2 levels required for algae, multicellular life and certain modem aerobic bacteria to exist. When our biosphere developed photosynthesis, it tapped into an energy resource that was much larger than the energy available from oxidation-reduction reactions associated with weathering and hydrothermal activity. Today, hydrothermal sources deliver globally (0.13-1.1)x10(exp l2) mol yr(sup -1) of reduced S, Fe(2+), Mn(2+), H2 and CH4; this is estimated to sustain at most about (0.2-2)xl0(exp 12)mol C yr(sup -1) of organic carbon production by chemautotrophic microorganisms. In contrast, global photosynthetic productivity is estimated to be 9000x10(exp 12) mol C yr(sup -1). Thus, even though global thermal fluxes were greater in the distant geologic past than today, the onset of oxygenic photosynthesis probably increased global organic productivity by some two or more orders of magnitude. This enormous productivity materialized principally because oxygenic photosynthesizers unleashed a virtually unlimited supply of reduced H that forever freed life from its sole dependence upon abiotic sources of reducing power such as hydrothermal emanations and weathering. Communities sustained by oxygenic photosynthesis apparently thrived wherever supplies of sunlight, moisture and nutrients were sufficient. Prior to the development of oxygenic photosynthesis, the net global effect of the ancient global biosphere was to facilitate chemical equilibrium between reduced species from thermal activity and weathering and more oxidized constituents in the surface environment. But even this ancient biosphere might have been globally pervasive. The global geothermal heat flow was substantially higher during Earth's first billion years, and thus reduced chemical species might have persisted in sunlit aquatic environments. Perhaps the substantial decline in thermal activity between 4000 and 3000 Ma created a driver for oxygenic photosynthesis to develop.

Orthoptera (Insecta: Tettigonioidea, Pyrgomorphoidea, Acridoidea) of Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Bale Mountains National Park and other areas of conservation interest in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Felix, Rob P W H; Massa, Bruno

2016-11-09

An annotated checklist of 51 Orthoptera taxa (Tettigonioidea, Pyrgomorphoidea and Acridoidea) of Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Bale Mountains National Park and some additional sites in Ethiopia is presented. Ten species are newly recorded for the country. Four species are new to science: Peropyrrhicia attilioi n. sp., P. keffensis n. sp., P. semiensis n. sp. and Coryphosima danieli n. sp. The status of Peropyrrhicia cooperi Uvarov, 1934 and P. scotti Uvarov, 1934 is revised: both are considered valid species.

The biosphere as a driver of global atmospheric change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, Joel S.

1991-01-01

The effects of the biosphere on the evolution of atmospheric oxygen and ozone, and the consequences of that development for global atmospheric change, are discussed. Attention is given to the impact of oxygen and ozone on atmospheric photolysis rates, the effect of oxygen on the biogenic production of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide, and the effects of the evolution of atmospheric oxygen on fires and biomass burning. The influence of the latter on atmospheric processes, particularly the production of methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, is considered.

Temporal variations of atmospheric CO2 and CO at Ahmedabad in western India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Naveen; Lal, Shyam; Venkataramani, S.; Patra, Prabir K.; Sheel, Varun

2016-05-01

About 70 % of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted from the megacities and urban areas of the world. In order to draw effective emission mitigation policies for combating future climate change as well as independently validating the emission inventories for constraining their large range of uncertainties, especially over major metropolitan areas of developing countries, there is an urgent need for greenhouse gas measurements over representative urban regions. India is a fast developing country, where fossil fuel emissions have increased dramatically in the last three decades and are predicted to continue to grow further by at least 6 % per year through to 2025. The CO2 measurements over urban regions in India are lacking. To overcome this limitation, simultaneous measurements of CO2 and carbon monoxide (CO) have been made at Ahmedabad, a major urban site in western India, using a state-of-the-art laser-based cavity ring down spectroscopy technique from November 2013 to May 2015. These measurements enable us to understand the diurnal and seasonal variations in atmospheric CO2 with respect to its sources (both anthropogenic and biospheric) and biospheric sinks. The observed annual average concentrations of CO2 and CO are 413.0 ± 13.7 and 0.50 ± 0.37 ppm respectively. Both CO2 and CO show strong seasonality with lower concentrations (400.3 ± 6.8 and 0.19 ± 0.13 ppm) during the south-west monsoon and higher concentrations (419.6 ± 22.8 and 0.72 ± 0.68 ppm) during the autumn (SON) season. Strong diurnal variations are also observed for both the species. The common factors for the diurnal cycles of CO2 and CO are vertical mixing and rush hour traffic, while the influence of biospheric fluxes is also seen in the CO2 diurnal cycle. Using CO and CO2 covariation, we differentiate the anthropogenic and biospheric components of CO2 and found significant contributions of biospheric respiration and anthropogenic emissions in the late night (00:00-05:00 h, IST) and evening rush hours (18:00-22:00 h) respectively. We compute total yearly emissions of CO to be 69.2 ± 0.07 Gg for the study region using the observed CO : CO2 correlation slope and bottom-up CO2 emission inventory. This calculated emission of CO is 52 % larger than the estimated emission of CO by the emissions database for global atmospheric research (EDGAR) inventory. The observations of CO2 have been compared with an atmospheric chemistry-transport model (ACTM), which incorporates various components of CO2 fluxes. ACTM is able to capture the basic variabilities, but both diurnal and seasonal amplitudes are largely underestimated compared to the observations. We attribute this underestimation by the model to uncertainties in terrestrial biosphere fluxes and coarse model resolution. The fossil fuel signal from the model shows fairly good correlation with observed CO2 variations, which supports the overall dominance of fossil fuel emissions over the biospheric fluxes in this urban region.

Biogeosystem technique - the fundamental base of modern Water Policy and Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinitchenko, Valery; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Minkina, Tatiana; Solntseva, Natalia; Skovpen, Andrey; Zarmaev, Ali; Jusupov, Vaha; Lohmanova, Olga

2014-05-01

Freshwater conservation is the problem of world water strategy. Water is intended not only for human consumption but also for functions of the biosphere - the only place where humanity can exist. To maintain the quality of biosphere is very relevant. An important property of biosphere is ability of soil to provide the synthesis of fresh living biological material by plants. There are few places in the world where exists a natural high level of biological production. Therefore, irrigation widely applies. Irrigation provides an increase of crops, but the imitating gravitational frontal isotropic-continual irrigation paradigm has the adverse effects on soils and landscapes. So irrigation in the past history of humanity was one of the causes for civilization's downfall, Sumer in particular, now irrigation causes a humanitarian catastrophe in Central Asia. Irrigation is the world main consumer of water. Leading cause of negative results of irrigation in biosphere is the irrigation paradigm defect. By artificial watering is imitated a natural hydrological regime of the land. The water flows down into soil through the soil surface. Or groundwater flows up through the soil bottom. In either case, a natural or standard artificial soil moisturizing amplifies the mass transfer in soil continuum. At initial soil stage the mass transfer in soil continuum plays positive role. Adverse substances are leached, in particular soluble salts. Fine material and organic particles determining soil fertility are accumulating. However, after a soil genesis initial stage the mass transfer through soil continuum plays negative role. Irrigation excess water flow into soil reduces the productivity of cultivated plants as compared to the optimum soil solution conditions. The excess soil moisture leads to excess transpiration, evaporation, infiltration, destroys the soil disperse system composition, forms inactive dead-end pores, leaches useful biological and other substances synthesized in soil out from active biosphere stage to vadose zone. These substances are entering the undesired stage of sedimentation and lithogenesis. Such adverse events are enhanced by irrigation. As a result, up to 80-90% of the fresh water taken for irrigation from lakes, rivers, storage reservoirs, desalinators are lost useless entailing economic losses. As a result of irrigation the quality of water is deteriorated as well as the quality of soil and landscape. A quality of human environment and a quality of biosphere as a whole is reduced. It is much more dangerous than economic losses. The irrigation paradigm shift is essential for successful water policy and water management in modern world. In a framework of Biogeosystem technics the new intrasoil pulse continuous-discrete paradigm of irrigation is developed. Water is supplied by small discrete portions into individual volumes of a soil continuum without excess soil mass transfer, transpiration, evaporation and seepage. New paradigm of irrigation optimizes plant growth, reduces consumption of water per unit of biological product, the yield increases. It provides the soil and landscape conservation, fresh water - the global deficit - saving up to 10-20 times, biological productivity and sustainability of biosphere. Intrasoil pulse continuous-discrete robotic irrigation technologies match the nowadays noosphere technological platform.

Probing Metabolic Activity of Deep Subseafloor Life with NanoSIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morono, Y.; Terada, T.; Itoh, M.; Inagaki, F.

2014-12-01

There are very few natural environments where life is absent in the Earth's surface biosphere. However, uninhabitable region is expected to be exist in the deep subsurface biosphere, of which extent and constraining factor(s) have still remained largly unknown. Scientific ocean drilling have revealed that microbial communities in sediments are generally phylogenetically distinct from known spieces isolated from the Earth's surface biosphere, and hence metabolic functions of the deep subseafloor life remain unknown. In addition, activity of subseafloor microbial cells are thought to be extraordinally slow, as indicated by limited supply of neutrient and energy substrates. To understand the limits of the Earth's subseafloor biosphere and metabolic functions of microbial populations, detection and quantification of the deeply buried microbial cells in geological habitats are fundamentary important. Using newly developed cell separation techniques as well as an discriminative cell detection system, the current quantification limit of sedimentary microbial cells approaches to 102 cells/cm3. These techniques allow not only to assess very small microbial population close to the subsurface biotic fringe, but also to separate and sort the target cells using flow cytometric cell sorter. Once the deep subseafloor microbial cells are detached from mineral grains and sorted, it opens new windows to subsequent molecular ecological and element/isotopic analyses. With a combined use of nano-scale secondary ion masspectrometry (NanoSIMS) and stable isotope-probing techniques, it is possible to detect and measure activity of substrate incorporation into biomass, even for extremely slow metabolic processes such as uncharacteriszed deep subseafloor life. For example, it was evidenced by NanoSIMS that at least over 80% of microbial cells at ~200 meters-deep, 460,000-year-old sedimentary habitat are indeed live, which substrate incooporation was found to be low (10-15 gC/cell/day) even under the lab incubation condition. Also microbial activity in ultraoligotrophic biosphere samples such as the South Pacific Gyre (i.e., IODP Expeditions 329) will be shown. Our results demonstrates metabolic potential of microbes that have been survived for geological timescale in extremely starved condition.

Nitrogen Fertilization of Corn: Plant Biochemistry Effects and Carbon Cycle Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Masiello, C. A.; McSwiney, C. P.; Robertson, G. P.; Baldock, J. A.

2008-05-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are rising due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions (Alley et al. 2007; Prentice et al. 2001). About half of the anthropogenic CO2 emitted during the 1990s was absorbed by the terrestrial biosphere and ocean (Prentice et al. 2001). It is possible to estimate the size of terrestrial and oceanic carbon sinks individually using atmospheric CO2 and O2 measurements (Keeling et al. 1996). To best estimate the sizes of these carbon sinks, we need to accurately know the oxidative ratio (OR) of the terrestrial biosphere (Randerson et al. 2006). OR is the ratio of the moles of O2 released per moles of CO2 consumed in gas fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere. Though it is likely that the net OR of the biosphere varies with ecosystem type and nutrient status, OR is assumed constant in carbon sink apportionment calculations (e.g. Prentice et al. 2001). Small shifts in OR can lead to large variations in the calculated sizes of the terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks (Randerson et al. 2006). OR likely shifts with changes in climate, nutrient status, and land use. These shifts are due, in part, to shifts in plant biochemistry. We are measuring ecosystem OR in corn agricultural ecosystems under a range of nitrogen fertilization treatments at the Kellogg Biological Station-Long Term Ecological Research Site (KBS-LTER) in Michigan. We measure OR indirectly, through its relationship with organic carbon oxidation state (Cox) (Masiello et al. in press 2008). Cox can be measured through elemental analysis and, with basic knowledge of plant nitrogen use patterns, Cox values can be converted to OR values. Cox can also be measured through 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), which can be combined with a molecular mixing model to determine Cox, OR, and plant biochemical composition (i.e. percentage carbohydrates, lignin, lipids, and proteins) (Baldock et al. 2004). Here we present data showing the effects of varying corn ecosystem nitrogen fertilization rates (from 0 to 292 kg N/ha) on ecosystem OR and plant biochemistry.

The Potential Impacts of Nutrient and CO2 Variations on Ecosystem Oxidative Ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Masiello, C. A.; Snapp, S.; Polley, W.; McSwiney, C. P.; Baldock, J.

2009-12-01

A fraction of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are being taken up by the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans. One particularly effective way of determining the sizes of these terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks is based on the measurements of changes in atmospheric oxygen (O2) and CO2 concentrations (Keeling et al. 1996). This method of carbon apportionment requires knowledge of total fossil fuel CO2 emissions, atmospheric O2 and CO2 concentrations, and the value of the terrestrial biosphere oxidative ratio (OR), which has historically been assumed to be constant at 1.10 (e.g. Prentice et al. 2001). OR is the ratio of moles of O2 per mole of CO2 in gas exchanges between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. An incorrect estimation of the biosphere’s OR results in misapportionment of CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon sinks (Randerson et al. 2006). Understanding how OR can vary with changing environmental properties is therefore essential to accurately estimate the size of the terrestrial carbon sink. We estimate OR through its relationship with organic carbon oxidation state (Cox) measurements made using a 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and a CHNSO elemental analyzer (Masiello et al. 2008; Hockaday et al. 2009). It is clear that ecosystem OR values frequently deviate from the assumed 1.10 (Masiello et al., 2008; Hockaday et al., 2009). Here we review what mechanisms drive shifts in OR, including: fire, climate (precipitation and temperature), land use change, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and nutrient supply. We present data on the impact of nitrogen supply and elevated CO2 on ecosystem OR at two different field sites. We measure the effect of nitrogen supply on an agricultural ecosystem at the Kellogg Biological Station-Living Field Laboratory (KBS-LFL) in Michigan over a fertilization gradient (0 to 202 kg N/ha). We also measured the effect of atmospheric CO2 variation on ecosystem OR at a grassland site experiencing three atmospheric CO2 levels: pre-industrial, current, and projected (the USDA-Agricultural Research Service field site in Temple, Texas).

Agricultural conversion reduces biospheric vegetation productivity in the absence of external inputs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, W. K.; Cleveland, C. C.; Reed, S.; Running, S. W.

2013-12-01

Increasing global population, energy demand, and standard of living has driven humanity to co-opt a growing share of the planet's natural resources resulting in many well-known environmental trade-offs. Here, we explored the impact of global-scale agricultural production on a basic resource fundamental to life on Earth: global terrestrial vegetation growth (net primary production; NPP). First, we compared current rates of agricultural NPP - derived from crop-specific agricultural statistics - with rates of natural NPP - derived from satellite measurements. Next, we disaggregated our results by climate zone, conversion type, crop type, management intensity, and region to identify where agricultural conversion has driven significant degradation of biospheric NPP. At the global-scale, our data indicate that agricultural conversion has resulted in a ~7% reduction in biospheric NPP (ΔNPP), although the impact varied widely at the pixel level. Positive ΔNPP values, signifying an increase in NPP due to agricultural conversion, occurred only in areas receiving significant external water and nutrient inputs (i.e., intensively managed areas). Conversely, negative ΔNPP values, signifying a reduction in NPP due to agricultural conversion, occurred over ~90% of agricultural lands globally, with the largest reductions in areas formerly occupied by tropical forests and savannas (71% and 66% reductions in NPP, respectively). Without new global-scale policies that explicitly consider changes in NPP due to land cover conversion, future demand-driven increases in agricultural output - likely dependent on some level of expansion into natural ecosystems - could continue to drive net declines in biospheric NPP, with potential detrimental consequences for global carbon storage. A spatially explicit estimate of the effect of agricultural land cover conversion on natural primary production for 20 staple crops. ΔNPP was estimated independently for a) irrigated, b) high input, c) low input, and d) subsistence management intensities. All remaining vegetated land is represented in grey, while barren land is represented in white. Globally, agricultural land cover conversion has reduced natural primary production by 3.0 × 0.68 Pg C y-1 (i.e., a ~7% reduction in biospheric NPP), with a disproportionately large percentage of this reduction attributable to the conversion of temperate (~44%) and tropical (~50%) ecosystems.

Achieving Closure for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems: Engineering and Ecological Challenges, Research Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, William; Allen, John P.

Closed systems are desirable for a number of purposes: space life support systems where precious life-supporting resources need to be kept inside; biospheric systems; where global ecological pro-cesses can be studied in great detail and testbeds where research topics requiring isolation from the outside (e.g. genetically modified organisms; radioisotopes) can be studied in isolation from the outside environment and where their ecological interactions and fluxes can be studied. But to achieve and maintain closure raises both engineering and ecological challenges. Engineering challenges include methods of achieving closure for structures of different materials, and devel-oping methods of allowing energy (for heating and cooling) and information transfer through the materially closed structure. Methods of calculating degree of closure include measuring degradation rates of inert trace gases introduced into the system. An allied problem is devel-oping means of locating where leaks are located so that they may be repaired and degree of closure maintained. Once closure is achieved, methods of dealing with the pressure differen-tials between inside and outside are needed: from inflatable structures which might adjust to the pressure difference to variable volume chambers attached to the life systems component. These issues are illustrated through the engineering employed at Biosphere 2, the Biosphere 2 Test Module and the Laboratory Biosphere and a discussion of methods used by other closed ecological system facility engineers. Ecological challenges include being able to handle faster cycling rates and accentuated daily and seasonal fluxes of critical life elements such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, macro-and mico-nutrients. The problems of achieving sustainability in closed systems for life support include how to handle atmospheric dynamics including trace gases, producing a complete human diet and recycling nutrients and maintaining soil fertility, healthy air and water and preventing the loss of crucial elements from active circulation. In biospheric facilities the challenge is also to produce analogue to natural biomes and ecosys-tems, studying processes of self-organization and adaptation in systems that allow specification or determination of state variables and cycles which may be followed through all interactions from atmosphere to soils.

Biospheric energization and stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budding, E.; Ozel, M. E.; Gunduz, G.

2013-09-01

We utilize the physical properties of a hypothetical molecular schema giving rise to an autocatalytic biosphere. A key concept is the driving of terrestrial life as a parametric oscillation: i.e. that the biosphere behaves fundamentally as an oscillatory system into which solar energy is diurnally deposited. The schema, containing 'A, B and C' type components acting together in a 'bottom-up' driving mechanism, underlies all biospheric superstructure. Surviving modes of the oscillation are consistent with Darwinian organization, or hierarchical structures appearing to have top-down propagation through the growth of cellular replication. The model was detailed by Budding et al (2012), where experimental support from the work of Powner et al (2009) is presented, as well as suggestions on supportive fossil evidence. Although the growth in total energization is very slow in this model, it is important to notice its exponential character, suggestive of potential instability. The model is applicable to generally expectable processes on planets, including zonal segregation, complexity growth and Haeckel's biogenic principle within surviving life-forms. Fermi's exobiological paradox can be resolved in terms of the exponential growth and low L solutions of Drake's equation. Feasible values for the particular growth of selected species (the human one in herelevent terrestrial case) allow for L to be less than a few  100 y, recalling Rees' (2004) 'final century' discussion. This arises when the species' disposable energization attains a value comparable to that of the total available daily driving energy. At that point, accidental, or stochastic disturbances of this species' energy ("error") can significantly disrupt the daily driving mechanism.

False Negatives for Remote Life Detection on Ocean-Bearing Planets: Lessons from the Early Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinhard, Christopher T.; Olson, Stephanie L.; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Lyons, Timothy W.

2017-04-01

Ocean-atmosphere chemistry on Earth has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes throughout its long history, with potentially significant ramifications for the emergence and long-term stability of atmospheric biosignatures. Though a great deal of work has centered on refining our understanding of false positives for remote life detection, much less attention has been paid to the possibility of false negatives, that is, cryptic biospheres that are widespread and active on a planet's surface but are ultimately undetectable or difficult to detect in the composition of a planet's atmosphere. Here, we summarize recent developments from geochemical proxy records and Earth system models that provide insight into the long-term evolution of the most readily detectable potential biosignature gases on Earth - oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), and methane (CH4). We suggest that the canonical O2-CH4 disequilibrium biosignature would perhaps have been challenging to detect remotely during Earth's ˜4.5-billion-year history and that in general atmospheric O2/O3 levels have been a poor proxy for the presence of Earth's biosphere for all but the last ˜500 million years. We further suggest that detecting atmospheric CH4 would have been problematic for most of the last ˜2.5 billion years of Earth's history. More broadly, we stress that internal oceanic recycling of biosignature gases will often render surface biospheres on ocean-bearing silicate worlds cryptic, with the implication that the planets most conducive to the development and maintenance of a pervasive biosphere will often be challenging to characterize via conventional atmospheric biosignatures.

Carbon isotope discrimination of arctic and boreal biomes inferred from remote atmospheric measurements and a biosphere-atmosphere model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randerson, J. T.; Still, C. J.; Ballé, J. J.; Fung, I. Y.; Doney, S. C.; Tans, P. P.; Conway, T. J.; White, J. W. C.; Vaughn, B.; Suits, N.; Denning, A. S.

2002-07-01

Estimating discrimination against 13C during photosynthesis at landscape, regional, and biome scales is difficult because of large-scale variability in plant stress, vegetation composition, and photosynthetic pathway. Here we present estimates of 13C discrimination for northern biomes based on a biosphere-atmosphere model and on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research remote flask measurements. With our inversion approach, we solved for three ecophysiological parameters of the northern biosphere (13C discrimination, a net primary production light use efficiency, and a temperature sensitivity of heterotrophic respiration (a Q10 factor)) that provided a best fit between modeled and observed δ13C and CO2. In our analysis we attempted to explicitly correct for fossil fuel emissions, remote C4 ecosystem fluxes, ocean exchange, and isotopic disequilibria of terrestrial heterotrophic respiration caused by the Suess effect. We obtained a photosynthetic discrimination for arctic and boreal biomes between 19.0 and 19.6‰. Our inversion analysis suggests that Q10 and light use efficiency values that minimize the cost function covary. The optimal light use efficiency was 0.47 gC MJ-1 photosynthetically active radiation, and the optimal Q10 value was 1.52. Fossil fuel and ocean exchange contributed proportionally more to month-to-month changes in the atmospheric growth rate of δ13C and CO2 during winter months, suggesting that remote atmospheric observations during the summer may yield more precise estimates of the isotopic composition of the biosphere.

Engineering Challenges for Closed Ecological System facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, William; Nelson, Mark; Allen, John P.

2012-07-01

Engineering challenges for closed ecological systems include methods of achieving closure for structures of different materials, and developing methods of allowing energy (for heating and cooling) and information transfer through the materially closed structure. Methods of calculating degree of closure include measuring degradation rates of inert trace gases introduced into the system. An allied problem is developing means of locating where leaks are located so that they may be repaired and degree of closure maintained. Once closure is achieved, methods of dealing with the pressure differentials between inside and outside are needed: from inflatable structures which might adjust to the pressure difference to variable volume chambers attached to the life systems component. These issues are illustrated through the engineering employed at Biosphere 2, the Biosphere 2 Test Module and the Laboratory Biosphere and a discussion of methods used by other closed ecological system facility engineers. Ecological challenges include being able to handle faster cycling rates and accentuated daily and seasonal fluxes of critical life elements such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, macro- and mico-nutrients. The problems of achieving sustainability in closed systems for life support include how to handle atmospheric dynamics including trace gases, producing a complete human diet and recycling nutrients and maintaining soil fertility, healthy air and water and preventing the loss of crucial elements from active circulation. In biospheric facilities the challenge is also to produce analogue to natural biomes and ecosystems, studying processes of self-organization and adaptation in systems that allow specification or determination of state variables and cycles which may be followed through all interactions from atmosphere to soils.

Cosmic Rays as a Factor of Biospheric Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miroshnichenko, L. I.

2014-10-01

There are no doubts that the Earth's space environment in the past inevitably has exerted direct and/or indirect influence [1-4] on the conditions of terrestrial life and biospheric evolution. Well-known space factors are usually the fluxes of cosmic dust and gas, comets and asteroids, cosmic rays (energetic particles of galactic and/or solar origin), interplanetary plasma (solar wind) and electromagnetic radiation of different energies, wave lengths, or frequencies. Of great interest are radiation conditions and their variations, especially in the remote past (over the geological time scales). The Sun, the most important and indispensable condition for the existence of the Earth's biosphere, is also a potential source of dangerous emissions. In continuation of (and in addition to) our review paper [3], below we summarize the observational data and results of theoretical works that have been carried out and/or published mainly after 2012. These studies are actually in the frontier region between the Astrobiology and Space Weather. Our main attention is paid to cosmic rays (CR) of galactic and solar origin (GCR and SCR, respectively).

Atmospheric CO2 inversions on the mesoscale using data-driven prior uncertainties: quantification of the European terrestrial CO2 fluxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kountouris, Panagiotis; Gerbig, Christoph; Rödenbeck, Christian; Karstens, Ute; Koch, Thomas F.; Heimann, Martin

2018-03-01

Optimized biogenic carbon fluxes for Europe were estimated from high-resolution regional-scale inversions, utilizing atmospheric CO2 measurements at 16 stations for the year 2007. Additional sensitivity tests with different data-driven error structures were performed. As the atmospheric network is rather sparse and consequently contains large spatial gaps, we use a priori biospheric fluxes to further constrain the inversions. The biospheric fluxes were simulated by the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) at a resolution of 0.1° and optimized against eddy covariance data. Overall we estimate an a priori uncertainty of 0.54 GtC yr-1 related to the poor spatial representation between the biospheric model and the ecosystem sites. The sink estimated from the atmospheric inversions for the area of Europe (as represented in the model domain) ranges between 0.23 and 0.38 GtC yr-1 (0.39 and 0.71 GtC yr-1 up-scaled to geographical Europe). This is within the range of posterior flux uncertainty estimates of previous studies using ground-based observations.

Maximum entropy production in environmental and ecological systems.

PubMed

Kleidon, Axel; Malhi, Yadvinder; Cox, Peter M

2010-05-12

The coupled biosphere-atmosphere system entails a vast range of processes at different scales, from ecosystem exchange fluxes of energy, water and carbon to the processes that drive global biogeochemical cycles, atmospheric composition and, ultimately, the planetary energy balance. These processes are generally complex with numerous interactions and feedbacks, and they are irreversible in their nature, thereby producing entropy. The proposed principle of maximum entropy production (MEP), based on statistical mechanics and information theory, states that thermodynamic processes far from thermodynamic equilibrium will adapt to steady states at which they dissipate energy and produce entropy at the maximum possible rate. This issue focuses on the latest development of applications of MEP to the biosphere-atmosphere system including aspects of the atmospheric circulation, the role of clouds, hydrology, vegetation effects, ecosystem exchange of energy and mass, biogeochemical interactions and the Gaia hypothesis. The examples shown in this special issue demonstrate the potential of MEP to contribute to improved understanding and modelling of the biosphere and the wider Earth system, and also explore limitations and constraints to the application of the MEP principle.

Long term changes in forest cover and land use of Similipal Biosphere Reserve of India using satellite remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saranya, K. R. L.; Reddy, C. Sudhakar

2016-04-01

The spatial changes in forest cover of Similipal biosphere reserve, Odisha, India over eight decades (1930-2012) has been quantified by using multi-temporal data from different sources. Over the period, the forest cover reduced by 970.8 km2 (23.6% of the total forest), and most significantly during the period, 1930-1975. Human-induced activities like conversion of forest land for agriculture, construction of dams and mining activities have been identified as major drivers of deforestation. Spatial analysis indicates that 399 grids (1 grid = 1 × 1 km) have undergone large-scale changes in forest cover (>75 ha) during 1930-1975, while only 3 grids have shown >75 ha loss during 1975-1990. Annual net rate of deforestation was 0.58 during 1930-1975, which has been reduced substantially during 1975-1990 (0.04). Annual gross rate of deforestation in 2006-2012 is indeed low (0.01) as compared to the national and global average. This study highlights the impact and effectiveness of conservation practices in minimizing the rate of deforestation and protecting the Similipal Biosphere Reserve.

Water: the bloodstream of the biosphere.

PubMed

Ripl, Wilhelm

2003-12-29

Water, the bloodstream of the biosphere, determines the sustainability of living systems. The essential role of water is expanded in a conceptual model of energy dissipation, based on the water balance of whole landscapes. In this model, the underlying role of water phase changes--and their energy-dissipative properties--in the function and the self-organized development of natural systems is explicitly recognized. The energy-dissipating processes regulate the ecological dynamics within the Earth's biosphere, in such a way that the development of natural systems is never allowed to proceed in an undirected or random way. A fundamental characteristic of self-organized development in natural systems is the increasing role of cyclic processes while loss processes are correspondingly reduced. This gives a coincidental increase in system efficiency, which is the basis of growing stability and sustainability. Growing sustainability can be seen as an increase of ecological efficiency, which is applicable at all levels up to whole landscapes. Criteria for necessary changes in society and for the design of the measures that are necessary to restore sustainable landscapes and waters are derived.

Water: the bloodstream of the biosphere.

PubMed Central

Ripl, Wilhelm

2003-01-01

Water, the bloodstream of the biosphere, determines the sustainability of living systems. The essential role of water is expanded in a conceptual model of energy dissipation, based on the water balance of whole landscapes. In this model, the underlying role of water phase changes--and their energy-dissipative properties--in the function and the self-organized development of natural systems is explicitly recognized. The energy-dissipating processes regulate the ecological dynamics within the Earth's biosphere, in such a way that the development of natural systems is never allowed to proceed in an undirected or random way. A fundamental characteristic of self-organized development in natural systems is the increasing role of cyclic processes while loss processes are correspondingly reduced. This gives a coincidental increase in system efficiency, which is the basis of growing stability and sustainability. Growing sustainability can be seen as an increase of ecological efficiency, which is applicable at all levels up to whole landscapes. Criteria for necessary changes in society and for the design of the measures that are necessary to restore sustainable landscapes and waters are derived. PMID:14728789

Prospects for the Study of Evolution in the Deep Biosphere

PubMed Central

Biddle, Jennifer F.; Sylvan, Jason B.; Brazelton, William J.; Tully, Benjamin J.; Edwards, Katrina J.; Moyer, Craig L.; Heidelberg, John F.; Nelson, William C.

2012-01-01

Since the days of Darwin, scientists have used the framework of the theory of evolution to explore the interconnectedness of life on Earth and adaptation of organisms to the ever-changing environment. The advent of molecular biology has advanced and accelerated the study of evolution by allowing direct examination of the genetic material that ultimately determines the phenotypes upon which selection acts. The study of evolution has been furthered through examination of microbial evolution, with large population numbers, short generation times, and easily extractable DNA. Such work has spawned the study of microbial biogeography, with the realization that concepts developed in population genetics may be applicable to microbial genomes (Martiny et al., 2006; Manhes and Velicer, 2011). Microbial biogeography and adaptation has been examined in many different environments. Here we argue that the deep biosphere is a unique environment for the study of evolution and list specific factors that can be considered and where the studies may be performed. This publication is the result of the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) theme team on Evolution (www.darkenergybiosphere.org). PMID:22319515

Prospects for the study of evolution in the deep biosphere.

PubMed

Biddle, Jennifer F; Sylvan, Jason B; Brazelton, William J; Tully, Benjamin J; Edwards, Katrina J; Moyer, Craig L; Heidelberg, John F; Nelson, William C

2011-01-01

Since the days of Darwin, scientists have used the framework of the theory of evolution to explore the interconnectedness of life on Earth and adaptation of organisms to the ever-changing environment. The advent of molecular biology has advanced and accelerated the study of evolution by allowing direct examination of the genetic material that ultimately determines the phenotypes upon which selection acts. The study of evolution has been furthered through examination of microbial evolution, with large population numbers, short generation times, and easily extractable DNA. Such work has spawned the study of microbial biogeography, with the realization that concepts developed in population genetics may be applicable to microbial genomes (Martiny et al., 2006; Manhes and Velicer, 2011). Microbial biogeography and adaptation has been examined in many different environments. Here we argue that the deep biosphere is a unique environment for the study of evolution and list specific factors that can be considered and where the studies may be performed. This publication is the result of the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) theme team on Evolution (www.darkenergybiosphere.org).

Constraints on natural global atmospheric CO2 fluxes from 1860 to 2010 using a simplified explicit forward model

PubMed Central

Hellevang, Helge; Aagaard, Per

2015-01-01

Land-use changes until the beginning of the 20th century made the terrestrial biosphere a net source of atmospheric carbon. Later, burning of fossil fuel surpassed land use changes as the major anthropogenic source of carbon. The terrestrial biosphere is at present suggested to be a carbon sink, but the distribution of excess anthropogenic carbon to the ocean and biosphere sinks is highly uncertain. Our modeling suggest that land-use changes can be tracked quite well by the carbon isotopes until mid-20th century, whereas burning of fossil fuel dominates the present-day observed changes in the isotope signature. The modeling indicates that the global carbon isotope fractionation has not changed significantly during the last 150 years. Furthermore, increased uptake of carbon by the ocean and increasing temperatures does not yet appear to have resulted in increasing the global gross ocean-to-atmosphere carbon fluxes. This may however change in the future when the excess carbon will emerge in the ocean upwelling zones, possibly reducing the net-uptake of carbon compared to the present-day ocean. PMID:26611741

A socio-environmental monitoring system for a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

PubMed

Lowell, Kim

2017-11-03

To identify potentially critical changes in an area's ongoing ability to produce multiple ecosystem services, a monitoring system was designed and implemented for the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve in southeast Australia. The system is underpinned by an "environmental vital signs" (EVS) approach that was adopted to provide early warning of critical changes in human and natural characteristics of the area. The six themes monitored are non-coastal water, land including vegetation, biodiversity, natural heritage, built environment (including human population and economic activity), and coasts. These are monitored for the entire area, and each of its five constituent town council areas. After a critical change in any of these is identified, further investigation is required to identify causal factors and, if required, determine an appropriate response. The system relies on data available from external (third-party) organisations to monitor the natural and human characteristics of the area that were important in its designation as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Strengths and weaknesses associated with the use of third-party data are discussed. These include adoption of baseline years and data reporting periods for different factors, costs, and data quality.

The carbon cycle on early Earth--and on Mars?

PubMed

Grady, Monica M; Wright, Ian

2006-10-29

One of the goals of the present Martian exploration is to search for evidence of extinct (or even extant) life. This could be redefined as a search for carbon. The carbon cycle (or, more properly, cycles) on Earth is a complex interaction among three reservoirs: the atmosphere; the hydrosphere; and the lithosphere. Superimposed on this is the biosphere, and its presence influences the fixing and release of carbon in these reservoirs over different time-scales. The overall carbon balance is kept at equilibrium on the surface by a combination of tectonic processes (which bury carbon), volcanism (which releases it) and biology (which mediates it). In contrast to Earth, Mars presently has no active tectonic system; neither does it possess a significant biosphere. However, these observations might not necessarily have held in the past. By looking at how Earth's carbon cycles have changed with time, as both the Earth's tectonic structure and a more sophisticated biology have evolved, and also by constructing a carbon cycle for Mars based on the carbon chemistry of Martian meteorites, we investigate whether or not there is evidence for a Martian biosphere.

The carbon cycle on early Earth—and on Mars?

PubMed Central

Grady, Monica M; Wright, Ian

2006-01-01

One of the goals of the present Martian exploration is to search for evidence of extinct (or even extant) life. This could be redefined as a search for carbon. The carbon cycle (or, more properly, cycles) on Earth is a complex interaction among three reservoirs: the atmosphere; the hydrosphere; and the lithosphere. Superimposed on this is the biosphere, and its presence influences the fixing and release of carbon in these reservoirs over different time-scales. The overall carbon balance is kept at equilibrium on the surface by a combination of tectonic processes (which bury carbon), volcanism (which releases it) and biology (which mediates it). In contrast to Earth, Mars presently has no active tectonic system; neither does it possess a significant biosphere. However, these observations might not necessarily have held in the past. By looking at how Earth's carbon cycles have changed with time, as both the Earth's tectonic structure and a more sophisticated biology have evolved, and also by constructing a carbon cycle for Mars based on the carbon chemistry of Martian meteorites, we investigate whether or not there is evidence for a Martian biosphere. PMID:17008211

Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and earth system processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Taiping; Verbitsky, Mikhail; Saltzman, Barry; Mann, Michael E.; Park, Jeffrey; Lall, Upmanu

1995-01-01

During the grant period, the authors continued ongoing studies aimed at enhancing their understanding of the operation of the atmosphere as a complex nonlinear system interacting with the hydrosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere in response to external radiative forcing. Five papers were completed with support from the grant, representing contributions in three main areas of study: (1) theoretical studies of the interactive atmospheric response to changed biospheric boundary conditions measurable from satellites; (2) statistical-observational studies of global-scale temperature variability on interannual to century time scales; and (3) dynamics of long-term earth system changes associated with ice sheet surges.

Mars Analog Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE): A Simulated Mars Drilling Mission to Search for Subsurface Life at the Rio Tinto, Spain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoker, Carol; Lemke, Larry; Mandell, Humboldt; McKay, David; George, Jeffrey; Gomez-Alvera, Javier; Amils, Ricardo; Stevens, Todd; Miller, David

2003-01-01

The MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment) project was selected by the new NASA ASTEP program, which supports field experiments having an equal emphasis on Astrobiology science and technology development relevant to future Astrobiology missions. MARTE will search for a hypothesized subsurface anaerobic chemoautotrophic biosphere in the region of the Tinto River in southwestern Spain while also demonstrating technology needed to search for a subsurface biosphere on Mars. The experiment is informed by the strategy for searching for life on Mars.

Biogeosystem Technique as a method to correct the climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinitchenko, Valery; Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Batukaev, Magomed; Minkina, Tatiana

2017-04-01

The climate change and uncertainties of biosphere are on agenda. Correction o the climate drivers will make the climate and biosphere more predictable and certain. Direct sequestration of fossil industrial hydrocarbons and natural methane excess for greenhouse effect reduction is a dangerous mistake. Most quantity of carbon now exists in the form of geological deposits and further reduction of carbon content in biosphere and atmosphere leads to degradation of life. We propose the biological management of the greenhouse gases changing the ratio of biological and atmospheric phases of carbon and water cycle. The biological correction of carbon cycle is the obvious measure because the biological alterations of the Earth's climate have ever been an important peculiarity of the Planet's history. At the first stage of the Earth's climate correction algorithm we use the few leading obvious principal as follows: The more greenhouse amount in atmosphere, the higher greenhouse effect; The more biological production of terrestrial ecosystem, the higher carbon dioxide biological sequestration from atmosphere; The more fresh ionized active oxygen biological production, the higher rate of methane and hydrogen sulfide oxidation in atmosphere, water and soil; The more quantity of carbon in the form of live biological matter in soil and above-ground biomass, the less quantity of carbon in atmosphere; The less sink of carbon to water system, the less emission of greenhouse gases from water system; The less rate of water consumption per unit of biological production, the less transpiration rate of water vapor as a greenhouse gas; The higher intra-soil utilization of mortal biomass, biological and mineral wastes into the plant nutrition instead of its mineralization to greenhouse gases, the less greenhouse effect; The more fossil industrial hydrocarbons are used, the higher can be Earth's biomass; The higher biomass on the Earth, the more of ecology safe food, raw material and biofuel can be produced; The less energy is consumed for climate correction, the better. The proposed algorithm was never discussed before because most of its ingredients were unenforceable. Now the possibility to execute the algorithm exists in the framework of our new scientific-technical branch - Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*). The BGT* is a transcendental (non-imitating natural processes) approach to soil processing, regulation of energy, matter, water fluxes and biological productivity of biosphere: intra-soil machining to provide the new highly productive dispersed system of soil; intra-soil pulse continuous-discrete plants watering to reduce the transpiration rate and water consumption of plants for 5-20 times; intra-soil environmentally safe return of matter during intra-soil milling processing and (or) intra-soil pulse continuous-discrete plants watering with nutrition. Are possible: waste management; reducing flow of nutrients to water systems; carbon and other organic and mineral substances transformation into the soil to plant nutrition elements; less degradation of biological matter to greenhouse gases; increasing biological sequestration of carbon dioxide in terrestrial system's photosynthesis; oxidizing methane and hydrogen sulfide by fresh photosynthesis ionized biologically active oxygen; expansion of the active terrestrial site of biosphere. The high biological product output of biosphere will be gained. BGT* robotic systems are of low cost, energy and material consumption. By BGT* methods the uncertainties of climate and biosphere will be reduced. Key words: Biogeosystem Technique, method to correct, climate

Strong regional atmospheric 14C signature of respired CO 2 observed from a tall tower over the midwestern United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaFranchi, B. W.; McFarlane, K. J.; Miller, J. B.

Radiocarbon in CO 2 ( 14CO 2) measurements can aid in discriminating between fast (<1 year) and slower (>5–10 years) cycling of C between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere due to the 14C disequilibrium between atmospheric and terrestrial C. However, 14CO 2 in the atmosphere is typically much more strongly impacted by fossil fuel emissions of CO 2, and, thus, observations often provide little additional constraints on respiratory flux estimates at regional scales. Here we describe a data set of 14CO 2 observations from a tall tower in northern Wisconsin (USA) where fossil fuel influence is far enough removedmore » that during the summer months, the biospheric component of the 14CO 2 budget dominates. We find that the terrestrial biosphere is responsible for a significant contribution to 14CO 2 that is 2–3 times higher than predicted by the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach terrestrial ecosystem model for observations made in 2010. This likely includes a substantial contribution from the North American boreal ecoregion, but transported biospheric emissions from outside the model domain cannot be ruled out. The 14CO 2 enhancement also appears somewhat decreased in observations made over subsequent years, suggesting that 2010 may be anomalous. Furthermore, with these caveats acknowledged, we discuss the implications of the observation/model comparison in terms of possible systematic biases in the model versus short-term anomalies in the observations. Going forward, this isotopic signal could be exploited as an important indicator to better constrain both the long-term carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems and the short-term impact of disturbance-based loss of carbon to the atmosphere.« less

Terrestrial Biosphere Dynamics in the Climate System: Past and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overpeck, J.; Whitlock, C.; Huntley, B.

2002-12-01

The paleoenvironmental record makes it clear that climate change as large as is likely to occur in the next two centuries will drive change in the terrestrial biosphere that is both large and difficult to predict, or plan for. Many species, communities and ecosystems could experience rates of climate change, and "destination climates" that are unprecedented in their time on earth. The paleorecord also makes it clear that a wide range of possible climate system behavior, such as decades-long droughts, increases in large storm and flood frequency, and rapid sea level rise, all occurred repeatedly in the past, and for poorly understood reasons. These types of events, if they were to reoccur in the future, could have especially devastating impacts on biodiversity, both because their timing and spatial extent cannot be anticipated, and because the biota's natural defenses have been compromised by land-use, reductions in genetic flexibility, pollution, excess water utilization, invasive species, and other human influences. Vegetation disturbance (e.g., by disease, pests and fire) will undoubtedly be exacerbated by climate change (stress), but could also speed the rate at which terrestrial biosphere change takes place in the future. The paleoenvironmental record makes it clear that major scientific challenges include an improved ability to model regional biospheric change, both past and future. This in turn will be a prerequisite to obtaining realistic estimates of future biogeochemical and biophysical feedbacks, and thus to obtaining better assessments of future climate change. These steps will help generate the improved understanding of climate variability that is needed to manage global biodiversity. However, the most troubling message from the paleoenvironmental record is that unchecked anthropogenic climate change could make the Earth's 6th major mass extinction unavoidable.

Biosphere model simulations of interannual variability in terrestrial 13C/12C exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Velde, I. R.; Miller, J. B.; Schaefer, K.; Masarie, K. A.; Denning, S.; White, J. W. C.; Tans, P. P.; Krol, M. C.; Peters, W.

2013-09-01

Previous studies suggest that a large part of the variability in the atmospheric ratio of 13CO2/12CO2originates from carbon exchange with the terrestrial biosphere rather than with the oceans. Since this variability is used to quantitatively partition the total carbon sink, we here investigate the contribution of interannual variability (IAV) in biospheric exchange to the observed atmospheric 13C variations. We use the Simple Biosphere - Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach biogeochemical model, including a detailed isotopic fractionation scheme, separate 12C and 13C biogeochemical pools, and satellite-observed fire disturbances. This model of 12CO2 and 13CO2 thus also produces return fluxes of 13CO2from its differently aged pools, contributing to the so-called disequilibrium flux. Our simulated terrestrial 13C budget closely resembles previously published model results for plant discrimination and disequilibrium fluxes and similarly suggests that variations in C3 discrimination and year-to-year variations in C3and C4 productivity are the main drivers of their IAV. But the year-to-year variability in the isotopic disequilibrium flux is much lower (1σ=±1.5 PgC ‰ yr-1) than required (±12.5 PgC ‰ yr-1) to match atmospheric observations, under the common assumption of low variability in net ocean CO2 fluxes. This contrasts with earlier published results. It is currently unclear how to increase IAV in these drivers suggesting that SiBCASA still misses processes that enhance variability in plant discrimination and relative C3/C4productivity. Alternatively, 13C budget terms other than terrestrial disequilibrium fluxes, including possibly the atmospheric growth rate, must have significantly different IAV in order to close the atmospheric 13C budget on a year-to-year basis.

Integrating Biodiversity into Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions Using Individual-Based Models (IBM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, B.; Shugart, H. H., Jr.; Lerdau, M.

2017-12-01

A key component regulating complex, nonlinear, and dynamic biosphere-atmosphere interactions is the inherent diversity of biological systems. The model frameworks currently widely used, i.e., Plant Functional Type models) do not even begin to capture the metabolic and taxonomic diversity found in many terrestrial systems. We propose that a transition from PFT-based to individual-based modeling approaches (hereafter referred to as IBM) is essential for integrating biodiversity into research on biosphere-atmosphere interactions. The proposal emerges from our studying the interactions of forests with atmospheric processes in the context of climate change using an individual-based forest volatile organic compounds model, UVAFME-VOC. This individual-based model can explicitly simulate VOC emissions based on an explicit modelling of forest dynamics by computing the growth, death, and regeneration of each individual tree of different species and their competition for light, moisture, and nutrient, from which system-level VOC emissions are simulated by explicitly computing and summing up each individual's emissions. We found that elevated O3 significantly altered the forest dynamics by favoring species that are O3-resistant, which, meanwhile, are producers of isoprene. Such compositional changes, on the one hand, resulted in unsuppressed forest productivity and carbon stock because of the compensation by O3-resistant species. On the other hand, with more isoprene produced arising from increased producers, a possible positive feedback loop between tropospheric O3 and forest thereby emerged. We also found that climate warming will not always stimulate isoprene emissions because warming simultaneously reduces isoprene emissions by causing a decline in the abundance of isoprene-emitting species. These results suggest that species diversity is of great significance and that individual-based modelling strategies should be applied in studying biosphere-atmosphere interactions.

Identifying and closing gaps in environmental monitoring by means of metadata, ecological regionalization and geostatistics using the UNESCO biosphere reserve Rhoen (Germany) as an example.

PubMed

Schröder, Winfried; Pesch, Roland; Schmidt, Gunther

2006-03-01

In Germany, environmental monitoring is intended to provide a holistic view of the environmental condition. To this end the monitoring operated by the federal states must use harmonized, resp., standardized methods. In addition, the monitoring sites should cover the ecoregions without any geographical gaps, the monitoring design should have no gaps in terms of ecologically relevant measurement parameters, and the sample data should be spatially without any gaps. This article outlines the extent to which the Rhoen Biosphere Reserve, occupying a part of the German federal states of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia, fulfills the listed requirements. The investigation considered collection, data banking and analysis of monitoring data and metadata, ecological regionalization and geostatistics. Metadata on the monitoring networks were collected by questionnaires and provided a complete inventory and description of the monitoring activities in the reserve and its surroundings. The analysis of these metadata reveals that most of the monitoring methods are harmonized across the boundaries of the three federal states the Rhoen is part of. The monitoring networks that measure precipitation, surface water levels, and groundwater quality are particularly overrepresented in the central ecoregions of the biosphere reserve. Soil monitoring sites are more equally distributed within the ecoregions of the Rhoen. The number of sites for the monitoring of air pollutants is not sufficient to draw spatially valid conclusions. To fill these spatial gaps, additional data on the annual average values of the concentrations of air pollutants from monitoring sites outside of the biosphere reserve had therefore been subject to geostatistical analysis and estimation. This yields valid information on the spatial patterns and temporal trends of air quality. The approach illustrated is applicable to similar cases, as, for example, the harmonization of international monitoring networks.

Lessons Learned from Biosphere 2: When Viewed as a Ground Simulation/Analogue for Long Duration Human Space Exploration and Settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacCallum, T.; Poynter, J.; Bearden, D.

A human mission to Mars, or a base on the Moon or Mars, is a longer and more complex mission than any space endeavor undertaken to date. Ground simulations provide a relevant, analogous environment for testing technologies and learning how to manage complex, long duration missions, while addressing inherent mission risks. Multiphase human missions and settlements that may preclude a rapid return to Earth, require high fidelity, end-to-end, at least full mission duration tests in order to evaluate a system's ability to sustain the crew for the entire mission and return the crew safely to Earth. Moreover, abort scenarios are essentially precluded in many mission scenarios, though certain risks may only become evident late in the mission. Aging and compounding effects cannot be simulated through accelerated tests for all aspects of the mission. Until such high fidelity long duration simulations are available, and in order to help prepare those simulations and mission designs, it is important to extract as many lessons as possible from analogous environments. Possibly the best analogue for a long duration space mission is the two year mission of Biosphere 2. Biosphere 2 is a three-acre materially closed ecological system that supported eight crewmembers with food, air and water in a sunlight driven bioregenerative system for two years. It was designed for research applicable to environmental management on Earth and the development of human life support for space. A brief overview of the two-year Biosphere 2 mission is presented, followed by select data and lessons learned that are applicable to the design and operation of a long duration human space mission, settlement or test bed. These lessons include technical, programmatic, and psychological issues

Strong regional atmospheric 14C signature of respired CO 2 observed from a tall tower over the midwestern United States

DOE PAGES

LaFranchi, B. W.; McFarlane, K. J.; Miller, J. B.; ...

2016-08-31

Radiocarbon in CO 2 ( 14CO 2) measurements can aid in discriminating between fast (<1 year) and slower (>5–10 years) cycling of C between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere due to the 14C disequilibrium between atmospheric and terrestrial C. However, 14CO 2 in the atmosphere is typically much more strongly impacted by fossil fuel emissions of CO 2, and, thus, observations often provide little additional constraints on respiratory flux estimates at regional scales. Here we describe a data set of 14CO 2 observations from a tall tower in northern Wisconsin (USA) where fossil fuel influence is far enough removedmore » that during the summer months, the biospheric component of the 14CO 2 budget dominates. We find that the terrestrial biosphere is responsible for a significant contribution to 14CO 2 that is 2–3 times higher than predicted by the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach terrestrial ecosystem model for observations made in 2010. This likely includes a substantial contribution from the North American boreal ecoregion, but transported biospheric emissions from outside the model domain cannot be ruled out. The 14CO 2 enhancement also appears somewhat decreased in observations made over subsequent years, suggesting that 2010 may be anomalous. Furthermore, with these caveats acknowledged, we discuss the implications of the observation/model comparison in terms of possible systematic biases in the model versus short-term anomalies in the observations. Going forward, this isotopic signal could be exploited as an important indicator to better constrain both the long-term carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems and the short-term impact of disturbance-based loss of carbon to the atmosphere.« less

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle.

PubMed

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B; Lomans, Bartholomeus P; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Head, Ian M; Tsesmetzis, Nicolas

2017-09-01

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of the entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H 2 S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.

Phosphogenesis in the 2460 and 2728 million-year-old banded iron formations as evidence for biological cycling of phosphate in the early biosphere

PubMed Central

Li, Yi-Liang; Sun, Si; Chan, Lung S

2013-01-01

The banded iron formation deposited during the first 2 billion years of Earth's history holds the key to understanding the interplay between the geosphere and the early biosphere at large geological timescales. The earliest ore-scale phosphorite depositions formed almost at ∼2.0–2.2 billion years ago bear evidence for the earliest bloom of aerobic life. The cycling of nutrient phosphorus and how it constrained primary productivity in the anaerobic world of Archean–Palaeoproterozoic eons are still open questions. The controversy centers about whether the precipitation of ultrafine ferric oxyhydroxide due to the microbial Fe(II) oxidation in oceans earlier than 1.9 billion years substantially sequestrated phosphate, and whether this process significantly limited the primary productivity of the early biosphere. In this study, we report apatite radial flowers of a few micrometers in the 2728 million-year-old Abitibi banded iron formation and the 2460 million-year-old Kuruman banded iron formation and their similarities to those in the 535 million-year-old Lower Cambrian phosphorite. The lithology of the 535 Million-year-old phosphorite as a biosignature bears abundant biomarkers that reveal the possible similar biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in the Later Archean and Palaeoproterozoic oceans. These apatite radial flowers represent the primary precipitation of phosphate derived from the phytoplankton blooms in the euphotic zones of Neoarchean and Palaoeproterozoic oceans. The unbiased distributions of the apatite radial flowers within sub-millimeter bands do not support the idea of an Archean Crisis of Phosphate. This is the first report of the microbial mediated mineralization of phosphorus before the Great Oxidation Event when the whole biosphere was still dominated by anaerobic microorganisms. PMID:23404127

Phosphogenesis in the 2460 and 2728 million-year-old banded iron formations as evidence for biological cycling of phosphate in the early biosphere.

PubMed

Li, Yi-Liang; Sun, Si; Chan, Lung S

2012-01-01

The banded iron formation deposited during the first 2 billion years of Earth's history holds the key to understanding the interplay between the geosphere and the early biosphere at large geological timescales. The earliest ore-scale phosphorite depositions formed almost at ∼2.0-2.2 billion years ago bear evidence for the earliest bloom of aerobic life. The cycling of nutrient phosphorus and how it constrained primary productivity in the anaerobic world of Archean-Palaeoproterozoic eons are still open questions. The controversy centers about whether the precipitation of ultrafine ferric oxyhydroxide due to the microbial Fe(II) oxidation in oceans earlier than 1.9 billion years substantially sequestrated phosphate, and whether this process significantly limited the primary productivity of the early biosphere. In this study, we report apatite radial flowers of a few micrometers in the 2728 million-year-old Abitibi banded iron formation and the 2460 million-year-old Kuruman banded iron formation and their similarities to those in the 535 million-year-old Lower Cambrian phosphorite. The lithology of the 535 Million-year-old phosphorite as a biosignature bears abundant biomarkers that reveal the possible similar biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in the Later Archean and Palaeoproterozoic oceans. These apatite radial flowers represent the primary precipitation of phosphate derived from the phytoplankton blooms in the euphotic zones of Neoarchean and Palaoeproterozoic oceans. The unbiased distributions of the apatite radial flowers within sub-millimeter bands do not support the idea of an Archean Crisis of Phosphate. This is the first report of the microbial mediated mineralization of phosphorus before the Great Oxidation Event when the whole biosphere was still dominated by anaerobic microorganisms.

How Close Are We to the Temperature Tipping Point of the Biosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duffy, K. H.

2017-12-01

All biological processes accelerate rapidly with increasing temperature (Tinf); reaching a maximum rate (Tmax), after which they decline. However different biological processes may not be synchronised in their response to increasing temperatures resulting in major dis-equilibria of ecosystem processes. Particularly, the linked processes of photosynthesis and respiration have different curvature that is determined by their inherent sensitivity to temperature. Constraining the difference in temperature curves between photosynthesis and respiration allows us to quantify changes to global carbon metabolism and the land sink of carbon as a whole. During the last century the biosphere has acted as a sink of carbon from the atmosphere partly mitigating accumulation of CO2 derived from burning of fossil fuels Here we ask the following questions: As global temperature increases will photosynthesis and respiration become de-coupled and when? What is Tmax for the land sink, and where is current mean temperature range in regard to this important threshold? At what global and regional temperatures do we expect the biosphere to become a source of carbon to the atmosphere? To address these questions we used the recently released FLUXNET2015 dataset comprised of 212 eddy covariance flux tower sites which concurrently measure land-atmosphere carbon exchange along with micro-meteorological variables. Here, we illustrate our results for Tinf and Tmax of the land sink by biome and for the biosphere as a whole. Our results suggest that recent warming has already pushed us past the inflection point of photosynthesis, and that any additional warming will increase the cumulative annual dose of time spent past Tmax for the land sink. Even under moderate climate projections, we expect to see a slowing of the terrestrial carbon sink by as early as 2040.

False Negatives for Remote Life Detection on Ocean-Bearing Planets: Lessons from the Early Earth.

PubMed

Reinhard, Christopher T; Olson, Stephanie L; Schwieterman, Edward W; Lyons, Timothy W

2017-04-01

Ocean-atmosphere chemistry on Earth has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes throughout its long history, with potentially significant ramifications for the emergence and long-term stability of atmospheric biosignatures. Though a great deal of work has centered on refining our understanding of false positives for remote life detection, much less attention has been paid to the possibility of false negatives, that is, cryptic biospheres that are widespread and active on a planet's surface but are ultimately undetectable or difficult to detect in the composition of a planet's atmosphere. Here, we summarize recent developments from geochemical proxy records and Earth system models that provide insight into the long-term evolution of the most readily detectable potential biosignature gases on Earth-oxygen (O 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), and methane (CH 4 ). We suggest that the canonical O 2 -CH 4 disequilibrium biosignature would perhaps have been challenging to detect remotely during Earth's ∼4.5-billion-year history and that in general atmospheric O 2 /O 3 levels have been a poor proxy for the presence of Earth's biosphere for all but the last ∼500 million years. We further suggest that detecting atmospheric CH 4 would have been problematic for most of the last ∼2.5 billion years of Earth's history. More broadly, we stress that internal oceanic recycling of biosignature gases will often render surface biospheres on ocean-bearing silicate worlds cryptic, with the implication that the planets most conducive to the development and maintenance of a pervasive biosphere will often be challenging to characterize via conventional atmospheric biosignatures. Key Words: Biosignatures-Oxygen-Methane-Ozone-Exoplanets-Planetary habitability. Astrobiology 17, 287-297.

False Negatives for Remote Life Detection on Ocean-Bearing Planets: Lessons from the Early Earth

PubMed Central

Olson, Stephanie L.; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Lyons, Timothy W.

2017-01-01

Abstract Ocean-atmosphere chemistry on Earth has undergone dramatic evolutionary changes throughout its long history, with potentially significant ramifications for the emergence and long-term stability of atmospheric biosignatures. Though a great deal of work has centered on refining our understanding of false positives for remote life detection, much less attention has been paid to the possibility of false negatives, that is, cryptic biospheres that are widespread and active on a planet's surface but are ultimately undetectable or difficult to detect in the composition of a planet's atmosphere. Here, we summarize recent developments from geochemical proxy records and Earth system models that provide insight into the long-term evolution of the most readily detectable potential biosignature gases on Earth—oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), and methane (CH4). We suggest that the canonical O2-CH4 disequilibrium biosignature would perhaps have been challenging to detect remotely during Earth's ∼4.5-billion-year history and that in general atmospheric O2/O3 levels have been a poor proxy for the presence of Earth's biosphere for all but the last ∼500 million years. We further suggest that detecting atmospheric CH4 would have been problematic for most of the last ∼2.5 billion years of Earth's history. More broadly, we stress that internal oceanic recycling of biosignature gases will often render surface biospheres on ocean-bearing silicate worlds cryptic, with the implication that the planets most conducive to the development and maintenance of a pervasive biosphere will often be challenging to characterize via conventional atmospheric biosignatures. Key Words: Biosignatures—Oxygen—Methane—Ozone—Exoplanets—Planetary habitability. Astrobiology 17, 287–297. PMID:28418704

Strong regional atmospheric 14C signature of respired CO2 observed from a tall tower over the midwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaFranchi, B. W.; McFarlane, K. J.; Miller, J. B.; Lehman, S. J.; Phillips, C. L.; Andrews, A. E.; Tans, P. P.; Chen, H.; Liu, Z.; Turnbull, J. C.; Xu, X.; Guilderson, T. P.

2016-08-01

Radiocarbon in CO2 (14CO2) measurements can aid in discriminating between fast (<1 year) and slower (>5-10 years) cycling of C between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere due to the 14C disequilibrium between atmospheric and terrestrial C. However, 14CO2 in the atmosphere is typically much more strongly impacted by fossil fuel emissions of CO2, and, thus, observations often provide little additional constraints on respiratory flux estimates at regional scales. Here we describe a data set of 14CO2 observations from a tall tower in northern Wisconsin (USA) where fossil fuel influence is far enough removed that during the summer months, the biospheric component of the 14CO2 budget dominates. We find that the terrestrial biosphere is responsible for a significant contribution to 14CO2 that is 2-3 times higher than predicted by the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach terrestrial ecosystem model for observations made in 2010. This likely includes a substantial contribution from the North American boreal ecoregion, but transported biospheric emissions from outside the model domain cannot be ruled out. The 14CO2 enhancement also appears somewhat decreased in observations made over subsequent years, suggesting that 2010 may be anomalous. With these caveats acknowledged, we discuss the implications of the observation/model comparison in terms of possible systematic biases in the model versus short-term anomalies in the observations. Going forward, this isotopic signal could be exploited as an important indicator to better constrain both the long-term carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems and the short-term impact of disturbance-based loss of carbon to the atmosphere.

Constraining a land-surface model with multiple observations by application of the MPI-Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System V1.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schürmann, Gregor J.; Kaminski, Thomas; Köstler, Christoph; Carvalhais, Nuno; Voßbeck, Michael; Kattge, Jens; Giering, Ralf; Rödenbeck, Christian; Heimann, Martin; Zaehle, Sönke

2016-09-01

We describe the Max Planck Institute Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (MPI-CCDAS) built around the tangent-linear version of the JSBACH land-surface scheme, which is part of the MPI-Earth System Model v1. The simulated phenology and net land carbon balance were constrained by globally distributed observations of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR, using the TIP-FAPAR product) and atmospheric CO2 at a global set of monitoring stations for the years 2005 to 2009. When constrained by FAPAR observations alone, the system successfully, and computationally efficiently, improved simulated growing-season average FAPAR, as well as its seasonality in the northern extra-tropics. When constrained by atmospheric CO2 observations alone, global net and gross carbon fluxes were improved, despite a tendency of the system to underestimate tropical productivity. Assimilating both data streams jointly allowed the MPI-CCDAS to match both observations (TIP-FAPAR and atmospheric CO2) equally well as the single data stream assimilation cases, thereby increasing the overall appropriateness of the simulated biosphere dynamics and underlying parameter values. Our study thus demonstrates the value of multiple-data-stream assimilation for the simulation of terrestrial biosphere dynamics. It further highlights the potential role of remote sensing data, here the TIP-FAPAR product, in stabilising the strongly underdetermined atmospheric inversion problem posed by atmospheric transport and CO2 observations alone. Notwithstanding these advances, the constraint of the observations on regional gross and net CO2 flux patterns on the MPI-CCDAS is limited through the coarse-scale parametrisation of the biosphere model. We expect improvement through a refined initialisation strategy and inclusion of further biosphere observations as constraints.

The biosphere rules.

PubMed

Unruh, Gregory C

2008-02-01

Sustainability, defined by natural scientists as the capacity of healthy ecosystems to function indefinitely, has become a clarion call for business. Leading companies have taken high-profile steps toward achieving it: Wal-Mart, for example, with its efforts to reduce packaging waste, and Nike, which has removed toxic chemicals from its shoes. But, says Unruh, the director of Thunderbird's Lincoln Center for Ethics in Global Management, sustainability is more than an endless journey of incremental steps. It is a destination, for which the biosphere of planet Earth--refined through billions of years of trial and error--is a perfect model. Unruh distills some lessons from the biosphere into three rules: Use a parsimonious palette. Managers can rethink their sourcing strategies and dramatically simplify the number and types of materials their companies use in production, making recycling cost-effective. After the furniture manufacturer Herman Miller discovered that its leading desk chair had 200 components made from more than 800 chemical compounds, it designed an award-winning successor whose far more limited materials palette is 96% recyclable. Cycle up, virtuously. Manufacturers should design recovery value into their products at the outset. Shaw Industries, for example, recycles the nylon fiber from its worn-out carpet into brand-new carpet tile. Exploit the power of platforms. Platform design in industry tends to occur at the component level--but the materials in those components constitute a more fundamental platform. Patagonia, by recycling Capilene brand performance underwear, has achieved energy costs 76% below those for virgin sourcing. Biosphere rules can teach companies how to build ecologically friendly products that both reduce manufacturing costs and prove highly attractive to consumers. And managers need not wait for a green technological revolution to implement them.

A New Sensitive GC-MS-based Method for Analysis of Dipicolinic Acid and Quantifying Bacterial Endospores in Deep Marine Subsurface Sediment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, J.

2015-12-01

Marine sediments cover more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface and represent a major part of the deep biosphere. Microbial cells and microbial activity appear to be widespread in these sediments. Recently, we reported the isolation of gram-positive anaerobic spore-forming piezophilic bacteria and detection of bacterial endospores in marine subsurface sediment from the Shimokita coalbed, Japan. However, the modern molecular microbiological methods (e.g., DNA-based microbial detection techniques) cannot detect bacterial endospore, because endospores are impermeable and are not stained by fluorescence DNA dyes or by ribosomal RNA staining techniques such as catalysed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization. Thus, the total microbial cell abundance in the deep biosphere may has been globally underestimated. This emphasizes the need for a new cultivation independent approach for the quantification of bacterial endospores in the deep subsurface. Dipicolinic acid (DPA, pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) is a universal and specific component of bacterial endospores, representing 5-15wt% of the dry spore, and therefore is a useful indicator and quantifier of bacterial endospores and permits to estimate total spore numbers in the subsurface biosphere. We developed a sensitive analytical method to quantify DPA content in environmental samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method is sensitive and more convenient in use than other traditional methods. We applied this method to analyzing sediment samples from the South China Sea (obtained from IODP Exp. 349) to determine the abundance of spore-forming bacteria in the deep marine subsurface sediment. Our results suggest that gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria may be the "unseen majority" in the deep biosphere.

Sphere of influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

After years of New Age celebrity, the Biosphere 2 project is officially going legit. As part of a five-year management agreement, the staff of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory will oversee the research, as well as the educational projects and tourism operations, of the enclosed prototype of Earth situated in the Arizona desert. A consortium of scientists from Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, Yale, the Smithsonian Institutions, the Australian National University, and several other institutions has already set about designing experiments in biogeochemistry, sustainable agriculture, climate change, biodiversity, and ecology. Plans also are being made to turn Biosphere 2 into a “science education center devoted exclusively to how the world works.”

Strategy for modeling putative multilevel ecosystems on Europa.

PubMed

Irwin, Louis N; Schulze-Makuch, Dirk

2003-01-01

A general strategy for modeling ecosystems on other worlds is described. Two alternative biospheres beneath the ice surface of Europa are modeled, based on analogous ecosystems on Earth in potentially comparable habitats, with reallocation of biomass quantities consistent with different sources of energy and chemical constituents. The first ecosystem models a benthic biosphere supported by chemoautotrophic producers. The second models two concentrations of biota at the top and bottom of the subsurface water column supported by energy harvested from transmembrane ionic gradients. Calculations indicate the plausibility of both ecosystems, including small macroorganisms at the highest trophic levels, with ionotrophy supporting a larger biomass than chemoautotrophy.

Multiplicity of inhabited worlds and the problem of setting up contacts among them

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shklovskiy, I. S.

1974-01-01

The numerous planetary systems in our galaxy appear to a high degree of probability to contain some planets with a biosphere similar to earth' environment. The possibility of communicating with those extraterrestrial alien planetary civilizations centers on the high level of technological development that is required to overcome the problem of distance. It is conceivable that advanced civilizations can produce energy at a level of 10 to the 43rd power erg/year and that an artificial biosphere can be developed within the limits of 10 to the 22nd power to 10 to the 23rd power cm.

Reduced Gas Cycling in Microbial Mats: Implications for Early Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoehler, Tori M.; Bebout, Brad M.; DesMarais, David J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

For more than half the history of life on Earth, biological productivity was dominated by photosynthetic microbial mats. During this time, mats served as the preeminent biological influence on earth's surface and atmospheric chemistry and also as the primary crucible for microbial evolution. We find that modern analogs of these ancient mat communities generate substantial quantities of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. Escape of these gases from the biosphere would contribute strongly to atmospheric evolution and potentially to the net oxidation of earth's surface; sequestration within the biosphere carries equally important implications for the structure, function, and evolution of anaerobic microbial communities within the context of mat biology.

Global changes: Impacts on habitability. A scientific basis for assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goody, R.

1982-01-01

The feasibility of a major NASA research initiative to document, to understand, and if possible, to predict long-term (5 to 50 years) global changes that can affect the habitability of the Earth is addressed. The major factor contributing to change is human activity. The program discussed involves studies of the atmosphere, oceans, land, the cryosphere, and the biosphere. On decadal time scales, these regimes and the cycles of physical and chemical entities through them are coupled into a single interlocking system. Some part of this system can be studied in a straightforward manner (the atmosphere) and some with great difficulty (the biosphere).

Astrobiology Extends Biology into Deep Time and Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desmarais, David

2003-01-01

To understand our own origins and to search for biospheres beyond Earth, we need a more robust concept of life itself. We must learn how to discriminate between attributes that are fundamental to all living systems versus those that represent principally local outcomes of long-term survival on Earth. We should identify the most basic environmental needs of life, chart the distribution of other habitable worlds, and understand the factors that created their distribution. Studies of microbial communities and the geologic record will be summarized that offer clues about the early evolution of our own biosphere as well as the signatures of life that we might find in the heavens.

Response of Sap-Flow Measurements on Environmental Forcings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howe, J. A.; Dragoni, D.; Schmid, H.

2005-05-01

The exchange of water between the atmosphere and biosphere is an important determinant of climate and the productivity of vegetation. Both evaporation and transpiration involve substantial amounts of energy exchange at the interface of the biosphere and atmosphere. Knowing how transpiration changes throughout the seasonal and diurnal cycles can help increase the understanding of how a forest reacts to changes in the biosphere and atmosphere. A common way to estimate transpiration is by measuring the sap flowing through the living tissues of trees. A study was conducted at Morgan-Monroe State Forest, a mixed deciduous forest in south central Indiana (USA), to investigate how sap flow in trees responds to changes in meteorological and environmental conditions. The heat -dissipation technique was used to estimate sap velocities from two Big Tooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata) and two Tulip Poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera). Sap velocity patterns (normalized by a reference potential evapo-transpiration) were directly compared with meteorological and ecological measurements, such as vapor pressure deficits, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), rain fall, and soil moisture content. In this study, we also investigated the uncertainties and problems that arise in using the heat dissipation technique to extrapolate the single-tree measurements to the forest scale.

Applications of the U.S. Geological Survey's global land cover product

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, B.

1997-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with several international agencies and universities, has produced a global land cover characteristics database. The land cover data were created using multitemporal analysis of advanced very high resolution radiometer satellite images in conjunction with other existing geographic data. A translation table permits the conversion of the land cover classes into several conventional land cover schemes that are used by ecosystem modelers, climate modelers, land management agencies, and other user groups. The alternative classification schemes include Global Ecosystems, the Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme, the Simple Biosphere, the USGS Anderson Level 2, and the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme. The distribution system for these data is through the World Wide Web (the web site address is: http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/glcc/glcc.html) or by magnetic media upon special request The availability of the data over the World Wide Web, in conjunction with the flexible database structure, allows easy data access to a wide range of users. The web site contains a user registration form that allows analysis of the diverse applications of large-area land cover data. Currently, applications are divided among mapping (20 percent), conservation (30 percent), and modeling (35 percent).

Atypical hematological response to combined calorie restriction and chronic hypoxia in Biosphere 2 crew: a possible link to latent features of hibernation capacity.

PubMed

Paglia, Donald E; Walford, Roy L

2005-01-01

Eight humans were isolated for 2 years in Biosphere 2, a sealed airtight habitat with recycled air, food, water, and wastes. A combination of conditions led to selective decline of oxygen (O2) in the internal atmosphere from 21% to 14%, inducing symptoms of high-altitude sickness but with little or no compensatory increase in red cell production. All crew members exhibited significant decreases in both erythrocyte 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) concentrations and P50 [partial pressure of O2 for 50% hemoglobin (Hb) saturation] values, changes opposite those expected in adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Lower P50 with increased Hb-O2 affinity induced by low 2,3-BPG is a characteristic of hibernating species and could be advantageous in O2-impoverished environments. The mechanisms underlying these changes in the Biosphere 2 crew remain obscure but could be related to low-calorie diet (1750-2100 kcal/day). Because the combination of hypoxia and limited caloric intake is also characteristic of hibernation, this unusual response may represent a cross-adaptation phenomenon in which certain features of hibernation capability are expressed in humans.

The Possible Emergence of Life and Differentiation of a Shallow Biosphere on Irradiated Icy Worlds: The Example of Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, Michael J.; Murray, Alison E.; Hand, Kevin P.

2017-12-01

Irradiated ice-covered ocean worlds with rocky mafic mantles may provide the conditions needed to drive the emergence and maintenance of life. Alkaline hydrothermal springs - relieving the geophysical, thermal, and chemical disequilibria between oceans and tidally stressed crusts - could generate inorganic barriers to the otherwise uncontrolled and kinetically disfavored oxidation of hydrothermal hydrogen and methane. Ionic gradients imposed across these inorganic barriers, comprising iron oxyhydroxides and sulfides, could drive the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and the oxidation of methane through thermodynamically favorable metabolic pathways leading to early life-forms. In such chemostatic environments, fuels may eventually outweigh oxidants. Ice-covered oceans are primarily heated from below, creating convection that could transport putative microbial cells and cellular cooperatives upward to congregate beneath an ice shell, potentially giving rise to a highly focused shallow biosphere. It is here where electron acceptors, ultimately derived from the irradiated surface, could be delivered to such life-forms through exchange with the icy surface. Such zones would act as "electron disposal units" for the biosphere, and occupants might be transferred toward the surface by buoyant diapirs and even entrained into plumes.

Global redox cycle of biospheric carbon: Interaction of photosynthesis and earth crust processes.

PubMed

Ivlev, Alexander A

2015-11-01

A model of the natural global redox cycle of biospheric carbon is introduced. According to this model, carbon transfer between biosphere and geospheres is accompanied by a conversion of the oxidative forms, presented by CO2, bicarbonate and carbonate ions, into the reduced forms, produced in photosynthesis. The mechanism of carbon transfer is associated with two phases of movement of lithospheric plates. In the short-term orogenic phase, CO2 from the subduction (plates' collisions) zones fills the "atmosphere-hydrosphere" system, resulting in climate warming. In the long-term quiet (geosynclynal) phase, weathering and photosynthesis become dominant depleting the oxidative forms of carbon. The above asymmetric periodicity exerts an impact on climate, biodiversity, distribution of organic matter in sedimentary deposits, etc. Along with photosynthesis expansion, the redox carbon cycle undergoes its development until it reaches the ecological compensation point, at which CO2 is depleted to the level critical to support the growth and reproduction of plants. This occurred in the Permo-Carboniferous time and in the Neogene. Shorter-term perturbations of the global carbon cycle in the form of glacial-interglacial oscillations appear near the ecological compensation point. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-site assimilation of a terrestrial biosphere model (BETHY) using satellite derived soil moisture data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Mousong; Sholze, Marko

2017-04-01

We investigated the importance of soil moisture data on assimilation of a terrestrial biosphere model (BETHY) for a long time period from 2010 to 2015. Totally, 101 parameters related to carbon turnover, soil respiration, as well as soil texture were selected for optimization within a carbon cycle data assimilation system (CCDAS). Soil moisture data from Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) product was derived for 10 sites representing different plant function types (PFTs) as well as different climate zones. Uncertainty of SMOS soil moisture data was also estimated using triple collocation analysis (TCA) method by comparing with ASCAT dataset and BETHY forward simulation results. Assimilation of soil moisture to the system improved soil moisture as well as net primary productivity(NPP) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) when compared with soil moisture derived from in-situ measurements and fluxnet datasets. Parameter uncertainties were largely reduced relatively to prior values. Using SMOS soil moisture data for assimilation of a terrestrial biosphere model proved to be an efficient approach in reducing uncertainty in ecosystem fluxes simulation. It could be further used in regional an global assimilation work to constrain carbon dioxide concentration simulation by combining with other sources of measurements.

FluidCam 1&2 - UAV-based Fluid Lensing Instruments for High-Resolution 3D Subaqueous Imaging and Automated Remote Biosphere Assessment of Reef Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirayath, V.; Instrella, R.

2016-02-01

We present NASA ESTO FluidCam 1 & 2, Visible and NIR Fluid-Lensing-enabled imaging payloads for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Developed as part of a focused 2014 earth science technology grant, FluidCam 1&2 are Fluid-Lensing-based computational optical imagers designed for automated 3D mapping and remote sensing of underwater coastal targets from airborne platforms. Fluid Lensing has been used to map underwater reefs in 3D in American Samoa and Hamelin Pool, Australia from UAV platforms at sub-cm scale, which has proven a valuable tool in modern marine research for marine biosphere assessment and conservation. We share FluidCam 1&2 instrument validation and testing results as well as preliminary processed data from field campaigns. Petabyte-scale aerial survey efforts using Fluid Lensing to image at-risk reefs demonstrate broad applicability to large-scale automated species identification, morphology studies and reef ecosystem characterization for shallow marine environments and terrestrial biospheres, of crucial importance to improving bathymetry data for physical oceanographic models and understanding climate change's impact on coastal zones, global oxygen production, carbon sequestration.

FluidCam 1&2 - UAV-Based Fluid Lensing Instruments for High-Resolution 3D Subaqueous Imaging and Automated Remote Biosphere Assessment of Reef Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirayath, V.

2015-12-01

We present NASA ESTO FluidCam 1 & 2, Visible and NIR Fluid-Lensing-enabled imaging payloads for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Developed as part of a focused 2014 earth science technology grant, FluidCam 1&2 are Fluid-Lensing-based computational optical imagers designed for automated 3D mapping and remote sensing of underwater coastal targets from airborne platforms. Fluid Lensing has been used to map underwater reefs in 3D in American Samoa and Hamelin Pool, Australia from UAV platforms at sub-cm scale, which has proven a valuable tool in modern marine research for marine biosphere assessment and conservation. We share FluidCam 1&2 instrument validation and testing results as well as preliminary processed data from field campaigns. Petabyte-scale aerial survey efforts using Fluid Lensing to image at-risk reefs demonstrate broad applicability to large-scale automated species identification, morphology studies and reef ecosystem characterization for shallow marine environments and terrestrial biospheres, of crucial importance to improving bathymetry data for physical oceanographic models and understanding climate change's impact on coastal zones, global oxygen production, carbon sequestration.

Fungus-like mycelial fossils in 2.4-billion-year-old vesicular basalt.

PubMed

Bengtson, Stefan; Rasmussen, Birger; Ivarsson, Magnus; Muhling, Janet; Broman, Curt; Marone, Federica; Stampanoni, Marco; Bekker, Andrey

2017-04-24

Fungi have recently been found to comprise a significant part of the deep biosphere in oceanic sediments and crustal rocks. Fossils occupying fractures and pores in Phanerozoic volcanics indicate that this habitat is at least 400 million years old, but its origin may be considerably older. A 2.4-billion-year-old basalt from the Palaeoproterozoic Ongeluk Formation in South Africa contains filamentous fossils in vesicles and fractures. The filaments form mycelium-like structures growing from a basal film attached to the internal rock surfaces. Filaments branch and anastomose, touch and entangle each other. They are indistinguishable from mycelial fossils found in similar deep-biosphere habitats in the Phanerozoic, where they are attributed to fungi on the basis of chemical and morphological similarities to living fungi. The Ongeluk fossils, however, are two to three times older than current age estimates of the fungal clade. Unless they represent an unknown branch of fungus-like organisms, the fossils imply that the fungal clade is considerably older than previously thought, and that fungal origin and early evolution may lie in the oceanic deep biosphere rather than on land. The Ongeluk discovery suggests that life has inhabited submarine volcanics for more than 2.4 billion years.

Deep-biosphere consortium of fungi and prokaryotes in Eocene subseafloor basalts.

PubMed

Bengtson, S; Ivarsson, M; Astolfo, A; Belivanova, V; Broman, C; Marone, F; Stampanoni, M

2014-11-01

The deep biosphere of the subseafloor crust is believed to contain a significant part of Earth's biomass, but because of the difficulties of directly observing the living organisms, its composition and ecology are poorly known. We report here a consortium of fossilized prokaryotic and eukaryotic micro-organisms, occupying cavities in deep-drilled vesicular basalt from the Emperor Seamounts, Pacific Ocean, 67.5 m below seafloor (mbsf). Fungal hyphae provide the framework on which prokaryote-like organisms are suspended like cobwebs and iron-oxidizing bacteria form microstromatolites (Frutexites). The spatial inter-relationships show that the organisms were living at the same time in an integrated fashion, suggesting symbiotic interdependence. The community is contemporaneous with secondary mineralizations of calcite partly filling the cavities. The fungal hyphae frequently extend into the calcite, indicating that they were able to bore into the substrate through mineral dissolution. A symbiotic relationship with chemoautotrophs, as inferred for the observed consortium, may be a pre-requisite for the eukaryotic colonization of crustal rocks. Fossils thus open a window to the extant as well as the ancient deep biosphere. © 2014 The Authors. Geobiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Probing the Rare Biosphere of the North-West Mediterranean Sea: An Experiment with High Sequencing Effort.

PubMed

Crespo, Bibiana G; Wallhead, Philip J; Logares, Ramiro; Pedrós-Alió, Carlos

2016-01-01

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques have suggested the existence of a wealth of species with very low relative abundance: the rare biosphere. We attempted to exhaustively map this rare biosphere in two water samples by performing an exceptionally deep pyrosequencing analysis (~500,000 final reads per sample). Species data were derived by a 97% identity criterion and various parametric distributions were fitted to the observed counts. Using the best-fitting Sichel distribution we estimate a total species richness of 1,568-1,669 (95% Credible Interval) and 5,027-5,196 for surface and deep water samples respectively, implying that 84-89% of the total richness in those two samples was sequenced, and we predict that a quadrupling of the present sequencing effort would suffice to observe 90% of the total richness in both samples. Comparing the HTS results with a culturing approach we found that most of the cultured taxa were not obtained by HTS, despite the high sequencing effort. Culturing therefore remains a useful tool for uncovering marine bacterial diversity, in addition to its other uses for studying the ecology of marine bacteria.

Microbial activity in the marine deep biosphere: progress and prospects.

PubMed

Orcutt, Beth N; Larowe, Douglas E; Biddle, Jennifer F; Colwell, Frederick S; Glazer, Brian T; Reese, Brandi Kiel; Kirkpatrick, John B; Lapham, Laura L; Mills, Heath J; Sylvan, Jason B; Wankel, Scott D; Wheat, C Geoff

2013-01-01

The vast marine deep biosphere consists of microbial habitats within sediment, pore waters, upper basaltic crust and the fluids that circulate throughout it. A wide range of temperature, pressure, pH, and electron donor and acceptor conditions exists-all of which can combine to affect carbon and nutrient cycling and result in gradients on spatial scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Diverse and mostly uncharacterized microorganisms live in these habitats, and potentially play a role in mediating global scale biogeochemical processes. Quantifying the rates at which microbial activity in the subsurface occurs is a challenging endeavor, yet developing an understanding of these rates is essential to determine the impact of subsurface life on Earth's global biogeochemical cycles, and for understanding how microorganisms in these "extreme" environments survive (or even thrive). Here, we synthesize recent advances and discoveries pertaining to microbial activity in the marine deep subsurface, and we highlight topics about which there is still little understanding and suggest potential paths forward to address them. This publication is the result of a workshop held in August 2012 by the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) "theme team" on microbial activity (www.darkenergybiosphere.org).

Characterization of Reconstructed Ancestral Proteins Suggests a Change in Temperature of the Ancient Biosphere.

PubMed

Akanuma, Satoshi

2017-08-06

Understanding the evolution of ancestral life, and especially the ability of some organisms to flourish in the variable environments experienced in Earth's early biosphere, requires knowledge of the characteristics and the environment of these ancestral organisms. Information about early life and environmental conditions has been obtained from fossil records and geological surveys. Recent advances in phylogenetic analysis, and an increasing number of protein sequences available in public databases, have made it possible to infer ancestral protein sequences possessed by ancient organisms. However, the in silico studies that assess the ancestral base content of ribosomal RNAs, the frequency of each amino acid in ancestral proteins, and estimate the environmental temperatures of ancient organisms, show conflicting results. The characterization of ancestral proteins reconstructed in vitro suggests that ancient organisms had very thermally stable proteins, and therefore were thermophilic or hyperthermophilic. Experimental data supports the idea that only thermophilic ancestors survived the catastrophic increase in temperature of the biosphere that was likely associated with meteorite impacts during the early history of Earth. In addition, by expanding the timescale and including more ancestral proteins for reconstruction, it appears as though the Earth's surface temperature gradually decreased over time, from Archean to present.

Microbial activity in the marine deep biosphere: progress and prospects

PubMed Central

Orcutt, Beth N.; LaRowe, Douglas E.; Biddle, Jennifer F.; Colwell, Frederick S.; Glazer, Brian T.; Reese, Brandi Kiel; Kirkpatrick, John B.; Lapham, Laura L.; Mills, Heath J.; Sylvan, Jason B.; Wankel, Scott D.; Wheat, C. Geoff

2013-01-01

The vast marine deep biosphere consists of microbial habitats within sediment, pore waters, upper basaltic crust and the fluids that circulate throughout it. A wide range of temperature, pressure, pH, and electron donor and acceptor conditions exists—all of which can combine to affect carbon and nutrient cycling and result in gradients on spatial scales ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Diverse and mostly uncharacterized microorganisms live in these habitats, and potentially play a role in mediating global scale biogeochemical processes. Quantifying the rates at which microbial activity in the subsurface occurs is a challenging endeavor, yet developing an understanding of these rates is essential to determine the impact of subsurface life on Earth's global biogeochemical cycles, and for understanding how microorganisms in these “extreme” environments survive (or even thrive). Here, we synthesize recent advances and discoveries pertaining to microbial activity in the marine deep subsurface, and we highlight topics about which there is still little understanding and suggest potential paths forward to address them. This publication is the result of a workshop held in August 2012 by the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) “theme team” on microbial activity (www.darkenergybiosphere.org). PMID:23874326

Influence of the biosphere and circulation on atmospheric CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbett, A.; Jiang, X.; La, J.; Olsen, E. T.; Licata, S. J.; Yung, Y. L.

2017-12-01

Using multiple satellite CO2 retrievals (e.g., AIRS, GOSAT, and OCO-2), we have investigated seasonal changes of CO2 as a function of latitudes and altitudes. The annual cycle of atmospheric CO2 is closely related to the exchange of CO2 between the biosphere and the atmosphere, so we also examine solar-induced fluorescence (SIF). High SIF value means more CO2 uptake by photosynthesis, which will lead to lower atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The satellite data demonstrate a negative correlation between atmospheric CO2 and SIF. SIF can be influenced by precipitation and evaporation. We have found a positive correlation between SIF and the difference of precipitation and evaporation, suggesting there is more CO2 uptake by vegetation when more water is available. In addition to the annual cycle, large-scale circulation, such as South Atlantic Walker Circulation, can also modulate atmospheric CO2 concentrations. As seen from AIRS, GOSAT, and OCO-2 CO2 retrievals, there is less CO2 over the South Atlantic Ocean than over South America from December to March. Results in this study will help us better understand interactions between the biosphere, circulation, and atmospheric CO2.

Erosion of particulate organic material from an Andean river and its delivery to the Amazon Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Kathryn; Hilton, Robert; West, A. Joshua; Robles Caceres, Arturo; Grocke, Darren; Marthews, Toby; Asner, Greg; New, Mark; Mahli, Yadvinder

2016-04-01

Organic carbon and nutrients discharged by mountainous rivers can play an important role in biogeochemical cycles from regional to global scales. The eastern Andes host productive forests on steep, rapidly eroding slopes, a combination that is primed to deliver sediment, carbon and nutrients to the lowland Amazon River. We quantify clastic sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) discharge for the Kosñipata River, Peru, an Andean tributary of the Madre de Dios River, using suspended sediment samples and discharge measurements over one year at two gauging stations. Calculations of sediment yield on the basis of this data suggest that the Madre de Dios basin may have erosion rates ˜10 times greater than the Amazon Basin average. The total POC yield over the sampling period was up to five times higher than the yield in the lowland Amazon Basin, with most POC (70-80%) exported between December and March in the wet season. We use radiocarbon, stable C isotopes and C/N ratios to distinguish between the erosion and discharge of POC from sedimentary rocks (petrogenic POC) and POC eroded from the modern terrestrial biosphere, from vegetation and soil (biospheric POC). We find that biospheric POC discharge was significantly enhanced during flood events, over that of clastic sediment and petrogenic POC. The ultimate fate of the eroded POC may play a central role in the net carbon budget of Andean forest. In these forests, net productivity minus heterotrophic respiration is close to zero at the scale of forest plots, and the erosion of biospheric POC by this Andean river is sufficiently rapid that its fate downstream (sedimentary burial/preservation versus oxidation/degradation) may determine whether the mountain forest is a carbon sink or source to the atmosphere. In addition, the measured discharge of petrogenic POC suggests that fluxes from the Andes may be considerably higher than measured downstream in the Madeira River. If this petrogenic POC is oxidised rather than stored in the Amazon River floodplains, it could contribute an important release of CO2 which is not considered in forest-plot scale measurements. Overall, our results suggest that the erosion of biospheric and petrogenic POC from the Andes and its discharge by rivers comprise an important part of the organic carbon budget of the Amazon River Basin, one that depends on the fate of material delivered to the lowlands.

Terrestrial carbon cycle responses to drought and climate stress: New insights using atmospheric observations of CO2 and delta13C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alden, Caroline B.

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) continue to rise well into the second decade of the new millennium, in spite of broad-scale human understanding of the impacts of fossil fuel emissions on the earth's climate. Natural sinks for CO2 that are relevant on human time scales---the world's oceans and land biosphere---appear to have kept pace with emissions. The continuously increasing strength of the land biosphere sink for CO2 is surpassing expectations given our understanding of the CO2 fertilization and warming effects on the balance between photosynthesis and respiration, especially in the face of ongoing forest degradation. The climate and carbon cycle links between the atmosphere and land biosphere are not well understood, especially at regional (100 km to 10,000 km) scales. The climate modulating effects of changing plant stomatal conductance in response to temperature and water availability is a key area of uncertainty. Further, the differential response to climate change of C3 and C4 plant functional types is not well known at regional scales. This work outlines the development of a novel application of atmospheric observations of delta13C of CO2 to investigate the links between climate and water and carbon cycling and the integrated responses of C3 and C4 ecosystems to climate variables. A two-step Bayesian batch inversion for 3-hourly, 1x1º CO2 fluxes (step one), and for 3-hourly 1x1º delta13C of recently assimilated carbon (step two) is created here for the first time, and is used to investigate links between regional climate indicators and changes in delta13C of the biosphere. Results show that predictable responses of regional-scale, integrated plant discrimination to temperature, precipitation and relative humidity anomalies can be recovered from atmospheric signals. Model development, synthetic data simulations to test sensitivity, and results for the year 2010 are presented here. This dissertation also includes two other applications of atmospheric observations of CO2 and delta13C: 1) a state of the art atmospheric CO2 budgeting exercise to show that global net sinks for CO2 have steadily increased over the last 50 years, and 2) a global investigation of the mechanistic drivers of interannual variability in biosphere discrimination against delta13C.

Nutrient inputs via rock weathering point to enhanced CO2 uptake capacity of the terrestrial biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dass, P.; Houlton, B. Z.; Wang, Y.; Pak, B. C.; Morford, S.

2016-12-01

Empirical evidence of widespread scarcity of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability in natural land ecosystems constrains the carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake capacity of the global biosphere. Recent studies have pointed to the importance of rock weathering in supplying both N and P to terrestrial soils and vegetation; however, the potential for N and P to rapidly weather from different rocks and thereby alter the global carbon (C) cycle remains an open question, particularly at the global scale. Here, we combine empirical measurements and a new global simulation model to quantify the flux of N and P released from rocks to the terrestrial biosphere. Our model considers the role of tectonic uplift and physical and chemical weathering on rock nutrient cycling by using a probabilistic approach that is anchored in watershed-scale 10Be and Na data from the world's rivers. We use USGS DEM data for relief, monthly averaged MODIS evapotranspiration data and global precipitation datasets. Based on simulations using mean climate data for the past 10 years, we estimate annual values of 11 Tg of N and 6 Tg of P to weather from rocks to the terrestrial biosphere. The rate of N weathering rivals that of atmospheric N deposition in natural ecosystems, and the P weathering flux is approximately 6 times higher than prior estimates based on a modeling approach where the chemical weathering is dependant on lithology and runoff with further factors correcting for soil shielding and temperature. The increase in nutrient inputs we simulate reveals an important role for rock weathering to support new production in terrestrial ecosystems, and thereby allow for additional CO2 uptake in sectors of the biosphere where weathering rates are substantial. Given that current generation of models are yet to consider how short-term weathering of rocks can affect nutrient limited C storage, these results will help to advance the geochemical aspects of carbon-climate feedback this century. Moreover, we will present results for CO2 uptake capacity based on the future climate scenario involving the least mitigation storyline, i.e. RCP 8.5 as well as historic uptake from the beginning of the retreat if the glaciers, i.e. the Last Glacial Maximum.

Between land and sea: divergent data stewardship practices in deep-sea biosphere research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, R.; Darch, P.

2013-12-01

Data in deep-sea biosphere research often live a double life. While the original data generated on IODP expeditions are highly structured, professionally curated, and widely shared, the downstream data practices of deep-sea biosphere laboratories are far more localized and ad hoc. These divergent data practices make it difficult to track the provenance of datasets from the cruise ships to the laboratory or to integrate IODP data with laboratory data. An in-depth study of the divergent data practices in deep-sea biosphere research allows us to: - Better understand the social and technical forces that shape data stewardship throughout the data lifecycle; - Develop policy, infrastructure, and best practices to improve data stewardship in small labs; - Track provenance of datasets from IODP cruises to labs and publications; - Create linkages between laboratory findings, cruise data, and IODP samples. In this paper, we present findings from the first year of a case study of the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI), an NSF Science and Technology Center that studies life beneath the seafloor. Our methods include observation in laboratories, interviews, document analysis, and participation in scientific meetings. Our research uncovers the data stewardship norms of geologists, biologists, chemists, and hydrologists conducting multi-disciplinary research. Our research team found that data stewardship on cruises is a clearly defined task performed by an IODP curator, while downstream it is a distributed task that develops in response to local need and to the extent necessary for the immediate research team. IODP data are expensive to collect and challenging to obtain, often costing $50,000/day and requiring researchers to work twelve hours a day onboard the ships. To maximize this research investment, a highly trained IODP data curator controls data stewardship on the cruise and applies best practices such as standardized formats, proper labeling, and centralized storage. In the laboratory, a scientist is his or her own curator. In contrast to the IODP research parties, laboratory research teams analyze diverse datasets, share them internally, implement ad hoc data management practices, optimize methods for their specific research questions, and release data on request through personal transactions. We discovered that while these workflows help small research teams retain flexibility and local control - crucial in exploratory deep-sea biosphere research - they also hinder data interoperability, discoverability, and consistency of methods from one research team to the next. Additional consequences of this contrast between IODP and lab practices are that it is difficult to track the provenance of data and to create linkages between laboratory findings, cruise data, and archived IODP samples. The ability to track provenance would add value to datasets and provide a clearer picture of the decisions made throughout the data lifecycle. Better linkages between the original data, laboratory data, and samples would allow secondary researchers to locate IODP data that may be useful to their research after laboratory findings are published. Our case study is funded by the Sloan Foundation and NSF.

Human Migration and Agricultural Expansion: An Impending Threat to the Maya Biosphere Reserve

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sader, Steven; Reining, Conard; Sever, Thomas L.; Soza, Carlos

1997-01-01

Evidence is presented of the current threats to the Maya Biosphere Reserve in northern Guatemala as derived through time-series Landsat Thematic Mapper observations and analysis. Estimates of deforestation rates and trends are examined for different management units within the reserve and buffer zones. The satellite imagery was used to quantify and monitor rates, patterns, and trends of forest clearing during a time period corresponding to new road construction and significant human migration into the newly accessible forest region. Satellite imagery is appropriate technology in a vast and remote tropical region where aerial photography and extensive field-based methods are not cost-effective and current, timely data is essential for establishing conservation priorities.

Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) version le as coupled to the NCAR community climate model. Technical note. [NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dickinson, R.E.; Henderson-Sellers, A.; Kennedy, P.J.

A comprehensive model of land-surface processes has been under development suitable for use with various National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) General Circulation Models (GCMs). Special emphasis has been given to describing properly the role of vegetation in modifying the surface moisture and energy budgets. The result of these efforts has been incorporated into a boundary package, referred to as the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS). The current frozen version, BATS1e is a piece of software about four thousand lines of code that runs as an offline version or coupled to the Community Climate Model (CCM).

Five new species of the genera Heerz Marsh, Lissopsius Marsh and Ondigus Braet, Barbalho and van Achterberg (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve in Jalisco, Mexico

PubMed Central

Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro; Martínez, Juan José; Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara; Shaw, Scott R.

2012-01-01

Abstract Five new species belonging to the poorly known Neotropical doryctine parasitoid wasps genera Heerz Marsh (Heerz ecmahla sp. n. and Heerz macrophthalma sp. n.), Lissopsius Marsh (Lissopsius pacificus sp. n. and Lissopsius jalisciensis sp. n.) and Ondigus Braet, Barbalho & van Achterberg (Ondigus cuixmalensis sp. n.) are described from the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere reserve in Jalisco, Mexico. Keys to the described species of the above three genera are provided. The phylogenetic placement of the examined taxa is investigated based on mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (28S, 2nd and 3rd domain regions) DNA sequence data. PMID:22328849

Space Observations for Global Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rasool, S. I.

1991-01-01

There is now compelling evidence that man's activities are changing both the composition of the atmospheric and the global landscape quite drastically. The consequences of these changes on the global climate of the 21st century is currently a hotly debated subject. Global models of a coupled Earth-ocean-atmosphere system are still very primitive and progress in this area appears largely data limited, specially over the global biosphere. A concerted effort on monitoring biospheric functions on scales from pixels to global and days to decades needs to be coordinated on an international scale in order to address the questions related to global change. An international program of space observations and ground research was described.

Using a cultural-ecological framework to explore dietary beliefs and practices during pregnancy and lactation among women in Adivasi communities in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, India.

PubMed

Craig, Hope C; Jeyanthi, R; Pelto, Gretel; Willford, Andrew C; Stoltzfus, Rebecca J

2018-01-01

This article explores maternal dietary beliefs and practices gathered through interviews with mothers of infants and young children in Adivasi communities in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, India. Guided by focused ethnographic study methods, interviews were conducted with 33 key informants. We used a cultural-ecological framework to analyze and interpret the texts that were elicited from women about dietary beliefs and eating patterns during pregnancy and lactation. We identify differences between what women were advised to eat, felt they should eat, and reported consuming. The findings offer guidance for interventions to improve maternal diets in this vulnerable population.

Exploring the dark energy biosphere, 15 seconds at a time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrone, C.; Tossey, L.; Biddle, J.

2016-12-01

Science communication often suffers from numerous pitfalls including jargon, complexity, ageneral lack of (science) education of the audience, and short attention spans. With the Center for Dark EnergyBiosphere Investigations (C-DEBI), Delaware Sea Grant is expanding its collection of 15 Second Science videos, whichdeliver complex science topics, with visually stimulating footage and succinct audio. Featuring a diverse cast of scientistsand educators in front of the camera, we are expanded our reach into the public and classrooms. We're alsoexperimenting with smartphone-based virtual reality, for a more immersive experience into the deep! We will show youthe process for planning, producing, and posting our #15secondscience videos and VR segments, and how we areevaluating effectiveness.

Contamination Tracer Testing With Seabed Rock Drills: IODP Expedition 357

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orcutt, B.; Bergenthal, M.; Freudenthal, T.; Smith, D. J.; Lilley, M. D.; Schneiders, L.; Fruh-Green, G. L.

2016-12-01

IODP Expedition 357 utilized seabed rock drills for the first time in the history of the ocean drilling program, with the aim of collecting intact core of shallow mantle sequences from the Atlantis Massif to examine serpentinization processes and the deep biosphere. This new drilling approach required the development of a new system for delivering synthetic tracers during drilling to assess for possible sample contamination. Here, we describe this new tracer delivery system, assess the performance of the system during the expedition, provide an overview of the quality of the core samples collected for deep biosphere investigations based on tracer concentrations, and make recommendations for future applications of the system.

Contamination tracer testing with seabed drills: IODP Expedition 357

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orcutt, Beth N.; Bergenthal, Markus; Freudenthal, Tim; Smith, David; Lilley, Marvin D.; Schnieders, Luzie; Green, Sophie; Früh-Green, Gretchen L.

2017-11-01

IODP Expedition 357 utilized seabed drills for the first time in the history of the ocean drilling program, with the aim of collecting intact sequences of shallow mantle core from the Atlantis Massif to examine serpentinization processes and the deep biosphere. This novel drilling approach required the development of a new remote seafloor system for delivering synthetic tracers during drilling to assess for possible sample contamination. Here, we describe this new tracer delivery system, assess the performance of the system during the expedition, provide an overview of the quality of the core samples collected for deep biosphere investigations based on tracer concentrations, and make recommendations for future applications of the system.

Modeling of interactions between biosphere and atmosphere on the global scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer, Ferdinand; Mintz, Y.

1990-01-01

Simulations of weather and climate with general circulation models show that the circulation and rainfall are sensitive to the transfers of radiation, sensible heat, water vapor, and momentum across the atmosphere land surface interface. Because, in nature, these transfers depend in large measure on the morphological and physiological characteristics of the surface vegetation, an interactive biosphere is needed for GCM's. The simple model of the biosphere (SiB) that the authors have constructed is based on the recognized difference between ground cover vegetation (grasses and other herbaceous plants) and canopy vegetation (trees and shrubs), where the latter act like elevated blocks of porous material which efficiently extract momentum from the air that flows through them; by a large number of multiple reflections enhance the absorption of the incident solar radiation; when the canopy is wet, act like well ventilated psychrometers which extract sensible heat from the air and produce a negative Bowen ratio; and, in all of these ways, behave differently from ground cover vegetation. The complete set of governing equations of SiB, whereby the various allowable combinations of trees, ground covers, and bare ground, in interaction with the atmosphere, determine all of the vegetation dependent transfers at the land surface, have been presented and described.

The Possible Emergence of Life and Differentiation of a Shallow Biosphere on Irradiated Icy Worlds: The Example of Europa.

PubMed

Russell, Michael J; Murray, Alison E; Hand, Kevin P

2017-12-01

Irradiated ice-covered ocean worlds with rocky mafic mantles may provide the conditions needed to drive the emergence and maintenance of life. Alkaline hydrothermal springs-relieving the geophysical, thermal, and chemical disequilibria between oceans and tidally stressed crusts-could generate inorganic barriers to the otherwise uncontrolled and kinetically disfavored oxidation of hydrothermal hydrogen and methane. Ionic gradients imposed across these inorganic barriers, comprising iron oxyhydroxides and sulfides, could drive the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and the oxidation of methane through thermodynamically favorable metabolic pathways leading to early life-forms. In such chemostatic environments, fuels may eventually outweigh oxidants. Ice-covered oceans are primarily heated from below, creating convection that could transport putative microbial cells and cellular cooperatives upward to congregate beneath an ice shell, potentially giving rise to a highly focused shallow biosphere. It is here where electron acceptors, ultimately derived from the irradiated surface, could be delivered to such life-forms through exchange with the icy surface. Such zones would act as "electron disposal units" for the biosphere, and occupants might be transferred toward the surface by buoyant diapirs and even entrained into plumes. Key Words: Biofilms-Europa-Extraterrestrial life-Hydrothermal systems. Astrobiology 17, 1265-1273.

The Possible Emergence of Life and Differentiation of a Shallow Biosphere on Irradiated Icy Worlds: The Example of Europa

PubMed Central

Murray, Alison E.; Hand, Kevin P.

2017-01-01

Abstract Irradiated ice-covered ocean worlds with rocky mafic mantles may provide the conditions needed to drive the emergence and maintenance of life. Alkaline hydrothermal springs—relieving the geophysical, thermal, and chemical disequilibria between oceans and tidally stressed crusts—could generate inorganic barriers to the otherwise uncontrolled and kinetically disfavored oxidation of hydrothermal hydrogen and methane. Ionic gradients imposed across these inorganic barriers, comprising iron oxyhydroxides and sulfides, could drive the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide and the oxidation of methane through thermodynamically favorable metabolic pathways leading to early life-forms. In such chemostatic environments, fuels may eventually outweigh oxidants. Ice-covered oceans are primarily heated from below, creating convection that could transport putative microbial cells and cellular cooperatives upward to congregate beneath an ice shell, potentially giving rise to a highly focused shallow biosphere. It is here where electron acceptors, ultimately derived from the irradiated surface, could be delivered to such life-forms through exchange with the icy surface. Such zones would act as “electron disposal units” for the biosphere, and occupants might be transferred toward the surface by buoyant diapirs and even entrained into plumes. Key Words: Biofilms—Europa—Extraterrestrial life—Hydrothermal systems. Astrobiology 17, 1265–1273. PMID:29016193

Comparison of GCM subgrid fluxes calculated using BATS and SiB schemes with a coupled land-atmosphere high-resolution model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, Jinmei; Arritt, R.W.

The importance of land-atmosphere interactions and biosphere in climate change studies has long been recognized, and several land-atmosphere interaction schemes have been developed. Among these, the Simple Biosphere scheme (SiB) of Sellers et al. and the Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) of Dickinson et al. are two of the most widely known. The effects of GCM subgrid-scale inhomogeneities of surface properties in general circulation models also has received increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the complexity of land surface processes and the difficulty to prescribe the large number of parameters that determine atmospheric and soil interactions with vegetation,more » many previous studies and results seem to be contradictory. A GCM grid element typically represents an area of 10{sup 4}-10{sup 6} km{sup 2}. Within such an area, there exist variations of soil type, soil wetness, vegetation type, vegetation density and topography, as well as urban areas and water bodies. In this paper, we incorporate both BATS and SiB2 land surface process schemes into a nonhydrostatic, compressible version of AMBLE model (Atmospheric Model -- Boundary-Layer Emphasis), and compare the surface heat fluxes and mesoscale circulations calculated using the two schemes. 8 refs., 5 figs.« less

Biospheric feedback effects in a synchronously coupled model of human and Earth systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thornton, Peter E.; Calvin, Katherine; Jones, Andrew D.

Fossil fuel combustion and land-use change are the two largest contributors to industrial-era increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Projections of these are thus fundamental inputs for coupled Earth system models (ESMs) used to estimate the physical and biological consequences of future climate system forcing. While historical datasets are available to inform past and current climate analyses, assessments of future climate change have relied on projections of energy and land use from energy economic models, constrained by assumptions about future policy, land-use patterns, and socio-economic development trajectories. We show that the climatic impacts on land ecosystems drives significant feedbacks inmore » energy, agriculture, land-use, and carbon cycle projections for the 21st century. We also find that exposure of human appropriated land ecosystem productivity to biospheric change results in reductions of land area used for crops; increases in managed forest area and carbon stocks; decreases in global crop prices; and reduction in fossil fuel emissions for a low-mid range forcing scenario. Furthermore, the feedbacks between climate-induced biospheric change and human system forcings to the climate system demonstrated here are handled inconsistently, or excluded altogether, in the one-way asynchronous coupling of energy economic models to ESMs used to date.« less

Biospheric feedback effects in a synchronously coupled model of human and Earth systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, Peter E.; Calvin, Katherine; Jones, Andrew D.; di Vittorio, Alan V.; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Chini, Louise; Shi, Xiaoying; Mao, Jiafu; Collins, William D.; Edmonds, Jae; Thomson, Allison; Truesdale, John; Craig, Anthony; Branstetter, Marcia L.; Hurtt, George

2017-07-01

Fossil fuel combustion and land-use change are the two largest contributors to industrial-era increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Projections of these are thus fundamental inputs for coupled Earth system models (ESMs) used to estimate the physical and biological consequences of future climate system forcing. While historical data sets are available to inform past and current climate analyses, assessments of future climate change have relied on projections of energy and land use from energy-economic models, constrained by assumptions about future policy, land-use patterns and socio-economic development trajectories. Here we show that the climatic impacts on land ecosystems drive significant feedbacks in energy, agriculture, land use and carbon cycle projections for the twenty-first century. We find that exposure of human-appropriated land ecosystem productivity to biospheric change results in reductions of land area used for crops; increases in managed forest area and carbon stocks; decreases in global crop prices; and reduction in fossil fuel emissions for a low-mid-range forcing scenario. The feedbacks between climate-induced biospheric change and human system forcings to the climate system--demonstrated here--are handled inconsistently, or excluded altogether, in the one-way asynchronous coupling of energy-economic models to ESMs used to date.

Biospheric feedback effects in a synchronously coupled model of human and Earth systems

DOE PAGES

Thornton, Peter E.; Calvin, Katherine; Jones, Andrew D.; ...

2017-06-12

Fossil fuel combustion and land-use change are the two largest contributors to industrial-era increases in atmospheric CO 2 concentration. Projections of these are thus fundamental inputs for coupled Earth system models (ESMs) used to estimate the physical and biological consequences of future climate system forcing. While historical datasets are available to inform past and current climate analyses, assessments of future climate change have relied on projections of energy and land use from energy economic models, constrained by assumptions about future policy, land-use patterns, and socio-economic development trajectories. We show that the climatic impacts on land ecosystems drives significant feedbacks inmore » energy, agriculture, land-use, and carbon cycle projections for the 21st century. We also find that exposure of human appropriated land ecosystem productivity to biospheric change results in reductions of land area used for crops; increases in managed forest area and carbon stocks; decreases in global crop prices; and reduction in fossil fuel emissions for a low-mid range forcing scenario. Furthermore, the feedbacks between climate-induced biospheric change and human system forcings to the climate system demonstrated here are handled inconsistently, or excluded altogether, in the one-way asynchronous coupling of energy economic models to ESMs used to date.« less

Root structural and functional dynamics in terrestrial biosphere models--evaluation and recommendations.

PubMed

Warren, Jeffrey M; Hanson, Paul J; Iversen, Colleen M; Kumar, Jitendra; Walker, Anthony P; Wullschleger, Stan D

2015-01-01

There is wide breadth of root function within ecosystems that should be considered when modeling the terrestrial biosphere. Root structure and function are closely associated with control of plant water and nutrient uptake from the soil, plant carbon (C) assimilation, partitioning and release to the soils, and control of biogeochemical cycles through interactions within the rhizosphere. Root function is extremely dynamic and dependent on internal plant signals, root traits and morphology, and the physical, chemical and biotic soil environment. While plant roots have significant structural and functional plasticity to changing environmental conditions, their dynamics are noticeably absent from the land component of process-based Earth system models used to simulate global biogeochemical cycling. Their dynamic representation in large-scale models should improve model veracity. Here, we describe current root inclusion in models across scales, ranging from mechanistic processes of single roots to parameterized root processes operating at the landscape scale. With this foundation we discuss how existing and future root functional knowledge, new data compilation efforts, and novel modeling platforms can be leveraged to enhance root functionality in large-scale terrestrial biosphere models by improving parameterization within models, and introducing new components such as dynamic root distribution and root functional traits linked to resource extraction. No claim to original US Government works. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

[Characteristics of atmospheric CO2 concentration and variation of carbon source & sink at Lin'an regional background station].

PubMed

Pu, Jing-Jiao; Xu, Hong-Hui; Kang, Li-Li; Ma, Qian-Li

2011-08-01

Characteristics of Atmospheric CO2 concentration obtained by Flask measurements were analyzed at Lin'an regional background station from August 2006 to July 2009. According to the simulation results of carbon tracking model, the impact of carbon sources and sinks on CO2 concentration was evaluated in Yangtze River Delta. The results revealed that atmospheric CO2 concentrations at Lin'an regional background station were between 368.3 x 10(-6) and 414.8 x 10(-6). The CO2 concentration varied as seasons change, with maximum in winter and minimum in summer; the annual difference was about 20.5 x 10(-6). The long-term trend of CO2 concentration showed rapid growth year by year; the average growth rate was about 3.2 x 10(-6)/a. CO2 flux of Yangtze River Delta was mainly contributed by fossil fuel burning, terrestrial biosphere exchange and ocean exchange, while the contribution of fire emission was small. CO2 flux from fossil fuel burning played an important role in carbon source; terrestrial biosphere and ocean were important carbon sinks in this area. Seasonal variations of CO2 concentration at Lin'an regional background station were consistent with CO2 fluxes from fossil fuel burning and terrestrial biosphere exchange.

[Weltanschauung aspects of the problem of man, the biosphere and space].

PubMed

Agadzhanian, N A

1979-01-01

The paper discusses philosophic approaches to the problem of man-environment interplay. Many important problems humanity faces today are associated with biology. Biomedical and astrophysical studies are being carried out to gain a better insight into the laws governing evolution and further development of the Universe. The emergence of a human society started a qualitatively new stage in the evolution of organic matter. A rapid progress of science and engineering is accompanied by a significant rearrangement of the natural environment and, particularly, of living beings. The biosphere is transforming into the sphere of intelligence, i.e. noosphere. However, natural phenomena are still more powerful than man-made productive forces. Man's excursion into outer space allowed him to look at himself as if from the outside and to evaluate critically his actual role, position and responsibility in the infinite Universe as compared with other forms of life and intelligence. The Universe may be boundlessly great but for human beings there is nothing better than the Earth. Our planet will long remain the base for the existence and development of humanity. Today man ought to take the streering-wheel of evolution and fate of the biosphere into his hands, in order to preserve, through the efforts of many generations, our planet as the gem of the Universe.

Satellite image based quantification of invasion and patch dynamics of mesquite ( Prosopis juliflora) in Great Rann of Kachchh, Kachchh Biosphere Reserve, Gujarat, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasha, S. Vazeed; Satish, K. V.; Reddy, C. Sudhakar; Prasada Rao, P. V. V.; Jha, C. S.

2014-10-01

The invasion of alien species is a significant threat to global biodiversity and the top driver of climate change. The present study was conducted in the Great Rann of Kachchh, part of Kachchh Biosphere Reserve, Gujarat, India, which has been severely affected by invasion of Prosopis juliflora. The invasive weed infestation has been identified using multi-temporal remote sensing datasets of 1977, 1990, 1999, 2005 and 2011. Spatial analyses of the transition matrix, extent of invasive colonies, patchiness, coalescence and rate of spread were carried out. During the study period of three and half decades, almost 295 km2 of the natural land cover was converted into Prosopis cover. This study has shown an increment of 42.9% of area under Prosopis cover in the Great Rann of Kachchh, part of the Kachchh Biosphere Reserve during 1977 to 2011. Spatial analysis indicates high occupancy of Prosopis cover with most of the invasion (95.9%) occurring in the grasslands and only 4.1% in other land cover types. The process of Prosopis invasion shows high patch initiation, followed by coalescence, indicating aggressive colonization of species. The number of patches within an area of < 1 km2 increased from 1977 to 2011, indicating the formation of new Prosopis habitats by replacing the grasslands. The largest patch of Prosopis cover increased from 144 km2 in 1977 to 430 km2 in 2011. The estimated mean patch size was 7.8 km2 in 1977. The mean patch size was largest during 2011, i.e., 9 km2. The annual spread rate for Prosopis has been estimated as 2.1% during 2005-2011. The present work has investigated the long term changes in Prosopis cover in the Great Rann of Kachchh, part of Kachchh Biosphere Reserve. The spatial database generated will be useful in preparing strategies for the management of Prosopis juliflora.

Development of a biosphere hydrological model considering vegetation dynamics and its evaluation at basin scale under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qiaoling; Ishidaira, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

SummaryThe biosphere and hydrosphere are intrinsically coupled. The scientific question is if there is a substantial change in one component such as vegetation cover, how will the other components such as transpiration and runoff generation respond, especially under climate change conditions? Stand-alone hydrological models have a detailed description of hydrological processes but do not sufficiently parameterize vegetation as a dynamic component. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are able to simulate transient structural changes in major vegetation types but do not simulate runoff generation reliably. Therefore, both hydrological models and DGVMs have their limitations as well as advantages for addressing this question. In this study a biosphere hydrological model (LPJH) is developed by coupling a prominent DGVM (Lund-Postdam-Jena model referred to as LPJ) with a stand-alone hydrological model (HYMOD), with the objective of analyzing the role of vegetation in the hydrological processes at basin scale and evaluating the impact of vegetation change on the hydrological processes under climate change. The application and validation of the LPJH model to four basins representing a variety of climate and vegetation conditions shows that the performance of LPJH is much better than that of the original LPJ and is similar to that of stand-alone hydrological models for monthly and daily runoff simulation at the basin scale. It is argued that the LPJH model gives more reasonable hydrological simulation since it considers both the spatial variability of soil moisture and vegetation dynamics, which make the runoff generation mechanism more reliable. As an example, it is shown that changing atmospheric CO 2 content alone would result in runoff increases in humid basins and decreases in arid basins. Theses changes are mainly attributable to changes in transpiration driven by vegetation dynamics, which are not simulated in stand-alone hydrological models. Therefore LPJH potentially provides a powerful tool for simulating vegetation response to climate changes in the biosphere hydrological cycle.

In search of future earths: assessing the possibility of finding Earth analogues in the later stages of their habitable lifetimes.

PubMed

O'Malley-James, Jack T; Greaves, Jane S; Raven, John A; Cockell, Charles S

2015-05-01

Earth will become uninhabitable within 2-3 Gyr as a result of the increasing luminosity of the Sun changing the boundaries of the habitable zone (HZ). Predictions about the future of habitable conditions on Earth include declining species diversity and habitat extent, ocean loss, and changes to geochemical cycles. Testing these predictions is difficult, but the discovery of a planet that is an analogue to future Earth could provide the means to test them. This planet would need to have an Earth-like biosphere history and to be approaching the inner edge of the HZ at present. Here, we assess the possibility of finding such a planet and discuss the benefits of analyzing older Earths. Finding an old-Earth analogue in nearby star systems would be ideal, because this would allow for atmospheric characterization. Hence, as an illustrative example, G stars within 10 pc of the Sun are assessed as potential old-Earth-analog hosts. Six of these represent good potential hosts. For each system, a hypothetical Earth analogue is placed at locations within the continuously habitable zone (CHZ) that would allow enough time for Earth-like biosphere development. Surface temperature evolution over the host star's main sequence lifetime (assessed by using a simple climate model) is used to determine whether the planet would be in the right stage of its late-habitable lifetime to exhibit detectable biosignatures. The best candidate, in terms of the chances of planet formation in the CHZ and of biosignature detection, is 61 Virginis. However, planet formation studies suggest that only a small fraction (0.36%) of G stars in the solar neighborhood could host an old-Earth analogue. If the development of Earth-like biospheres is rare, requiring a sequence of low-probability events to occur, biosphere evolution models suggest they are rarer still, with only thousands being present in the Galaxy as a whole.

The General Laws of Chemical Elements Composition Dynamics in the Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korzh, Vyacheslav D.

2013-04-01

The key point of investigation of the specificity of the biosphere elemental composition formation is determination of patterns of redistribution of elemental average concentrations among various phases, like solid - liquid ( the lithosphere - the hydrosphere), which occurs as a result of a global continuous processing of inert matter by living substances. Our task here is to investigate this process in the system "lithosphere - hydrosphere" in view of the integrated involvement of living material in it. This process is most active in biogeochemical barriers, i.e. in places of "the life condensation" and runs under a nonlinear regularity that has been unknown before. It is established that this process results in a general relative increase in concentrations of chemical elements in the solid phase in proportion as their prevalence in the environment is reduced. This process running in various natural systems has practically the same parameter of nonlinearity (v) approximately equal to 0.7. For proto-lithosphere -"living material" - soil v = 0.75. For river - "living material" - ocean v = 0.67. For the contemporary factual awareness level these estimations of nonlinearity indices are practically negligible. Hence, it is for the first time that the existence of a universal constant of nonlinearity of elemental composition evolution in the biosphere has been proved and its quantitative evaluation has been made. REFERENCES 1. Korzh V.D. 1974. Some general laws governing the turnover of substance within the ocean-atmosphere-continent-ocean cycle. // Journal de Recherches Atmospheriques. Vol. 8. P. 653-660. 2. Korzh V.D. 2008. The general laws in the formation of the elemental composition of the Hydrosphere and Biosphere.// J. Ecologica, Vol. XV, P. 13-21. 3. Korzh V.D. 2012. Determination of general laws of elemental composition in Hydrosphere // Water: chemistry & ecology, Journal of water science and its practical application. # 1, P.56-62.

Mineral Bionization - Surface Chemical Modeling of the Emergence of Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrhenius, G.

2001-12-01

The earliest stages in entering an RNA-world require natural mechanisms that are capable of selective concentration of simple aldehydes from dilute solution in the environment (4), furthermore phosphorylation of the sequestered aldehydes (2) and their catalytic condensation to form, selectively, tetrose- (threose) or pentose- (ribose) phosphate (3); the latter representing the R in RNA. A variety of common positively charged sheet structure minerals (mixed valence double layer metal hydroxide minerals such as hydrotalcite and green rust) have proven to be remarkably capable of performing these crucial tasks under simplified natural conditions (1). These prebiotic model reactions have demonstrated plausible closure of the gap, previously thought to preclude the natural formation of nucleoside phosphates, the backbone components of the information carrying genetic material. Pioneering research by other workers (5) has demonstrated the feasibility of necessary further steps in the chain toward functional RNA; mineral (montmorillonite) catalyzed oligomerization of nucleotides, the formation of complementary RNA strands (6) and the enzymatic activity of RNA (ribozymes). These contributions have placed the initially conjectural concept of an initial RNA-world on an experimental footing. Remaining problems include the initial transfer of information to spontaneously forming RNA, sufficient to convey biofunctionallity (7). Also in this central problem mineral surface interactions may be speculated to play a natural role; a question that is open to experimental verification. References. 1. Pitsch, S.; Eschenmoser, A.; Gedulin, B.; Hui, S. and Arrhenius, G. Origins Life Evol. Biosphere, 1994, 24 (5), 389. 2. Kolb, V.; Zhang, S.; Xu, Y.; Arrhenius, G. Origins Life Evol. Biosphere, 1997, 27, 485. 3. Krishnamurthy, R.; Pitsch, S.; Arrhenius, G. Origins Life Evol. Biosphere, Origins Life Evol. Biosphere 1999, 29, 139 4. Pitsch, S.; Krishnamurthy, R.; Arrhenius, G. Helv. Chim. Acta. 2000, 83, 2398. 5. Ferris, J. P.; Ertem, G. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 1270. 6. Orgel ,L.E. J. Theoretical Biol. 1986, 123, 127-149 7. Arrhenius, G; Life out of Chaos. In Palyi et al. eds. Fundamentals of Life, Elsevier, Paris, 2001

NASA's Carbon Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project: A Multi-Component Analysis System for Carbon-Cycle Research and Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, S.; Gunson, M.; Potter, C.; Jucks, K.

2012-01-01

The importance of greenhouse gas increases for climate motivates NASA s observing strategy for CO2 from space, including the forthcoming Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) mission. Carbon cycle monitoring, including attribution of atmospheric concentrations to regional emissions and uptake, requires a robust modeling and analysis infrastructure to optimally extract information from the observations. NASA's Carbon-Monitoring System Flux-Pilot Project (FPP) is a prototype for such analysis, combining a set of unique tools to facilitate analysis of atmospheric CO2 along with fluxes between the atmosphere and the terrestrial biosphere or ocean. NASA's analysis system is unique, in that it combines information and expertise from the land, oceanic, and atmospheric branches of the carbon cycle and includes some estimates of uncertainty. Numerous existing space-based missions provide information of relevance to the carbon cycle. This study describes the components of the FPP framework, assessing the realism of computed fluxes, thus providing the basis for research and monitoring applications. Fluxes are computed using data-constrained terrestrial biosphere models and physical ocean models, driven by atmospheric observations and assimilating ocean-color information. Use of two estimates provides a measure of uncertainty in the fluxes. Along with inventories of other emissions, these data-derived fluxes are used in transport models to assess their consistency with atmospheric CO2 observations. Closure is achieved by using a four-dimensional data assimilation (inverse) approach that adjusts the terrestrial biosphere fluxes to make them consistent with the atmospheric CO2 observations. Results will be shown, illustrating the year-to-year variations in land biospheric and oceanic fluxes computed in the FPP. The signals of these surface-flux variations on atmospheric CO2 will be isolated using forward modeling tools, which also incorporate estimates of transport error. The results will be discussed in the context of interannual variability of observed atmospheric CO2 distributions.

Development of a global land cover characteristics database and IGBP DISCover from 1 km AVHRR data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loveland, Thomas R.; Reed, B.C.; Brown, Jesslyn F.; Ohlen, D.O.; Zhu, Z.; Yang, L.; Merchant, J.W.

2000-01-01

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy produced a 1 km resolution global land cover characteristics database for use in a wide range of continental-to global-scale environmental studies. This database provides a unique view of the broad patterns of the biogeographical and ecoclimatic diversity of the global land surface, and presents a detailed interpretation of the extent of human development. The project was carried out as an International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, Data and Information Systems (IGBP-DIS) initiative. The IGBP DISCover global land cover product is an integral component of the global land cover database. DISCover includes 17 general land cover classes defined to meet the needs of IGBP core science projects. A formal accuracy assessment of the DISCover data layer will be completed in 1998. The 1 km global land cover database was developed through a continent-by-continent unsupervised classification of 1 km monthly Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composites covering 1992-1993. Extensive post-classification stratification was necessary to resolve spectral/temporal confusion between disparate land cover types. The complete global database consists of 961 seasonal land cover regions that capture patterns of land cover, seasonality and relative primary productivity. The seasonal land cover regions were aggregated to produce seven separate land cover data sets used for global environmental modelling and assessment. The data sets include IGBP DISCover, U.S. Geological Survey Anderson System, Simple Biosphere Model, Simple Biosphere Model 2, Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme, Olson Ecosystems and Running Global Remote Sensing Land Cover. The database also includes all digital sources that were used in the classification. The complete database can be sourced from the website: http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/glcc/glcc.html.

[Historical presence of invasive fish in the biosphere reserve sierra de Huautla, Mexico].

PubMed

Mejía-Mojica, Humberto; de Rodríguez-Romero, Felipe Jesús; Díaz-Pardo, Edmundo

2012-06-01

The effects of invasive species on native ecosystems are varied, and these have been linked to the disappearance or decline of native fauna, changes in community structure, modification of ecosystems and as vectors of new diseases and parasites. Besides, the development of trade in species for ornamental use has contributed significantly to the import and introduction of invasive fish in some important areas for biodiversity conservation in Mexico, but the presence of these species is poorly documented. In this study we analyzed the fish community in the Biosphere Reserve Sierra de Huautla by looking at diversity changes in the last 100 years. For this, we used databases of historical records and recent collections for five sites in the Amacuzac river, along the Biosphere Reserve area. We compared the values of similarity (Jaccard index) between five times series (1898-1901, 1945-1953, 1971-1980, 1994-1995 and 2008-2009), and we obtained values of similarity (Bray-Curtis) between the five sites analyzed. In our results we recognized a total of 19 species for the area, nine non-native and ten native, three of which were eliminated for the area. Similarity values between the early days and current records were very low (.27); the major changes in the composition of the fauna occurred in the past 20 years. The values of abundance, diversity and similarity among the sampling sites, indicate the dominance of non-native species. We discuss the role of the ornamental fish trade in the region as the leading cause of invasive introduction in the ecosystem and the possible negative effects that at least four non-native species have had on native fauna and the ecosystem (Oreochromis mossambicus, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and P pardalis). There is an urgent need of programs for registration, control and eradication of invasive species in the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve and biodiversity protection areas in Mexico.

Gathering "tea"--from necessity to connectedness with nature. Local knowledge about wild plant gathering in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria).

PubMed

Grasser, Susanne; Schunko, Christoph; Vogl, Christian R

2012-08-13

Wild plant gathering is an essential element in livelihood strategies all over the world. However due to changing circumstances in Europe, the reason for gathering has altered from one of necessity in the past to a pleasurable activity today. Wild plant gathering has therefore also received renewed attention as a form of intangible cultural heritage expressing local preferences, habits and man's relationship with nature. In the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria), local people's knowledge of the gathering of wild plants and their perception of their own gathering activities are being documented. The focus of this paper is on the uses of herbal teas and the informal guidelines for gathering plants that have been issued by the Bergtee (mountain tea) association. Thirty-six free-list interviews were conducted with subsequent semi-structured interviews and three focus group meetings held with members of the Bergtee association. Participatory observation (gathering and processing plants, mixing and marketing tea) also allowed for greater understanding of what had been reported. In total, 140 different gathered plant species were listed by respondents. Herbal tea is the most frequently mentioned use. The Bergtee association, founded by a young man and two middle-aged women in the valley, is a good example of the link between biological and cultural diversity, with the aim of sharing the biosphere reserve's natural treasures as well as local plant-related knowledge in the form of herbal tea products. The association's informal guidelines for gathering reflect people's attitude to nature: monetary income does not play a major role in gathering plants; instead people's appreciation of the value of the nature around them is to the fore. Gathering wild plants can be seen as an expression of people's regional identity. The conscious appreciation of nature and related local knowledge is crucial for the sustainable conservation and use of the Biosphere Reserve's resources.

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle

DOE PAGES

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B.; Lomans, Bartholomeus P.; ...

2017-05-19

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of themore » entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H2S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.« less

Comets, Carbonaceous Meteorites, and the Origin of the Biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoover, Richard B.

2005-01-01

The biosphere comprises the Earth s crust, atmosphere, oceans, and ice caps and the living organisms that survive within this habitat. The discoveries of barophilic chemolithoautotrophic thermophiles living deep within the crust and in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and psychrophiles in permafrost and deep within the Antarctic Ice Sheet indicate the Earth s biosphere is far more extensive than previously recognized. Molecular biomarkers and Bacterial Paleontology provide evidence that life appeared very early on the primitive Earth and the origin of the biosphere is closely linked with the emergence of life. The role of comets, meteorites, and interstellar dust in the delivery of water, organics and prebiotic chemicals has long been recognized. Deuterium enrichment of seawater and comets indicates that comets delivered oceans to the early Earth. Furthermore, the similarity of the D/H ratios and the chemical compositions of CI carbonaceous meteorites and comets indicate that the CI meteorites may be remnants of cometary nuclei with most volatiles removed. Comets, meteorites, and interstellar dust also contain complex organic chemicals, amino acids, macromolecules, and kerogen-like biopolymers and may have played a crucial role in the delivery of complex organics and prebiotic chemicals during the Hadean (4.5-3.8 Gyr) period of heavy bombardment. The existence of indigenous microfossils of morphotypes of cyanobacteria in the CI and CM carbonaceous meteorites suggests that the paradigm that life originated endogenously in the primitive oceans of early Earth may require re-consideration. Recent data on the hot (300-400 K) black crust on comet P/Halley and Stardust images of P/Wild 2 showing depressions, tall cliffs, and pinnacles, indicate the presence of thick, durable, dark crusts on comets. If cavities within the ice and crust sustain vapor pressures in excess of 10 millibar, then localized pools of liquid water and brines could exist within the comet. Since life exists on Earth wherever there is liquid water, it is suggested that comets might also harbour viable and/or cryopreserved microbiota.

Global Carbon Reservoir Oxidative Ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiello, C. A.; Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.

2010-12-01

Photosynthesis and respiration move carbon and oxygen between the atmosphere and the biosphere at a ratio that is characteristic of the biogeochemical processes involved. This ratio is called the oxidative ratio (OR) of photosynthesis and respiration, and is defined as the ratio of moles of O2 per moles of CO2. This O2/CO2 ratio is a characteristic of biosphere-atmosphere gas fluxes, much like the 13C signature of CO2 transferred between the biosphere and the atmosphere has a characteristic signature. OR values vary on a scale of 0 (CO2) to 2 (CH4), with most ecosystem values clustered between 0.9 and 1.2. Just as 13C can be measured for both carbon fluxes and carbon pools, OR can also be measured for fluxes and pools and can provide information about the processes involved in carbon and oxygen cycling. OR values also provide information about reservoir organic geochemistry because pool OR values are proportional to the oxidation state of carbon (Cox) in the reservoir. OR may prove to be a particularly valuable biogeochemical tracer because of its ability to couple information about ecosystem gas fluxes with ecosystem organic geochemistry. We have developed 3 methods to measure the OR of ecosystem carbon reservoirs and intercalibrated them to assure that they yield accurate, intercomparable data. Using these tools we have built a large enough database of biomass and soil OR values that it is now possible to consider the implications of global patterns in ecosystem OR values. Here we present a map of the natural range in ecosystem OR values and begin to consider its implications. One striking pattern is an apparent offset between soil and biospheric OR values: soil OR values are frequently higher than that of their source biomass. We discuss this trend in the context of soil organic geochemistry and gas fluxes.

Succession in the petroleum reservoir microbiome through an oil field production lifecycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vigneron, Adrien; Alsop, Eric B.; Lomans, Bartholomeus P.

Subsurface petroleum reservoirs are an important component of the deep biosphere where indigenous microorganisms live under extreme conditions and in isolation from the Earth's surface for millions of years. However, unlike the bulk of the deep biosphere, the petroleum reservoir deep biosphere is subject to extreme anthropogenic perturbation, with the introduction of new electron acceptors, donors and exogenous microbes during oil exploration and production. Despite the fundamental and practical significance of this perturbation, there has never been a systematic evaluation of the ecological changes that occur over the production lifetime of an active offshore petroleum production system. Analysis of themore » entire Halfdan oil field in the North Sea (32 producing wells in production for 1-15 years) using quantitative PCR, multigenic sequencing, comparative metagenomic and genomic bins reconstruction revealed systematic shifts in microbial community composition and metabolic potential, as well as changing ecological strategies in response to anthropogenic perturbation of the oil field ecosystem, related to length of time in production. The microbial communities were initially dominated by slow growing anaerobes such as members of the Thermotogales and Clostridiales adapted to living on hydrocarbons and complex refractory organic matter. However, as seawater and nitrate injection (used for secondary oil production) delivered oxidants, the microbial community composition progressively changed to fast growing opportunists such as members of the Deferribacteres, Delta-, Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, with energetically more favorable metabolism (for example, nitrate reduction, H2S, sulfide and sulfur oxidation). This perturbation has profound consequences for understanding the microbial ecology of the system and is of considerable practical importance as it promotes detrimental processes such as reservoir souring and metal corrosion. These findings provide a new conceptual framework for understanding the petroleum reservoir biosphere and have consequences for developing strategies to manage microbiological problems in the oil industry.« less

Responses of tropical terrestrial biosphere carbon cycle to the 2015-2016 El Niño

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Schimel, D.; Bowman, K. W.; Parazoo, N.; Jiang, Z.; Lee, M.; Bloom, A. A.; Wunch, D.; Frankenberg, C.; Sun, Y.; O'Dell, C.; Gurney, K. R.; Menemenlis, D.; Gierach, M. M.; Crisp, D.; Eldering, A.

2017-12-01

The 2015-2016 El Niño, the 2nd strongest since the 1950s, led to historic high temperature and low precipitation over the tropics while the atmospheric CO2 growth rate was the largest on record. The launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) shortly before the 2015-2016 El Niño event provides an opportunity to understand how tropical land carbon fluxes respond to the warm and dry climate characteristics of the El Niño conditions. The El Niño events may also provide a natural experiment to study the response of tropical land carbon fluxes to future climate, since anomalously warm and dry tropical environments typical of El Niño are expected to be more frequent under most emission scenarios. Here we quantified the response of net biosphere exchange (NBE) and biomass burning to these climate anomalies by assimilating column CO2 from Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, and CO from Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) into an atmospheric inversion framework. We further quantified Gross Primary Production with the Solar Induced Fluorescence (SIF) from GOSAT, and calculated the respiration as a residual term. Relative to the 2011 La Niña, the pantropical biosphere released 2.4 ± 0.34 Gt more carbon into the atmosphere, with an approximately equal distribution over three tropical continents in 2015. However, the dominant processes were different: GPP reduced (0.9 ± 0.22 GtC) in tropical South America, fire increased (0.4 ± 0.10 GtC) in tropical Asia, and respiration increased (0.6 ± 0.34 GtC) in Africa. During the peak of El Nino from the late 2015 to the early 2016, tropical South American had the largest response. We will further discuss the possible lagged-effect of 2015-2016 El Niño on 2017 tropical biosphere carbon fluxes.

Towards more accurate isoscapes encouraging results from wine, water and marijuana data/model and model/model comparisons.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, J. B.; Ehleringer, J. R.; Cerling, T.

2006-12-01

Understanding how the biosphere responds to change it at the heart of biogeochemistry, ecology, and other Earth sciences. The dramatic increase in human population and technological capacity over the past 200 years or so has resulted in numerous, simultaneous changes to biosphere structure and function. This, then, has lead to increased urgency in the scientific community to try to understand how systems have already responded to these changes, and how they might do so in the future. Since all biospheric processes exhibit some patchiness or patterns over space, as well as time, we believe that understanding the dynamic interactions between natural systems and human technological manipulations can be improved if these systems are studied in an explicitly spatial context. We present here results of some of our efforts to model the spatial variation in the stable isotope ratios (δ2H and δ18O) of plants over large spatial extents, and how these spatial model predictions compare to spatially explicit data. Stable isotopes trace and record ecological processes and as such, if modeled correctly over Earth's surface allow us insights into changes in biosphere states and processes across spatial scales. The data-model comparisons show good agreement, in spite of the remaining uncertainties (e.g., plant source water isotopic composition). For example, inter-annual changes in climate are recorded in wine stable isotope ratios. Also, a much simpler model of leaf water enrichment driven with spatially continuous global rasters of precipitation and climate normals largely agrees with complex GCM modeling that includes leaf water δ18O. Our results suggest that modeling plant stable isotope ratios across large spatial extents may be done with reasonable accuracy, including over time. These spatial maps, or isoscapes, can now be utilized to help understand spatially distributed data, as well as to help guide future studies designed to understand ecological change across landscapes.

A regional high-resolution carbon flux inversion of North America for 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuh, A. E.; Denning, A. S.; Corbin, K. D.; Baker, I. T.; Uliasz, M.; Parazoo, N.; Andrews, A. E.; Worthy, D. E. J.

2010-05-01

Resolving the discrepancies between NEE estimates based upon (1) ground studies and (2) atmospheric inversion results, demands increasingly sophisticated techniques. In this paper we present a high-resolution inversion based upon a regional meteorology model (RAMS) and an underlying biosphere (SiB3) model, both running on an identical 40 km grid over most of North America. Current operational systems like CarbonTracker as well as many previous global inversions including the Transcom suite of inversions have utilized inversion regions formed by collapsing biome-similar grid cells into larger aggregated regions. An extreme example of this might be where corrections to NEE imposed on forested regions on the east coast of the United States might be the same as that imposed on forests on the west coast of the United States while, in reality, there likely exist subtle differences in the two areas, both natural and anthropogenic. Our current inversion framework utilizes a combination of previously employed inversion techniques while allowing carbon flux corrections to be biome independent. Temporally and spatially high-resolution results utilizing biome-independent corrections provide insight into carbon dynamics in North America. In particular, we analyze hourly CO2 mixing ratio data from a sparse network of eight towers in North America for 2004. A prior estimate of carbon fluxes due to Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER) is constructed from the SiB3 biosphere model on a 40 km grid. A combination of transport from the RAMS and the Parameterized Chemical Transport Model (PCTM) models is used to forge a connection between upwind biosphere fluxes and downwind observed CO2 mixing ratio data. A Kalman filter procedure is used to estimate weekly corrections to biosphere fluxes based upon observed CO2. RMSE-weighted annual NEE estimates, over an ensemble of potential inversion parameter sets, show a mean estimate 0.57 Pg/yr sink in North America. We perform the inversion with two independently derived boundary inflow conditions and calculate jackknife-based statistics to test the robustness of the model results. We then compare final results to estimates obtained from the CarbonTracker inversion system and at the Southern Great Plains flux site. Results are promising, showing the ability to correct carbon fluxes from the biosphere models over annual and seasonal time scales, as well as over the different GPP and ER components. Additionally, the correlation of an estimated sink of carbon in the South Central United States with regional anomalously high precipitation in an area of managed agricultural and forest lands provides interesting hypotheses for future work.

On the influence of biomass burning on the seasonal CO2 signal as observed at monitoring stations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wittenberg, U.; Heimann, Martin; Esse, G.; McGuire, A.D.; Sauf, W.

1998-01-01

We investigated the role of biomass burning in simulating the seasonal signal in both prognostic and diagnostic analyses. The prognostic anaysis involved the High-Resolution Biosphere Model, a prognostic terrestrial biosphere model, and the coupled vegetation fire module, which together produce a prognostic data set of biomass burning. The diagnostic analysis invovled the Simple Diagnostic Biosphere Model (SDBM) and the Hao and Liu [1994] diagnostic data set of bimass burning, which have been scaled to global 2 and 4 Pg C yr-1, respectively. The monthly carbon exchange fields between the atmosphere and the biosphere with a spatial resolution of 0.5?? ?? 0.5??, the seasonal atmosphere-ocean exchange fields, and the emissions from fossil fuels have been coupled to the three-dimensional atmospheric transport model TM2. We have chosen eight monitoring stations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration network to compare the predicted seasonal atmospheric CO2 signals with those deduced from atmosphere-biosphere carbon exchange fluxes without any contribution from biomass burning. The prognostic analysis and the diagnostic analysis with global burning emissions of 4 Pg C yr-1 agree with respect to the change in the amplitude of the seasonal CO2 concentration introduced through biomass burning. We find that the seasonal CO2 signal at stations in higher northern latitudes (north of 30??N) is marginally influenced by biomass burning. For stations in tropical regions an increase in the CO2 amplitude of more an 1 oppmv (up to 50% with respect to the observed trough to peak amplitude) has been calculated. Biomass burning at stations farther south accounts for an increase in the CO2 amplitude of up to 59% (0.6 ppmv). A change in the phase of the seasonal CO2 signal at tropical and southern stations has been shown to be strongly influenced by the onset of biomass burning in southern tropical Africa and America. Comparing simulated and observed seasonal CO2 signals, we find higher discrepancies at southern troical stations if biomass burning emissions are included. This is caused by the additional increase in the amplitude in the prognostic analysis and a phase shift in a diagnostic analysis. In contrast, at the northern tropical stations biomass burning tends to improve the estimates of the seasonal CO2 signal in the prognostic analysis because of strengthening of the amplitude. Since the SDCM predicts the seasonal CO2 signal resonably well for the northern hemisphere tropical stations, no general improvement of the fit occurs if biomass burning emissions are considered.

Tracing the microbial biosphere into the Messinian Salinity Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natalicchio, Marcello; Dela Pierre, Francesco; Birgel, Daniel; Lozar, Francesca; Peckmann, Jörn

2016-04-01

The Messinian salinity crisis (MSC), one of the largest environmental crises in Earth history, occurred in the Mediterranean Basin about 6 Ma ago. The isolation of the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean caused the transformation of the Mediterranean sea into a giant salina. The establishment of harsh conditions (hypersalinity and anoxia) in the water mass had a strong impact on the aquatic biosphere, resulting in the apparent disappearance of many marine biota. This aspect is however controversial, mostly because of the finding of fossils of biota that actually survived the onset of the MSC. To trace the response of life to this catastrophic event, we studied the microbial biosphere (both body fossils and molecular fossils) archived in the sediments straddling the MSC onset (shales, carbonates and sulphates) from marginal subbasins (Piedmont Basin, northern Italy, and Nijar Basin, southern Spain). Despite the significant reduction of calcareous plankton, the progressive rise of other microorganisms (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) is documented in the studied sediments at the MSC onset. These microorganisms include remains of euryhaline and stenohaline diatoms and filamentous microfossils interpreted as vacuolated sulphide-oxidizing bacteria. This fossil assemblage, which typifies both marginal (gypsum) and more distal (carbonates and shale) deposits, indicates conditions of high primary productivity in the surface waters, favoured by increased nutrient influx in the course of high riverine runoff. Molecular fossils allow tracing of the microbial biosphere into the geological past. The rise of algal compounds (e.g. dinosterol) in the basal MSC deposits (gypsum, carbonate and shales), accompanied by the simultaneous increase of terrigenous organic material (n-alkanes), agree with the eutrophication of the basin. In addition, the MSC deposits show an instant and significant increase of archaeal biomarkers, including the archaeal membrane lipids archaeol and extended archaeol, mostly produced by halophilic archaea, documenting a change toward harsh conditions. The co-occurrence of crenarchaeol, a compound mostly sourced by marine planktic Thaumarchaeota, above the MSC onset indicates that normal marine conditions were still present, probably in the upper water column, which was apparently underlain by a lower hypersaline layer. The local presence of tetrahymanol, a biomarker of ciliates or anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, confirms water mass stratification, since this compound is predominantly found in stratified water bodies. In conclusion, the comprehensive study of body fossils and molecular fossils from different peripheral Mediterranean subbasins reveals that the onset of the MSC was typified by an expansion of microorganisms. The microbial biosphere archived in the basal MSC sediments agrees with a stratified basin characterized by locally persistent marine conditions.

Detecting Biosphere anomalies hotspots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guanche-Garcia, Yanira; Mahecha, Miguel; Flach, Milan; Denzler, Joachim

2017-04-01

The current amount of satellite remote sensing measurements available allow for applying data-driven methods to investigate environmental processes. The detection of anomalies or abnormal events is crucial to monitor the Earth system and to analyze their impacts on ecosystems and society. By means of a combination of statistical methods, this study proposes an intuitive and efficient methodology to detect those areas that present hotspots of anomalies, i.e. higher levels of abnormal or extreme events or more severe phases during our historical records. Biosphere variables from a preliminary version of the Earth System Data Cube developed within the CAB-LAB project (http://earthsystemdatacube.net/) have been used in this study. This database comprises several atmosphere and biosphere variables expanding 11 years (2001-2011) with 8-day of temporal resolution and 0.25° of global spatial resolution. In this study, we have used 10 variables that measure the biosphere. The methodology applied to detect abnormal events follows the intuitive idea that anomalies are assumed to be time steps that are not well represented by a previously estimated statistical model [1].We combine the use of Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) models with a distance metric like Mahalanobis distance to detect abnormal events in multiple biosphere variables. In a first step we pre-treat the variables by removing the seasonality and normalizing them locally (μ=0,σ=1). Additionally we have regionalized the area of study into subregions of similar climate conditions, by using the Köppen climate classification. For each climate region and variable we have selected the best ARMA parameters by means of a Bayesian Criteria. Then we have obtained the residuals by comparing the fitted models with the original data. To detect the extreme residuals from the 10 variables, we have computed the Mahalanobis distance to the data's mean (Hotelling's T^2), which considers the covariance matrix of the joint distribution. The proposed methodology has been applied to different areas around the globe. The results show that the method is able to detect historic events and also provides a useful tool to define sensitive regions. This method and results have been developed within the framework of the project BACI (http://baci-h2020.eu/), which aims to integrate Earth Observation data to monitor the earth system and assessing the impacts of terrestrial changes. [1] V. Chandola, A., Banerjee and v., Kumar. Anomaly detection: a survey. ACM computing surveys (CSUR), vol. 41, n. 3, 2009. [2] P. Mahalanobis. On the generalised distance in statistics. Proceedings National Institute of Science, vol. 2, pp 49-55, 1936.

The Modern Era of Research in Biosphere Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, I. Y.; Sellers, P. J.; Randall, D. A.; Tucker, C. J.; Field, C. B.; Berry, J. A.; Ustin, S.

2015-12-01

Dr. Diane Wickland, the Program Scientist for NASA's EOS InterDisciplinary Science (IDS), encouraged and nurtured the growth of the field of global ecology and eco-climatology. This talk reviews the developments in, and integration of, theory, satellite and field observations that enabled the global modeling of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Emphasis will be placed on the advances made during the EOS era in global datasets and global coupled carbon-climate models. The advances include functional classifications of the land surface using the NDVI, a global terrestrial carbon-energy-water model, and the greening of the CSU GCM. An equally important achievement of the EOS-IDS program is a new generation of multi-disciplinary scientists who are now leaders in the field.

The potential storage of carbon caused by eutrophication of the biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, B. J.; Melillo, J. M.

1985-01-01

The hypothesis that the rate of atmospheric CO2 increase has been reduced due to increased net storage of carbon in forests, coastal oceans, and the open sea, caused by eutrophication of the biosphere with nitrogen and phosphorus, is examined. The potential for carbon storage, the balance of C, N, and P, and man's influence on the forests, rivers, coastal oceans, and the open sea is studied and discussed. It is concluded that biotic carbon sinks are small relative to the rate of CO2 release from fossil fuel; therefore, storage is limited. Man has reduced the stocks of carbon held in forests and soils and there is a redistribution of C, N, and P from the land to the oceans.

Implications of Biospheric Energization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budding, Edd; Demircan, Osman; Gündüz, Güngör; Emin Özel, Mehmet

2016-07-01

Our physical model relating to the origin and development of lifelike processes from very simple beginnings is reviewed. This molecular ('ABC') process is compared with the chemoton model, noting the role of the autocatalytic tuning to the time-dependent source of energy. This substantiates a Darwinian character to evolution. The system evolves from very simple beginnings to a progressively more highly tuned, energized and complex responding biosphere, that grows exponentially; albeit with a very low net growth factor. Rates of growth and complexity in the evolution raise disturbing issues of inherent stability. Autocatalytic processes can include a fractal character to their development allowing recapitulative effects to be observed. This property, in allowing similarities of pattern to be recognized, can be useful in interpreting complex (lifelike) systems.

Design of a global soil moisture initialization procedure for the simple biosphere model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liston, G. E.; Sud, Y. C.; Walker, G. K.

1993-01-01

Global soil moisture and land-surface evapotranspiration fields are computed using an analysis scheme based on the Simple Biosphere (SiB) soil-vegetation-atmosphere interaction model. The scheme is driven with observed precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration, where the potential evapotranspiration is computed following the surface air temperature-potential evapotranspiration regression of Thomthwaite (1948). The observed surface air temperature is corrected to reflect potential (zero soil moisture stress) conditions by letting the ratio of actual transpiration to potential transpiration be a function of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and runoff data are generated on a daily basis for a 10-year period, January 1979 through December 1988, using observed precipitation gridded at a 4 deg by 5 deg resolution.

Fluidized muds: a novel setting for the generation of biosphere diversity through geologic time.

PubMed

Aller, J Y; Aller, R C; Kemp, P F; Chistoserdov, A Y; Madrid, V M

2010-06-01

Reworked and fluidized fine-grained deposits in energetic settings are a major modern-day feature of river deltas and estuaries. Similar environments were probably settings for microbial evolution on the early Earth. These sedimentary systems act as efficient biogeochemical reactors with high bacterial phylogenetic diversity and functional redundancy. They are temporally rather than spatially structured, with repeated cycling of redox conditions and successive stages of microbial metabolic processes. Intense reworking of the fluidized bed entrains bacteria from varied habitats providing new, diverse genetic materials to contribute to horizontal gene transfer events and the creation of new bacterial ecotypes. These vast mud environments may act as exporters and promoters of biosphere diversity and novel adaptations, potentially on a globally important scale.

The role of academic research in managing a transition to a sustainable biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matson, P. A.

2008-12-01

The world is undergoing rapid changes in human population growth, urbanization, industrial growth, the consumption of natural resources, and also in global and regional environment. How can we meet the needs of the human population of this century while at the same time sustaining the ecosystems, air, water and climate systems that we rely on for our well-being and survival? In this talk, I will explore academic research approaches that integrate science, technology, and policy for the solution of critical problems of the biosphere. I also will draw on case studies to discuss ways in which researchers can purposefully engage in the knowledge system of decision-makers in order to link knowledge to action.

Modeling Impact of Urbanization in US Cities Using Simple Biosphere Model SiB2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ping; Bounoua, Lahouari; Thome, Kurtis; Wolfe, Robert

2016-01-01

We combine Landsat- and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based products, as well as climate drivers from Phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2) in a Simple Biosphere land surface model (SiB2) to assess the impact of urbanization in continental USA (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). More than 300 cities and their surrounding suburban and rural areas are defined in this study to characterize the impact of urbanization on surface climate including surface energy, carbon budget, and water balance. These analyses reveal an uneven impact of urbanization across the continent that should inform upon policy options for improving urban growth including heat mitigation and energy use, carbon sequestration and flood prevention.

The biosphere below.

PubMed

Grossman, D; Shulman, S

1995-06-01

More than a mile below Earth's surface, tiny creatures thrive in searing heat and crushing pressure. Scientists think these microorganisms might teach us about the origins and evolution of early life.

USA: Glacier National Park, Biosphere Reserve and GLORIA Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fagre, Daniel B.; Lee, Cathy; Schaaf, Thomas; Simmonds, Paul

2004-01-01

The area now managed as Glacier National Park was first set aside as a Forest Reserve in 1897 and then designated as a national park in 1910, six years before a national park service was created to oversee the growing number of parks that the US Congress was establishing. Waterton National Park was created by Canada immediately north of the US–Canada border during the same period. In 1932, a joint lobbying effort by private citizens and groups convinced both the United States and Canada to establish the world’s first trans-boundary park to explicitly underscore and symbolize the neighbourly relationship between these two countries. This became the world’s first ‘peace’ park and was named Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park. The combined park is managed collaboratively on many issues but each national park is separately funded and operates under different national statutes and laws. It was, however, jointly named a Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage Site in 1995. There have been recent efforts to significantly increase the size of Waterton National Park by adding publicly owned forests on the western side of the continental divide in British Columbia, Canada. For the purposes of this chapter, I will emphasize the US portion of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and refer to it as the Glacier Mountain Biosphere Reserve (MBR).

Ecophysiological Responses of Invasive and Native Grass Communities with Simulated Warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quade, B.; Ravi, S.; Huxman, T. E.

2010-12-01

William Quade1, Sujith Ravi2, Ashley Weide2, Greg Barron-Gafford2, Katerina Dontsova2 and Travis E Huxman2 1Carthage College, WI 2 B2 Earthscience & UA Biosphere 2, University of Arizona, Tucson. Abstract Climate change, anthropogenic disturbances and lack of proper management practices have rendered many arid regions susceptible to invasions by exotic grasses with consequent ecohydrological, biogeochemical and socio economic implications. Thus, understanding the ecophysiological processes driving these large-scale vegetation shifts in drylands, in the context of rising temperatures and recurrent droughts is fundamental to global change research. Using the Biosphere 2 facility to maintain distinct temperature treatments of ambient and predicted warmer conditions (+ 4o C) inside, we compared the physiological (e.g. photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, biomass) responses of a native grass - Heteropogan contortus (Tanglehead) and an invasive grass - Pennisetum ciliare (Buffelgrass) growing in single and mixed communities. The results indicate that Buffelgrass can assimilate more CO2 per unit leaf area under current conditions, though warming seems to inhibit the performance when looking at biomass, photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. Under similar moisture regimes Buffelgrass performed better than Tangle head in mixed communities regardless of the temperature. Both grasses had decrease in stomatal conductance with warmer conditions, however the Buffel grass did not have the same decrease of conductance when planted in a mixed communities. Key words: Buffelgrass, Tanglehead, Biosphere 2, stomatal conductance, climate change

Microbial habitability of the Hadean Earth during the late heavy bombardment.

PubMed

Abramov, Oleg; Mojzsis, Stephen J

2009-05-21

Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9 Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). Despite its obvious significance to the preservation of crust and the survivability of an emergent biosphere, the thermal effects of this bombardment on the young Earth remain poorly constrained. Here we report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth as a whole; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for a possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biosphere. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts.

Used planet: a global history.

PubMed

Ellis, Erle C; Kaplan, Jed O; Fuller, Dorian Q; Vavrus, Steve; Klein Goldewijk, Kees; Verburg, Peter H

2013-05-14

Human use of land has transformed ecosystem pattern and process across most of the terrestrial biosphere, a global change often described as historically recent and potentially catastrophic for both humanity and the biosphere. Interdisciplinary paleoecological, archaeological, and historical studies challenge this view, indicating that land use has been extensive and sustained for millennia in some regions and that recent trends may represent as much a recovery as an acceleration. Here we synthesize recent scientific evidence and theory on the emergence, history, and future of land use as a process transforming the Earth System and use this to explain why relatively small human populations likely caused widespread and profound ecological changes more than 3,000 y ago, whereas the largest and wealthiest human populations in history are using less arable land per person every decade. Contrasting two spatially explicit global reconstructions of land-use history shows that reconstructions incorporating adaptive changes in land-use systems over time, including land-use intensification, offer a more spatially detailed and plausible assessment of our planet's history, with a biosphere and perhaps even climate long ago affected by humans. Although land-use processes are now shifting rapidly from historical patterns in both type and scale, integrative global land-use models that incorporate dynamic adaptations in human-environment relationships help to advance our understanding of both past and future land-use changes, including their sustainability and potential global effects.

Evaluation of Terrestrial Carbon Cycle with the Land Use Harmonization Dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasai, T.; Nemani, R. R.

2017-12-01

CO2 emission by land use and land use change (LULUC) has still had a large uncertainty (±50%). We need to more accurately reveal a role of each LULUC process on terrestrial carbon cycle, and to develop more complicated land cover change model, leading to improve our understanding of the mechanism of global warming. The existing biosphere model studies do not necessarily have enough major LULUC process in the model description (e.g., clear cutting and residual soil carbon). The issue has the potential for causing an underestimation of the effect of LULUC on the global carbon exchange. In this study, the terrestrial biosphere model was modified with several LULUC processes according to the land use harmonization data set. The global mean LULUC emission from the year 1850 to 2000 was 137.2 (PgC 151year-1), and we found the noticeable trend in tropical region. As with the case of primary production in the existing studies, our results emphasized the role of tropical forest on wood productization and residual soil organic carbon by cutting. Global mean NEP was decreased by LULUC. NEP is largely affected by decreasing leaf biomass (photosynthesis) by deforestation process and increasing plant growth rate by regrowth process. We suggested that the model description related to deforestation, residual soil decomposition, wood productization and plant regrowth is important to develop a biosphere model for estimating long-term global carbon cycle.

Food production and nutrition in biosphere 2: results from the first mission September 1991 to September 1993

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverstone, S. E.; Nelson, M.

The initial test of the Biosphere 2 agricultural system was to provide a nutritionally adequate diet for eight crew members during a two year closure experiment, 1991-1993. The overall results of that trial are presented in this paper. The 2000 m^2 cropping area provided about 80 percent of overall nutritional needs during the two years. Adaptation of the crew to the diet which averaged 2200 calories, 73 g. of protein and 32 g. of fat per person over the course of the two years. The diet was primarily vegetarian, with only small amounts of milk, meat and eggs from the system's domestic animals. The crew experienced 10-20 percent weight loss, most of which occurred in the first six months of the closure reflecting adaptation to the diet and lower caloric intake during that period. Since Biosphere 2 is a tightly sealed system, non-toxic methods of pest and disease control were employed and inedible plant material, domestic animal wastes and human waste-water were processed and nutrients returned to the soil. Crop pests and diseases, especially broad mites and rootknot nematode, reduced yields, and forced the use of alternative crops. Outstanding crops included rice, sweet potato, beets, banana, and papaya. The African pygmy goats were the most productive of the domestic animals. Overall, the agriculture and food processing required some 45% of the crew time.

Nematoda from the terrestrial deep subsurface of South Africa.

PubMed

Borgonie, G; García-Moyano, A; Litthauer, D; Bert, W; Bester, A; van Heerden, E; Möller, C; Erasmus, M; Onstott, T C

2011-06-02

Since its discovery over two decades ago, the deep subsurface biosphere has been considered to be the realm of single-cell organisms, extending over three kilometres into the Earth's crust and comprising a significant fraction of the global biosphere. The constraints of temperature, energy, dioxygen and space seemed to preclude the possibility of more-complex, multicellular organisms from surviving at these depths. Here we report species of the phylum Nematoda that have been detected in or recovered from 0.9-3.6-kilometre-deep fracture water in the deep mines of South Africa but have not been detected in the mining water. These subsurface nematodes, including a new species, Halicephalobus mephisto, tolerate high temperature, reproduce asexually and preferentially feed upon subsurface bacteria. Carbon-14 data indicate that the fracture water in which the nematodes reside is 3,000-12,000-year-old palaeometeoric water. Our data suggest that nematodes should be found in other deep hypoxic settings where temperature permits, and that they may control the microbial population density by grazing on fracture surface biofilm patches. Our results expand the known metazoan biosphere and demonstrate that deep ecosystems are more complex than previously accepted. The discovery of multicellular life in the deep subsurface of the Earth also has important implications for the search for subsurface life on other planets in our Solar System.

Biospheric Monitoring and Ecological Forecasting using EOS/MODIS data, ecosystem modeling, planning and scheduling technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemani, R. R.; Votava, P.; Golden, K.; Hashimoto, H.; Jolly, M.; White, M.; Running, S.; Coughlan, J.

2003-12-01

The latest generation of NASA Earth Observing System satellites has brought a new dimension to continuous monitoring of the living part of the Earth System, the Biosphere. EOS data can now provide weekly global measures of vegetation productivity and ocean chlorophyll, and many related biophysical factors such as land cover changes or snowmelt rates. However, information with the highest economic value would be forecasting impending conditions of the biosphere that would allow advanced decision-making to mitigate dangers, or exploit positive trends. We have developed a software system called the Terrestrial Observation and Prediction System (TOPS) to facilitate rapid analysis of ecosystem states/functions by integrating EOS data with ecosystem models, surface weather observations and weather/climate forecasts. Land products from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) including land cover, albedo, snow, surface temperature, leaf area index are ingested into TOPS for parameterization of models and for verifying model outputs such as snow cover and vegetation phenology. TOPS is programmed to gather data from observing networks such as USDA soil moisture, AMERIFLUX, SNOWTEL to further enhance model predictions. Key technologies enabling TOPS implementation include the ability to understand and process heterogeneous-distributed data sets, automated planning and execution of ecosystem models, causation analysis for understanding model outputs. Current TOPS implementations at local (vineyard) to global scales (global net primary production) can be found at http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/tops.

Used planet: A global history

PubMed Central

Ellis, Erle C.; Kaplan, Jed O.; Fuller, Dorian Q.; Vavrus, Steve; Klein Goldewijk, Kees; Verburg, Peter H.

2013-01-01

Human use of land has transformed ecosystem pattern and process across most of the terrestrial biosphere, a global change often described as historically recent and potentially catastrophic for both humanity and the biosphere. Interdisciplinary paleoecological, archaeological, and historical studies challenge this view, indicating that land use has been extensive and sustained for millennia in some regions and that recent trends may represent as much a recovery as an acceleration. Here we synthesize recent scientific evidence and theory on the emergence, history, and future of land use as a process transforming the Earth System and use this to explain why relatively small human populations likely caused widespread and profound ecological changes more than 3,000 y ago, whereas the largest and wealthiest human populations in history are using less arable land per person every decade. Contrasting two spatially explicit global reconstructions of land-use history shows that reconstructions incorporating adaptive changes in land-use systems over time, including land-use intensification, offer a more spatially detailed and plausible assessment of our planet's history, with a biosphere and perhaps even climate long ago affected by humans. Although land-use processes are now shifting rapidly from historical patterns in both type and scale, integrative global land-use models that incorporate dynamic adaptations in human–environment relationships help to advance our understanding of both past and future land-use changes, including their sustainability and potential global effects. PMID:23630271

Is the genetic landscape of the deep subsurface biosphere affected by viruses?

PubMed

Anderson, Rika E; Brazelton, William J; Baross, John A

2011-01-01

Viruses are powerful manipulators of microbial diversity, biogeochemistry, and evolution in the marine environment. Viruses can directly influence the genetic capabilities and the fitness of their hosts through the use of fitness factors and through horizontal gene transfer. However, the impact of viruses on microbial ecology and evolution is often overlooked in studies of the deep subsurface biosphere. Subsurface habitats connected to hydrothermal vent systems are characterized by constant fluid flux, dynamic environmental variability, and high microbial diversity. In such conditions, high adaptability would be an evolutionary asset, and the potential for frequent host-virus interactions would be high, increasing the likelihood that cellular hosts could acquire novel functions. Here, we review evidence supporting this hypothesis, including data indicating that microbial communities in subsurface hydrothermal fluids are exposed to a high rate of viral infection, as well as viral metagenomic data suggesting that the vent viral assemblage is particularly enriched in genes that facilitate horizontal gene transfer and host adaptability. Therefore, viruses are likely to play a crucial role in facilitating adaptability to the extreme conditions of these regions of the deep subsurface biosphere. We also discuss how these results might apply to other regions of the deep subsurface, where the nature of virus-host interactions would be altered, but possibly no less important, compared to more energetic hydrothermal systems.

Is the Genetic Landscape of the Deep Subsurface Biosphere Affected by Viruses?

PubMed Central

Anderson, Rika E.; Brazelton, William J.; Baross, John A.

2011-01-01

Viruses are powerful manipulators of microbial diversity, biogeochemistry, and evolution in the marine environment. Viruses can directly influence the genetic capabilities and the fitness of their hosts through the use of fitness factors and through horizontal gene transfer. However, the impact of viruses on microbial ecology and evolution is often overlooked in studies of the deep subsurface biosphere. Subsurface habitats connected to hydrothermal vent systems are characterized by constant fluid flux, dynamic environmental variability, and high microbial diversity. In such conditions, high adaptability would be an evolutionary asset, and the potential for frequent host–virus interactions would be high, increasing the likelihood that cellular hosts could acquire novel functions. Here, we review evidence supporting this hypothesis, including data indicating that microbial communities in subsurface hydrothermal fluids are exposed to a high rate of viral infection, as well as viral metagenomic data suggesting that the vent viral assemblage is particularly enriched in genes that facilitate horizontal gene transfer and host adaptability. Therefore, viruses are likely to play a crucial role in facilitating adaptability to the extreme conditions of these regions of the deep subsurface biosphere. We also discuss how these results might apply to other regions of the deep subsurface, where the nature of virus–host interactions would be altered, but possibly no less important, compared to more energetic hydrothermal systems. PMID:22084639

Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain): Conservation against development?

PubMed

Castillo-Eguskitza, Nekane; Rescia, Alejandro J; Onaindia, Miren

2017-08-15

The protected area approach has extended from conserving biodiversity to improving human well-being. However, the relationship between conservation and socioeconomic and cultural development continues to be controversial. This paper combines land use variables with socioeconomic and cultural variables through multivariate ordination analysis and evaluates their evolution in two areas inside and outside a Biosphere Reserve since the approval of the Governance Plan for Use and Management in the Reserve. The results indicate a similar tendency in the two areas, from the abandonment of traditional rural activities and decline in pine plantations to naturalness, urban sprawl and the growth of the tertiary economic sector, welfare indicators and sustainability index. However, it can be broadly observed that the region included inside the protected area presents better conservation features (native forest) and rural systems (forestry and primary economic sector) than the region outside the protected area while maintaining similar socioeconomic and cultural conditions. We suggest that the designation of the Biosphere Reserve does not influence the local population negatively but does safeguard its conservation, which could have enhanced socioeconomic and cultural development. Thus, even though certain changes must be made to replace the conifer plantations and encourage agricultural activities, the designation of the protected area fulfills its sustainability goal and enhances the local population's quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biospheric feedback effects in a synchronously coupled model of human and Earth systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, P. E.; Calvin, K. V.; Jones, A. D.; Di Vittorio, A. V.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Chini, L. P.; Shi, X.; Mao, J.; Collins, W. D.; Edmonds, J.; Hurtt, G. C.

2017-12-01

Fossil fuel combustion and land-use change are the two largest contributors to industrial-era increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Projections of these are thus fundamental inputs for coupled Earth system models (ESMs) used to estimate the physical and biological consequences of future climate system forcing. While historical datasets are available to inform past and current climate analyses, assessments of future climate change have relied on projections of energy and land use from energy economic models, constrained by assumptions about future policy, land-use patterns, and socio-economic development trajectories. In this work we show that the climatic impacts on land ecosystems drives significant feedbacks in energy, agriculture, land-use, and carbon cycle projections for the 21st century. We find that exposure of human appropriated land ecosystem productivity to biospheric change results in reductions of land area used for crops; increases in managed forest area and carbon stocks; decreases in global crop prices; and reduction in fossil fuel emissions for a low-mid range forcing scenario. Land ecosystem response to increased carbon dioxide concentration, increased anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, and changes in temperature and precipitation all play a role. The feedbacks between climate-induced biospheric change and human system forcings to the climate system demonstrated in this work are handled inconsistently, or excluded altogether, in the one-way asynchronous coupling of energy economic models to ESMs used to date.

Growing wheat in Biosphere 2 under elevated CO2: observations and modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tubiello, F. N.; Mahato, T.; Morton, T.; Druitt, J. W.; Volk, T.; Marino, B. D.

1999-01-01

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Yecora Rojo) was grown in the intensive agricultural biome (IAB) of Biosphere 2 during the l995-l996 winter/spring season. Environmental conditions were characterized by a day/night temperature regime of 27/17 degrees C, relative humidity (RH) levels around 45%, mean atmospheric CO2 concentration of 450 ppmv, and natural light conditions with mean intensities about half of outside levels. Weekly samples of above-ground plant matter were collected throughout the growing season and phenological events recorded. A computer model, CERES-Wheat, previously tested under both field and controlled conditions, was used to simulate the observed crop growth and to help in data analysis. We found that CERES-Wheat simulated the data collected at Biosphere 2 to within 10% of observed, thus suggesting that wheat growth inside the IAB was comparable to that documented in other environments. The model predicts phenological stages and final dry matter (DM) production within l0% of the observed data. Measured DM production rates, normalized for light absorbed by the crop. suggested photosynthetic efficiencies intermediate between those observed under optimal field conditions and those recorded in NASA-Controlled Ecological Life-Support Systems (CELSS). We suggest that such a difference can be explained primarily in terms of low light levels inside the IAB, with additional effects due to elevated CO2 concentrations and diffuse light fractions.

Space life sciences: Programs and projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

NASA space life science activities are outlined. Brief, general descriptions are given of research in the areas of biomedical research, space biology, closed loop life support systems, exobiology, and biospherics.

Resource management and fertility in Mexico’s Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve: Campos, cash, and contraception in the lobster-fishing village of Punta Allen

PubMed Central

Carr, David L.

2009-01-01

This case study examines the link between marine resource management, and the universal contraceptive use among married couples in the lobster- fishing village of Punta Allen, located in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Several reasons appear to contribute to small desired and actual family sizes. Some of these include a medical clinic staff effective in promoting family planning, cooperative and private resource ownership, changing cultural attitudes, geographical limitations to population and economic growth, and a desire to conserve the environment for aesthetic and economic motives. Lastly, families desired to preserve a sustained balance between benefiting from lobster harvests today and safeguarding this marine resource for their children in the future. PMID:19672473

Geomicrobiology in oceanography: microbe-mineral interactions at and below the seafloor.

PubMed

Edwards, Katrina J; Bach, Wolfgang; McCollom, Thomas M

2005-09-01

Oceanography is inherently interdisciplinary and, since its inception, has included the study of microbe-mineral interactions. From early studies of manganese nodules, to the discovery of hydrothermal vents, it has been recognized that microorganisms are involved at various levels in the transformation of rocks and minerals at and below the seafloor. Recent studies include mineral weathering at low temperatures and microbe-mineral interactions in the subseafloor "deep biosphere". A common characteristic of seafloor and subseafloor geomicrobiological processes that distinguishes them from terrestrial or near-surface processes is that they occur in the dark, one or more steps removed from the sunlight that fuels the near-surface biosphere on Earth. This review focuses on geomicrobiological studies and energy flow in dark, deep-ocean and subseafloor rock habitats.

Testing the Simple Biosphere model (SiB) using point micrometeorological and biophysical data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Dorman, J. L.

1987-01-01

The suitability of the Simple Biosphere (SiB) model of Sellers et al. (1986) for calculation of the surface fluxes for use within general circulation models is assessed. The structure of the SiB model is described, and its performance is evaluated in terms of its ability to realistically and accurately simulate biophysical processes over a number of test sites, including Ruthe (Germany), South Carolina (U.S.), and Central Wales (UK), for which point biophysical and micrometeorological data were available. The model produced simulations of the energy balances of barley, wheat, maize, and Norway Spruce sites over periods ranging from 1 to 40 days. Generally, it was found that the model reproduced time series of latent, sensible, and ground-heat fluxes and surface radiative temperature comparable with the available data.

[Parasites of the Central American tapir Tapirus bairdii (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) in Chiapas, Mexico].

PubMed

Cruz Aldán, Epigmenio; Lira Torres, Iván; Güiris Andrade, Dario Marcelino; Osorio Sarabia, David; Quintero M, Ma Teresa

2006-06-01

We analyzed 19 samples of Baird's tapir feces from La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve, collected between March and July 1999. We also took samples directly from a male tapir captured at the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. Both reserves are in Chiapas, Mexico. We used five techniques: flotation, MacMaster, micrometric, Ritchie's sedimentation and Ferreira's quantitative. In addition, we collected ectoparasites from animals captured in both reserves and from a captive couple from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas. These nematodes and protozoans were found: Agriostomun sp., Lacandoria sp., Neomurshidia sp., Trichostrongylus sp., Strongylus sp., Brachylumus sp, and an unidentified species of ancilostomaide. We also found Eimeria sp. and Balantidium coli, as well as the mites Dermacentor halli, Dermacentor latus, Amblyomma cajannense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma ovale, Anocentor nitens and Ixodes bicornis.

Impact of a global warming on biospheric sources of methane and its climatic consequences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hameed, S.; Cess, R. D.

1980-01-01

Most of atmospheric methane originates by bacterial processes in anaerobic environments within the soil which are found to become more productive with increases in ambient temperature. A warming of climate, due to increasing levels of industrial gases resulting from fossil fuel burning, is thus likely to increase methane abundance within the atmosphere. This may lead to further heating of the atmosphere, since both methane and ozone (which is generated in the troposphere from reactions of methane) have greenhouse effects. This feedback mechanism has been explored with the use of a coupled climate-chemical model of the troposphere, by the calculation of the impact of the predicted global warming due to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases on the biospheric sources of methane.

Jacques Monod and Chance and Necessity.

PubMed

Ribatti, Domenico

2015-01-01

Charles Darwin proposed the theory that evolution of live organisms is based on random variation and natural selection. Jacques Monod, in his classic book Chance and Necessity, published 45 years ago, presented his thesis that the biosphere does not contain a predictable class of objects or events, but constitutes a particular occurrence, compatible indeed with the first principles but not deducible from those principles. The biosphere is therefore essentially unpredictable. In his book, Monod expounded at length on the conflict between science and religion. He saw religion as a collection of primitive myths that had been blown to shreds by science. At every turn, Monod emphasized the role of chance in human existence, an idea that is antithetical to essentially every religious doctrine that places humans as some inevitable intention of a Creator.

Challenging the paradigms of deep-sea ecology.

PubMed

Danovaro, Roberto; Snelgrove, Paul V R; Tyler, Paul

2014-08-01

Deep-sea ecosystems represent Earth's major ecological research frontier. Focusing on seafloor ecosystems, we demonstrate how new technologies underpin discoveries that challenge major ecological hypotheses and paradigms, illuminating new deep-sea geosphere-biosphere interactions. We now recognize greater habitat complexity, new ecological interactions and the importance of 'dark energy', and chemosynthetic production in fuelling biodiversity. We also acknowledge functional hotspots that contradict a food-poor, metabolically inactive, and minor component of global carbon cycles. Symbioses appear widespread, revealing novel adaptations. Populations show complex spatial structure and evolutionary histories. These new findings redefine deep-sea ecology and the role of Earth's largest biome in global biosphere functioning. Indeed, deep-sea exploration can open new perspectives in ecological research to help mitigate exploitation impacts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prokaryotic carbonic anhydrases of Earth's environment.

PubMed

Kumar, R Siva Sai; Ferry, James G

2014-01-01

Carbonic anhydrase is a metalloenzyme catalyzing the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. Five independently evolved classes have been described for which one or more are found in nearly every cell type underscoring the general importance of this ubiquitous enzyme in Nature. The bulk of research to date has centered on the enzymes from mammals and plants with less emphasis on prokaryotes. Prokaryotic carbonic anhydrases play important roles in the ecology of Earth's biosphere including acquisition of CO2 for photosynthesis and the physiology of aerobic and anaerobic prokaryotes decomposing the photosynthate back to CO2 thereby closing the global carbon cycle. This review focuses on the physiology and biochemistry of carbonic anhydrases from prokaryotes belonging to the domains Bacteria and Archaea that play key roles in the ecology of Earth's biosphere.

The Earth Through Time: Implications for Searching for Habitability and Life on Exoplanets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pilcher, Carl B.

2016-01-01

The Earth has been both a habitable and inhabited planet for around 4 billion years, yet distant observers studying Earth at different epochs in our history would have detected substantially different and probably varying conditions. Understanding Earth's history thus has much to tell us about how to interpret observations of potentially habitable exoplanets. In this talk I will review the history of life on Earth, from the earliest microbial biosphere living under a relatively methane-rich atmosphere to the modern world of animals, plants, and atmospheric oxygen, with a focus on how observable conditions on Earth changed as the planet and its biosphere evolved. I'll discuss the implications of this history for assessing the habitability of-or presence of life on-planets around other stars.

Constraints on a potential aerial biosphere on Venus: I. Cosmic rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dartnell, Lewis R.; Nordheim, Tom Andre; Patel, Manish R.; Mason, Jonathon P.; Coates, Andrew J.; Jones, Geraint H.

2015-09-01

While the present-day surface of Venus is certainly incompatible with terrestrial biology, the planet may have possessed oceans in the past and provided conditions suitable for the origin of life. Venusian life may persist today high in the atmosphere where the temperature and pH regime is tolerable to terrestrial extremophile microbes: an aerial habitable zone. Here we argue that on the basis of the combined biological hazard of high temperature and high acidity this habitable zone lies between 51 km (65 °C) and 62 km (-20 °C) altitude. Compared to Earth, this potential venusian biosphere may be exposed to substantially more comic ionising radiation: Venus has no protective magnetic field, orbits closer to the Sun, and the entire habitable region lies high in the atmosphere - if this narrow band is sterilised there is no reservoir of deeper life that can recolonise afterwards. Here we model the propagation of particle radiation through the venusian atmosphere, considering both the background flux of high-energy galactic cosmic rays and the transient but exceptionally high-fluence bursts of extreme solar particle events (SPE), such as the Carrington Event of 1859 and that inferred for AD 775. We calculate the altitude profiles of both energy deposition into the atmosphere and the absorbed radiation dose to assess this astrophysical threat to the potential high-altitude venusian biosphere. We find that at the top of the habitable zone (62 km altitude; 190 g/cm2 shielding depth) the radiation dose from the modelled Carrington Event with a hard spectrum (matched to the February 1956 SPE) is over 18,000 times higher than the background from GCR, and 50,000 times higher for the modelled 775 AD event. However, even though the flux of ionising radiation can be sterilizing high in the atmosphere, the total dose delivered at the top of the habitable zone by a worst-case SPE like the 775 AD event is 0.09 Gy, which is not likely to present a significant survival challenge. Nonetheless, the extreme ionisation could force atmospheric chemistry that may perturb a venusian biosphere in other ways. The energy deposition profiles presented here are also applicable to modelling efforts to understand how fundamental planetary atmospheric processes such as atmospheric chemistry, cloud microphysics and atmospheric electrical systems are affected by extreme solar particle events. The companion paper to this study, Constraints on a potential aerial biosphere on Venus: II. Solar ultraviolet radiation (Patel et al., in preparation), considers the threat posed by penetration of solar UV radiation. The results of these twin studies are based on Venus but are also applicable to extrasolar terrestrial planets near the inner edge of the circumstellar habitable zone.

Cycles Tipping the Scale between Death and Survival (=``Life")

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halberg, F.; Cornélissen, G.; Sothern, R. B.; Katinas, G. S.; Schwartzkopff, O.; Otsuka, K.

Systematic chronobiologically interpreted ambulatory bloodpressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring (C-ABPM 7D/24H is now automatically possible; if continued around the clock over a week, this approach detects vascular variability disorders (VVDs) that include, among others, high BP itself and CHAT, short for circadian hyper-amplitude-tension. BP is never a constant ``true" (resting) value and can be more reliably diagnosed by CABPM 7d/24h as MESOR-hypertension, MH. CHAT carries a risk of hard events greater than MH and can be treated, among other VVDs, which if they coexist constitute vascular variability syndromes (VVSs). A project on The BIOsphere and the COSmos, BIOCOS (corne001@umn.edu), provides, in exchange for the data, cost-free analyses and the opportunity of obtaining monitors at a cost reduction of 80% complements the records from purely physical tools for surveilling the variable sun, by validating in the biosphere the reality of intermittent, aeolian envi ronmental spectral components that can be more consistent than their physical counterparts once they are coded in genes. C-ABPM 7D/24H indicates relevant associations of space weather with human health and ecology. Monitoring reveals, around and in living matter, a system of transdisciplinary cycles with common average periods, quantified with point-and-interval estimates of parameters. The cycles in space climate are critical in discussing global warming. The cycles' periods are described as congruent when their CIs (95\\ intervals) overlie or overlap and the amplitudes' CIs' lower limits are positive. Some congruent cycles in organisms, counterparts of the environmental day and the seasons, relate to electromagnetic radiation in the visible domain; these are the usually environmentally synchronized socio-photo-thermoperiodisms (photics). The biosphere also resonates with or is pulled or driven by nonstationary, environmental nonphotic cycles (nonphotics) -- particle emissi ons from the sun and the wider cosmos, cosmoheliogeomagnetics, ultraviolet flux, gravitation, acoustics and others. Nonphotics, a set of in part transdisciplinarily-novel spectral components, can be intermittent; when present, they coexist and compete with signatures of photic cycles, monitored, e.g., in BP and HR. Nonphotics of, e.g., about (˜) 1 week (circaseptans) and ˜17 months (transyears), characterize mood and performance, modulate and sometimes override society's (photic) schedules, even in dying suddenly either unintentionally or by one's own will or at the hand of others. Nonphotics persist, but are damped in physiology or in terrorism, when their environmental counterpart is not detected. Their elucidation provides information on how a set of cycles covering 18 orders of magnitude in the frequency domain of the biosphere bears on the question ``What is life?": a resonance of the biosphere with periods of its environment constitutes life itself.

A first-order analysis of the potential role of CO2 fertilization to affect the global carbon budget: A comparison of four terrestrial biosphere models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kicklighter, D.W.; Bruno, M.; Donges, S.; Esser, G.; Heimann, Martin; Helfrich, J.; Ift, F.; Joos, F.; Kaduk, J.; Kohlmaier, G.H.; McGuire, A.D.; Melillo, J.M.; Meyer, R.; Moore, B.; Nadler, A.; Prentice, I.C.; Sauf, W.; Schloss, A.L.; Sitch, S.; Wittenberg, U.; Wurth, G.

1999-01-01

We compared the simulated responses of net primary production, heterotrophic respiration, net ecosystem production and carbon storage in natural terrestrial ecosystems to historical (1765 to 1990) and projected (1990 to 2300) changes of atmospheric CO2 concentration of four terrestrial biosphere models: the Bern model, the Frankfurt Biosphere Model (FBM), the High-Resolution Biosphere Model (HRBM) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM). The results of the model intercomparison suggest that CO2 fertilization of natural terrestrial vegetation has the potential to account for a large fraction of the so-called 'missing carbon sink' of 2.0 Pg C in 1990. Estimates of this potential are reduced when the models incorporate the concept that CO2 fertilization can be limited by nutrient availability. Although the model estimates differ on the potential size (126 to 461 Pg C) of the future terrestrial sink caused by CO2 fertilization, the results of the four models suggest that natural terrestrial ecosystems will have a limited capacity to act as a sink of atmospheric CO2 in the future as a result of physiological constraints and nutrient constraints on NPP. All the spatially explicit models estimate a carbon sink in both tropical and northern temperate regions, but the strength of these sinks varies over time. Differences in the simulated response of terrestrial ecosystems to CO2 fertilization among the models in this intercomparison study reflect the fact that the models have highlighted different aspects of the effect of CO2 fertilization on carbon dynamics of natural terrestrial ecosystems including feedback mechanisms. As interactions with nitrogen fertilization, climate change and forest regrowth may play an important role in simulating the response of terrestrial ecosystems to CO2 fertilization, these factors should be included in future analyses. Improvements in spatially explicit data sets, whole-ecosystems experiments and the availability of net carbon exchange measurements across the globe will also help to improve future evaluations of the role of CO2 fertilization on terrestrial carbon storage.

The Effects of Decomposition on the Oxidative Ratio and Carbon Oxidation State of Organic Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallagher, M. E.; Masiello, C. A.; Clark, N.; Randerson, J. T.; Robertson, G. P.

2006-12-01

Ecosystem oxidative ratio (OR) and the related parameter carbon oxidation state (Cox) are critical in the apportionment of anthropogenic CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and ocean reservoirs. OR is the ratio of O2 to CO2 in gas exchange fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere (Fba and Fab). Accurate measurements of OR have been challenging (Seibt et al. 2004); instead we approach the problem by measuring Cox and calculating OR from biomass reservoirs. Cox can range from -4 to +4 (CH4 to CO2) and is driven by photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. The net OR of the biosphere varies with ecosystem type, and this can affect the apportionment of anthropogenic CO2 between the terrestrial biosphere and ocean reservoirs (Randerson et al. 2006). This makes it essential to constrain ecosystem Cox and OR values. Although small variations in global ecosystem OR have the potential to cause shifts in atmospheric O2 concentrations, no whole ecosystem measurements of Cox yet exist. To constrain ORba and ORab, and improve our understanding of how decomposition affects Cox, we performed a litter bag experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station-Long Term Ecological Research (KBS-LTER) in Michigan at the end of the 2005 agricultural season. We placed 15 corn biomass litter bags in an agricultural field and collected 3 bags at 2, 4, 7, 26, and 29 weeks. These samples were analyzed for %C, %H, %N, and %O via elemental analysis, and these data were used to calculate Cox. Aboveground Cox was measured similarly. We anticipated that the Cox of the corn litter would become more reduced with decomposition, as the percentage of carbohydrates would decrease with time, while that of protein, lignin, and lipids would increase (Baldock et al. 2004). We report differences between the Cox of biomass fixation and biomass degradation from our experiments. Using simple assumptions about ecosystem nitrogen cycling, we convert Cox to OR and report the existence or absence of a temporal offset between ORab and ORba within an agricultural ecosystem.

Temperature Limit of the Deep Subseafloor Biosphere in the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone off Cape Muroto (IODP T-Limit Expedition 370)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morono, Y.; Hauer, V. B.; Inagaki, F.; Kubo, Y.; Maeda, L.; Scientists, E.

2017-12-01

Expedition 370 of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) aimed to explore the limits of life in the deep subseafloor biosphere at a location where elevated heat flow lets temperature increase with sediment depth beyond the known maximum of microbial life ( 120°C) at 1.2 km below the seafloor. Such conditions are met in the protothrust zone of the Nankai Trough off Cape Muroto, Japan, where Site C0023 was established in the vicinity of ODP Sites 808 and 1174 at a water depth of 4776 m using the drilling vessel DV Chikyu. Hole C0023A was cored down to a total depth of 1180 meters below seafloor, offshore sampling and research was combined with simultaneous shore-based investigations at the Kochi Core Center (KCC), and long-term temperature observations were started (Heuer et al., 2017). The primary scientific objectives of Expedition 370 are (a) to detect and investigate the presence or absence of life and biological processes at the biotic-abiotic transition of the deep subseafloor with unprecedented analytical sensitivity and precision; (b) to comprehensively study the factors that control biomass, activity, and diversity of microbial communities; and (c) to elucidate if continuous or episodic flow of fluids containing thermogenic and/or geogenic nutrients and energy substrates support subseafloor microbial communities in the Nankai Trough accretionary complex (Hinrichs et al., 2016). This contribution will highlight the scientific approach of our field-work and preliminary expedition results by shipboard and shorebased activities. Hinrichs K-U, Inagaki F, Heuer VB, Kinoshita M, Morono Y, Kubo Y (2016) Expedition 370 Scientific Prospectus: T-Limit of the Deep Biosphere off Muroto (T-Limit). International Ocean Discovery Program. http://dx.doi.org/10.14379/iodp.sp.370.2016 Heuer VB, Inagaki F, Morono Y, Kubo Y, Maeda L, the Expedition 370 Scientists (2017) Expedition 370 Preliminary Report: Temperature Limit of the Deep Biosphere off Muroto. International Ocean Discovery Program. http://dx.doi.org/10.14379/iodp.pr.370.2017

Gathering “tea” – from necessity to connectedness with nature. Local knowledge about wild plant gathering in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Wild plant gathering is an essential element in livelihood strategies all over the world. However due to changing circumstances in Europe, the reason for gathering has altered from one of necessity in the past to a pleasurable activity today. Wild plant gathering has therefore also received renewed attention as a form of intangible cultural heritage expressing local preferences, habits and man’s relationship with nature. In the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria), local people’s knowledge of the gathering of wild plants and their perception of their own gathering activities are being documented. The focus of this paper is on the uses of herbal teas and the informal guidelines for gathering plants that have been issued by the Bergtee (mountain tea) association. Methods Thirty-six free-list interviews were conducted with subsequent semi-structured interviews and three focus group meetings held with members of the Bergtee association. Participatory observation (gathering and processing plants, mixing and marketing tea) also allowed for greater understanding of what had been reported. Results In total, 140 different gathered plant species were listed by respondents. Herbal tea is the most frequently mentioned use. The Bergtee association, founded by a young man and two middle-aged women in the valley, is a good example of the link between biological and cultural diversity, with the aim of sharing the biosphere reserve’s natural treasures as well as local plant-related knowledge in the form of herbal tea products. The association’s informal guidelines for gathering reflect people’s attitude to nature: monetary income does not play a major role in gathering plants; instead people’s appreciation of the value of the nature around them is to the fore. Conclusions Gathering wild plants can be seen as an expression of people’s regional identity. The conscious appreciation of nature and related local knowledge is crucial for the sustainable conservation and use of the Biosphere Reserve’s resources. PMID:22889066

Impact of Biomass Burning Aerosols on the Biosphere over Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malavelle, F.; Haywood, J.; Mercado, L.; Folberth, G.; Bellouin, N.

2014-12-01

Biomass burning (BB) smoke from deforestation and the burning of agricultural waste emit a complex cocktail of aerosol particles and gases. BB emissions show a regional hotspot over South America on the edges of Amazonia. These major perturbations and impacts on surface temperature, surface fluxes, chemistry, radiation, rainfall, may have significant consequent impacts on the Amazon rainforest, the largest and most productive carbon store on the planet. There is therefore potential for very significant interaction and interplay between aerosols, clouds, radiation and the biosphere in the region. Terrestrial carbon production (i.e. photosynthesis) is intimately tied to the supply of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR - i.e. wavelengths between 300-690 nm). PAR in sufficient intensity and duration is critical for plant growth. However, if a decrease in total radiation is accompanied by an increase in the component of diffuse radiation, plant productivity may increase due to higher light use efficiency per unit of PAR and less photosynthetic saturation. This effect, sometimes referred as diffuse light fertilization effect, could have increased the global land carbon sink by approximately one quarter during the global dimming period and is expected to be a least as important locally. By directly interacting with radiation, BB aerosols significantly reduce the total amount of PAR available to plant canopies. In addition, BB aerosols also play a centre role in cloud formation because they provide the necessary cloud condensation nuclei, hence indirectly altering the water cycle and the components and quantity of PAR. In this presentation, we use the recent observations from the South American Biomass Burning Analysis (SAMBBA) to explore the impact of radiation changes on the carbon cycle in the Amazon region caused by BB emissions. A parameterisation of the impact of diffuse and direct radiation upon photosynthesis rates and net primary productivity in the biosphere has been implemented within a fully coupled Earth System Model, namely the UK Met Office Hadley Centre HadGEM2-ES model. We present results from ten-year experiments (2000-2010) designed to investigate the sensitivity of the terrestrial biosphere to the burden and absorbing nature of Amazonian BB aerosols.

Environmental chemistry: Volume A

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yen, T.F.

1999-08-01

This is an extensive introduction to environmental chemistry for engineering and chemical professionals. The contents of Volume A include a brief review of basic chemistry prior to coverage of litho, atmo, hydro, pedo, and biospheres.

Mars Terraforming — The Wrong Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, V. V.

2017-02-01

Because of the damage that will injure the human physiology, the colonies on Mars and satellites are unpromising. The applied scientific elaborations connected with the independent biospheres creation with artificial gravitation should be the priority.

Spatio-temporal variability of hydro-chemical characteristics of coastal waters of Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GoMMBR), South India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kathiravan, K.; Natesan, Usha; Vishnunath, R.

2017-03-01

The intention of this study was to appraise the spatial and temporal variations in the physico-chemical parameters of coastal waters of Rameswaram Island, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, south India, using multivariate statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis, factor analysis and principal component analysis. Spatio-temporal variations among the physico-chemical parameters are observed in the coastal waters of Gulf of Mannar, especially during northeast and post monsoon seasons. It is inferred that the high loadings of pH, temperature, suspended particulate matter, salinity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll a, nutrient species of nitrogen and phosphorus strongly determine the discrimination of coastal water quality. Results highlight the important role of monsoonal variations to determine the coastal water quality around Rameswaram Island.

Public understanding of One Health messages: The role of temporal framing.

PubMed

Roh, Sungjong; Rickard, Laura N; McComas, Katherine A; Decker, Daniel J

2018-02-01

Building on research in motivated reasoning and framing in science communication, we examine how messages that vary attribution of responsibility (human vs animal) and temporal orientation (now vs in the next 10 years) for wildlife disease risk influence individuals' conservation intentions. We conducted a randomized experiment with a nationally representative sample of US adults ( N = 355), which revealed that for people low in biospheric concern, messages that highlighted both human responsibility for and the imminent nature of the risk failed to enhance conservation intentions compared with messages highlighting animal responsibility. However, when messages highlighting human responsibility placed the risk in a temporally distal frame, conservation intentions increased among people low in biospheric concern. We assess the underlying mechanism of this effect and discuss the value of temporal framing in overcoming motivated skepticism to improve science communication.

A roadmap for improving the representation of photosynthesis in Earth system models.

PubMed

Rogers, Alistair; Medlyn, Belinda E; Dukes, Jeffrey S; Bonan, Gordon; von Caemmerer, Susanne; Dietze, Michael C; Kattge, Jens; Leakey, Andrew D B; Mercado, Lina M; Niinemets, Ülo; Prentice, I Colin; Serbin, Shawn P; Sitch, Stephen; Way, Danielle A; Zaehle, Sönke

2017-01-01

Accurate representation of photosynthesis in terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) is essential for robust projections of global change. However, current representations vary markedly between TBMs, contributing uncertainty to projections of global carbon fluxes. Here we compared the representation of photosynthesis in seven TBMs by examining leaf and canopy level responses of photosynthetic CO 2 assimilation (A) to key environmental variables: light, temperature, CO 2 concentration, vapor pressure deficit and soil water content. We identified research areas where limited process knowledge prevents inclusion of physiological phenomena in current TBMs and research areas where data are urgently needed for model parameterization or evaluation. We provide a roadmap for new science needed to improve the representation of photosynthesis in the next generation of terrestrial biosphere and Earth system models. No claim to original US Government works New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Social structure of lions (Panthera leo) is affected by management in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Benin.

PubMed

Sogbohossou, Etotépé A; Bauer, Hans; Loveridge, Andrew; Funston, Paul J; De Snoo, Geert R; Sinsin, Brice; De Iongh, Hans H

2014-01-01

Lion populations have undergone a severe decline in West Africa. As baseline for conservation management, we assessed the group structure of lions in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin. This reserve, composed of one National Park and two Hunting Zones, is part of the WAP transboundary complex of protected areas. Overall mean group size was 2.6±1.7 individuals (n = 296), it was significantly higher in the National Park (2.7±1.7, n = 168) than in the Hunting Zones (2.2±1.5, n = 128). Overall adult sex ratio was even, but significantly biased towards females (0.67) in the National Park and towards males (1.67) in the Hunting Zones. Our results suggest that the Pendjari lion population is affected by perturbations, such as trophy hunting.

Remote sensing of the biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The current state of understanding of the biosphere is reviewed, the major scientific issues to be addressed are discussed, and techniques, existing and in need of development, for the science are evaluated. It is primarily concerned with developing the scientific capabilities of remote sensing for advancing the subject. The global nature of the scientific objectives requires the use of space-based techniques. The capability to look at the Earth as a whole was developed only recently. The space program has provided the technology to study the entire Earth from artificial satellites, and thus is a primary force in approaches to planetary biology. Space technology has also permitted comparative studies of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. These studies coupled with the growing awareness of the effects that life has on the entire Earth, are opening new lines of inquiry in science.

Quality assessment of pollution indicators in marine water at critical locations of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Tuticorin.

PubMed

Rajendran, Viji; Nirmaladevi D, Shrinithivihahshini; Srinivasan, Balakrishnan; Rengaraj, Chithradevi; Mariyaselvam, Sheelamary

2018-01-01

The present study focused on the shoreline environment of urban and industrial areas, and the aim of this study was to assess the coastal water quality in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. Water samples were collected from five different coastal sites during the premonsoon and monsoon seasons. The samples were analyzed following the standard methods. The results showed that the levels of microbiological indicators in the samples highly exceeded the regional and national standard seawater permissible limits, and environmental parameters such as the total suspended solid and dissolved oxygen were affected significantly (p<0.05). To identify frequent pollution indicators, their levels should be estimated to determine possible pollution in coastal ecosystems due to human interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of moored oceanographic spectroradiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth, Charles R.; Mitchell, B. Greg; Holm-Hansen, O.

1987-01-01

Biospherical Instruments has successfully completed a NASA sponsored SBIR (Small Business Innovational Research Program) project to develop spectroradiometers capable of being deployed in the ocean for long periods of time. The completion of this project adds a valuable tool for the calibration of future spaceborne ocean color sensors and enables oceanographers to extend remote sensing optical techniques beyond the intermittent coverage of spaceborne sensors. Highlights of the project include two moorings totalling 8 months generating extensive sets of optical, biological, and physical data sets in the ocean off La Jolla, California, and a 70 day operational deployment of the resulting commercial product by the ONR and NASA sponsored BIOWATT program. Based on experience gained in these moorings, Biospherical Instruments has developed a new line of spectroradiometers designed to support the oceanographic remote sensing missions of NASA, the Navy, and various oceanographers.

Biosphere/atmosphere CO2 exchange in tundra ecosystems - Community characteristics and relationships with multispectral surface reflectance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiting, Gary J.; Bartlett, David S.; Fan, Song-Miao; Bakwin, Peter S.; Wofsy, Steven C.

1992-01-01

CO2 exchange rates were measured at selected tundra sites near Bethel, Alaska using portable, climate-controlled, instrumented enclosures. The empirically modeled exchange rate for a representative area of vegetated tundra was 1.2 +/- 1.2 g/sq m/d, compared to a tower-measured exchange over the same time period of 1.1 +.0- 1.2 g/sq m/d. Net exchange in response to varying light levels was compared to wet meadow and dry upland tundra, and to the net exchange measured by the micrometeoroidal tower technique. The multispectral reflectance properties of the sites were measured and related to exchange rates in order to provide a quantitative foundation for the use of satellite remote sensing to monitor biosphere/atmosphere CO2 exchange in the tundra biome.

Freshwater for resilience: a shift in thinking.

PubMed Central

Folke, Carl

2003-01-01

Humanity shapes freshwater flows and biosphere dynamics from a local to a global scale. Successful management of target resources in the short term tends to alienate the social and economic development process from its ultimate dependence on the life-supporting environment. Freshwater becomes transformed into a resource for optimal management in development, neglecting the multiple functions of freshwater in dynamic landscapes and its fundamental role as the bloodstream of the biosphere. The current tension of these differences in worldview is exemplified through the recent development of modern aquaculture contrasted with examples of catchment-based stewardship of freshwater flows in dynamic landscapes. In particular, the social and institutional dimension of catchment management is highlighted and features of social-ecological systems for resilience building are presented. It is concluded that this broader view of freshwater provides the foundation for hydrosolidarity. PMID:14728796

Employee-Organization Pro-environmental Values Fit and Pro-environmental Behavior: The Role of Supervisors' Personal Values.

PubMed

Lu, Hui; Liu, Xia; Chen, Hong; Long, Ruyin

2017-12-18

This study examines the relationship among the employees-organization pro-environmental values fit (E-O PEVs fit), supervisors' PEVs and employees' pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). Informed by the PEB, organizational values and employee-organization fit literature, we propose and test hypotheses that under egoistic, altruistic and biosphere-value orientations, E-O PEVs fit versus non-fit have significant effects on employees' private-sphere PEB and public-sphere PEB, identifying supervisors' PEVs as a moderator. An empirical investigation indicates that the effect of E-O PEVs fit on employees' private-sphere PEB and public-sphere PEB varies as the value orientation differs. More specifically, under the context of altruistic and biosphere-value orientations, if the organizational PEVs do not match the employees' PEVs, especially when the former exceeds the latter, employees' PEB will rise as the organizational PEVs increase. As for egoistic value orientation, when organizational PEVs exceed employees' PEVs, not only will public-sphere PEB stop decreasing and tend to stabilize, but also private-sphere PEB will rise to a slight degree. Furthermore, compared with altruistic and biospheric values dimensions, supervisors who promote egoistic PEVs will have a more significant effect on the relationship between global E-O PEVs fit and employees' PEB. Finally, we suggest that the goals of an organization and its supervisors need to be combined within the actual situation of Chinese corporations to truly implement corporate green practices by balancing the profit goal and the environmental goal.

Patterns of new versus recycled primary production in the terrestrial biosphere

PubMed Central

Cleveland, Cory C.; Houlton, Benjamin Z.; Smith, W. Kolby; Marklein, Alison R.; Reed, Sasha C.; Parton, William; Del Grosso, Stephen J.; Running, Steven W.

2013-01-01

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability regulate plant productivity throughout the terrestrial biosphere, influencing the patterns and magnitude of net primary production (NPP) by land plants both now and into the future. These nutrients enter ecosystems via geologic and atmospheric pathways and are recycled to varying degrees through the plant–soil–microbe system via organic matter decay processes. However, the proportion of global NPP that can be attributed to new nutrient inputs versus recycled nutrients is unresolved, as are the large-scale patterns of variation across terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we combined satellite imagery, biogeochemical modeling, and empirical observations to identify previously unrecognized patterns of new versus recycled nutrient (N and P) productivity on land. Our analysis points to tropical forests as a hotspot of new NPP fueled by new N (accounting for 45% of total new NPP globally), much higher than previous estimates from temperate and high-latitude regions. The large fraction of tropical forest NPP resulting from new N is driven by the high capacity for N fixation, although this varies considerably within this diverse biome; N deposition explains a much smaller proportion of new NPP. By contrast, the contribution of new N to primary productivity is lower outside the tropics, and worldwide, new P inputs are uniformly low relative to plant demands. These results imply that new N inputs have the greatest capacity to fuel additional NPP by terrestrial plants, whereas low P availability may ultimately constrain NPP across much of the terrestrial biosphere. PMID:23861492

Local peoples' knowledge, aptitude and perceptions of planning and management issues in nanda devi biosphere reserve, India.

PubMed

Rao, Kottapalli S; Nautiyal, Sunil; Maikhuri, Rakesh K; Saxena, Krishna G

2003-02-01

Local peoples' knowledge, aptitude, and perceptions of planning and management issues were investigated in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in Uttaranchal State of India. Conflicts ensued between local inhabitants and the management authority due to lack of community participation. Although most respondents seem to claim the knowledge of the objectives of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, the source of information indicates their interaction with the management authority is not frequent. While local population seem to agree on reduced intensity of agriculture with compensation equal to loss of net income, there is a perceptible difference in responses among different age groups. While the younger generation seems to agree to move away to other areas with suitable compensation packages, the older generation prefer those options that require some adjustments in use and access to natural resources. The option of ecotourism as a source of income is acceptable to most respondents, but young and old respondents disagreed about impact of such activity on social behavior of local inhabitants. Among those groups studied, only the "self-employed group" seem to be more interested in ecotourism in comparison to other occupation classes. Gender differences in perceptions are prominent with reference to development options. While the men preferred economic opportunities, the women preferred improved living conditions. An evaluation mechanism similar to the one described in this paper will be helpful to the management authority to assess and modify their management plans to mitigate conflicts with local people.

Impact disruption and recovery of the deep subsurface biosphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cockell, Charles S.; Voytek, Mary A.; Gronstal, Aaron L.; Finster, Kai; Kirshtein, Julie D.; Howard, Kieren; Reitner, Joachim; Gohn, Gregory S.; Sanford, Ward E.; Horton, J. Wright; Kallmeyer, Jens; Kelly, Laura; Powars, David S.

2012-01-01

Although a large fraction of the world's biomass resides in the subsurface, there has been no study of the effects of catastrophic disturbance on the deep biosphere and the rate of its subsequent recovery. We carried out an investigation of the microbiology of a 1.76 km drill core obtained from the ~35 million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact structure, USA, with robust contamination control. Microbial enumerations displayed a logarithmic downward decline, but the different gradient, when compared to previously studied sites, and the scatter of the data are consistent with a microbiota influenced by the geological disturbances caused by the impact. Microbial abundance is low in buried crater-fill, ocean-resurge, and avalanche deposits despite the presence of redox couples for growth. Coupled with the low hydraulic conductivity, the data suggest the microbial community has not yet recovered from the impact ~35 million years ago. Microbial enumerations, molecular analysis of microbial enrichment cultures, and geochemical analysis showed recolonization of a deep region of impact-fractured rock that was heated to above the upper temperature limit for life at the time of impact. These results show how, by fracturing subsurface rocks, impacts can extend the depth of the biosphere. This phenomenon would have provided deep refugia for life on the more heavily bombarded early Earth, and it shows that the deeply fractured regions of impact craters are promising targets to study the past and present habitability of Mars.

Fluid Lensing, Applications to High-Resolution 3D Subaqueous Imaging & Automated Remote Biosphere Assessment from Airborne and Space-borne Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirayath, V.

2014-12-01

Fluid Lensing is a theoretical model and algorithm I present for fluid-optical interactions in turbulent flows as well as two-fluid surface boundaries that, when coupled with an unique computer vision and image-processing pipeline, may be used to significantly enhance the angular resolution of a remote sensing optical system with applicability to high-resolution 3D imaging of subaqueous regions and through turbulent fluid flows. This novel remote sensing technology has recently been implemented on a quadcopter-based UAS for imaging shallow benthic systems to create the first dataset of a biosphere with unprecedented sub-cm-level imagery in 3D over areas as large as 15 square kilometers. Perturbed two-fluid boundaries with different refractive indices, such as the surface between the ocean and air, may be exploited for use as lensing elements for imaging targets on either side of the interface with enhanced angular resolution. I present theoretical developments behind Fluid Lensing and experimental results from its recent implementation for the Reactive Reefs project to image shallow reef ecosystems at cm scales. Preliminary results from petabyte-scale aerial survey efforts using Fluid Lensing to image at-risk coral reefs in American Samoa (August, 2013) show broad applicability to large-scale automated species identification, morphology studies and reef ecosystem characterization for shallow marine environments and terrestrial biospheres, of crucial importance to understanding climate change's impact on coastal zones, global oxygen production and carbon sequestration.

The Role of Atmospheric Organic Nitrogen in Forest Nitrogen Cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockwood, A.; Shepson, P.; Rhodes, D.

2003-12-01

Changes in the global climate and atmosphere cause significant effects to the biosphere. Forests respond to these global changes in various ways which all can affect their ability to store carbon, which in turn impacts climate change. Many temperate latitude forests are nitrogen-limited. A current working hypothesis is that atmospheric nitrogen compounds that are deposited to the canopy may be directly utilized by the plant as a nitrogen source. A significant fraction of atmospheric reactive nitrogen that can be deposited is organic. Organic nitrogen deposition is not well characterized nor have the ecological consequences been assessed. Our hypothesis is that organic nitrogen deposition to the canopy is significant, and that that nitrogen is utilized by trees. Fumigation experiments were conducted with 14N and 15N-labeled organic nitrates (focusing on 1-nitrooxy-3-methyl butane as a surrogate for isoprene nitrates) to determine if and how that nitrogen gets incorporated into the leaves by detecting the 15N-labeled leaf amino acids. This research builds on work completed during past summer intensives as part of the Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport (PROPHET), and begins the next stage of research as part of the Biosphere Atmosphere Research & Training program (BART) at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS). The overall goal of the new effort, the Biosphere Exchange of Atmospheric Carbon and Odd Nitrogen (BEACON) program, is to evaluate the interactive roles of the atmosphere and forest in the coupling of the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Biological Oxygen Productivity Over The Last Glacial Termination From Triple Oxygen Isotope Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blunier, T.; Bender, M. L.; Hendricks, M. B.

The atmospheric oxygen isotope signature of O2 is linked to the oxygen signature of seawater through photosynthesis and respiration. Fractionation during these pro- cesses is mass dependent affecting 17O about half as much as 18O. A mass indepen- dent fractionation process takes place during isotope exchange between O2 and CO2 in the stratosphere (Thiemens, 1999; Luz et al., 1999). The magnitude of the mass- independent anomaly in the triple isotope composition of O2 depends on relative rates of biological O2 cycling and photochemical reactions in the stratosphere. Variations of this anomaly thus allows us to estimate changes of mass dependent O2 production by photosynthesis versus mass independent O2-CO2 exchange in the stratosphere. We reconstruct total oxygen productivity for the past from 17O and 18O measure- ments of O2 trapped in ice cores. With a box model we estimate that the total biogenic productivity was only 76-83 % of today for the glacial and was probably still lower than today during the glacial-interglacial transition and the early Holocene. In principle we can calculate the oxygen flux from the ocean biosphere if we know the oxygen flux from the land biosphere. Calculated ocean production is very sensitive to the estimate of land biosphere production. The latter term remains uncertain, however, and we can presently only constrain glacial ocean production to 88 to 140 % of the present value.

Impact disruption and recovery of the deep subsurface biosphere.

PubMed

Cockell, Charles S; Voytek, Mary A; Gronstal, Aaron L; Finster, Kai; Kirshtein, Julie D; Howard, Kieren; Reitner, Joachim; Gohn, Gregory S; Sanford, Ward E; Horton, J Wright; Kallmeyer, Jens; Kelly, Laura; Powars, David S

2012-03-01

Although a large fraction of the world's biomass resides in the subsurface, there has been no study of the effects of catastrophic disturbance on the deep biosphere and the rate of its subsequent recovery. We carried out an investigation of the microbiology of a 1.76 km drill core obtained from the ∼35 million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact structure, USA, with robust contamination control. Microbial enumerations displayed a logarithmic downward decline, but the different gradient, when compared to previously studied sites, and the scatter of the data are consistent with a microbiota influenced by the geological disturbances caused by the impact. Microbial abundance is low in buried crater-fill, ocean-resurge, and avalanche deposits despite the presence of redox couples for growth. Coupled with the low hydraulic conductivity, the data suggest the microbial community has not yet recovered from the impact ∼35 million years ago. Microbial enumerations, molecular analysis of microbial enrichment cultures, and geochemical analysis showed recolonization of a deep region of impact-fractured rock that was heated to above the upper temperature limit for life at the time of impact. These results show how, by fracturing subsurface rocks, impacts can extend the depth of the biosphere. This phenomenon would have provided deep refugia for life on the more heavily bombarded early Earth, and it shows that the deeply fractured regions of impact craters are promising targets to study the past and present habitability of Mars.

Assessing sustainable biophysical human-nature connectedness at regional scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorninger, Christian; Abson, David J.; Fischer, Joern; von Wehrden, Henrik

2017-05-01

Humans are biophysically connected to the biosphere through the flows of materials and energy appropriated from ecosystems. While this connection is fundamental for human well-being, many modern societies have—for better or worse—disconnected themselves from the natural productivity of their immediate regional environment. In this paper, we conceptualize the biophysical human-nature connectedness of land use systems at regional scales. We distinguish two mechanisms by which primordial connectedness of people to regional ecosystems has been circumvented via the use of external inputs. First, ‘biospheric disconnection’ refers to people drawing on non-renewable minerals from outside the biosphere (e.g. fossils, metals and other minerals). Second, ‘spatial disconnection’ arises from the imports and exports of biomass products and imported mineral resources used to extract and process ecological goods. Both mechanisms allow for greater regional resource use than would be possible otherwise, but both pose challenges for sustainability, for example, through waste generation, depletion of non-renewable resources and environmental burden shifting to distant regions. In contrast, biophysically reconnected land use systems may provide renewed opportunities for inhabitants to develop an awareness of their impacts and fundamental reliance on ecosystems. To better understand the causes, consequences, and possible remedies related to biophysical disconnectedness, new quantitative methods to assess the extent of regional biophysical human-nature connectedness are needed. To this end, we propose a new methodological framework that can be applied to assess biophysical human-nature connectedness in any region of the world.

Patterns of rare and abundant marine microbial eukaryotes.

PubMed

Logares, Ramiro; Audic, Stéphane; Bass, David; Bittner, Lucie; Boutte, Christophe; Christen, Richard; Claverie, Jean-Michel; Decelle, Johan; Dolan, John R; Dunthorn, Micah; Edvardsen, Bente; Gobet, Angélique; Kooistra, Wiebe H C F; Mahé, Frédéric; Not, Fabrice; Ogata, Hiroyuki; Pawlowski, Jan; Pernice, Massimo C; Romac, Sarah; Shalchian-Tabrizi, Kamran; Simon, Nathalie; Stoeck, Thorsten; Santini, Sébastien; Siano, Raffaele; Wincker, Patrick; Zingone, Adriana; Richards, Thomas A; de Vargas, Colomban; Massana, Ramon

2014-04-14

Biological communities are normally composed of a few abundant and many rare species. This pattern is particularly prominent in microbial communities, in which most constituent taxa are usually extremely rare. Although abundant and rare subcommunities may present intrinsic characteristics that could be crucial for understanding community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, microbiologists normally do not differentiate between them. Here, we investigate abundant and rare subcommunities of marine microbial eukaryotes, a crucial group of organisms that remains among the least-explored biodiversity components of the biosphere. We surveyed surface waters of six separate coastal locations in Europe, independently considering the picoplankton, nanoplankton, and microplankton/mesoplankton organismal size fractions. Deep Illumina sequencing of the 18S rRNA indicated that the abundant regional community was mostly structured by organismal size fraction, whereas the rare regional community was mainly structured by geographic origin. However, some abundant and rare taxa presented similar biogeography, pointing to spatiotemporal structure in the rare microeukaryote biosphere. Abundant and rare subcommunities presented regular proportions across samples, indicating similar species-abundance distributions despite taxonomic compositional variation. Several taxa were abundant in one location and rare in other locations, suggesting large oscillations in abundance. The substantial amount of metabolically active lineages found in the rare biosphere suggests that this subcommunity constitutes a diversity reservoir that can respond rapidly to environmental change. We propose that marine planktonic microeukaryote assemblages incorporate dynamic and metabolically active abundant and rare subcommunities, with contrasting structuring patterns but fairly regular proportions, across space and time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Potential for Low-Temperature Abiotic Hydrogen Generation and a Hydrogen-Driven Deep Biosphere

PubMed Central

Huang, Shanshan; Thorseth, Ingunn H.

2011-01-01

Abstract The release and oxidation of ferrous iron during aqueous alteration of the mineral olivine is known to reduce aqueous solutions to such extent that molecular hydrogen, H2, forms. H2 is an efficient energy carrier and is considered basal to the deep subsurface biosphere. Knowledge of the potential for H2 generation is therefore vital to understanding the deep biosphere on Earth and on extraterrestrial bodies. Here, we provide a review of factors that may reduce the potential for H2 generation with a focus on systems in the core temperature region for thermophilic to hyperthermophilic microbial life. We show that aqueous sulfate may inhibit the formation of H2, whereas redox-sensitive compounds of carbon and nitrogen are unlikely to have significant effect at low temperatures. In addition, we suggest that the rate of H2 generation is proportional to the dissolution rate of olivine and, hence, limited by factors such as reactive surface areas and the access of water to fresh surfaces. We furthermore suggest that the availability of water and pore/fracture space are the most important factors that limit the generation of H2. Our study implies that, because of large heat flows, abundant olivine-bearing rocks, large thermodynamic gradients, and reduced atmospheres, young Earth and Mars probably offered abundant systems where microbial life could possibly have emerged. Key Words: Serpentinization—Olivine—Hydrogen—Deep biosphere—Water—Mars. Astrobiology 11, 711–724. PMID:21923409

Man and the Biosphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brabyn, Howard

1974-01-01

Presents the objectives of the MAB program, describes "core" material that makes the program of international value, and reports a feature wherein scientists are being asked to make broad social judgments about the work they are doing. (GS)

A roadmap for improving the representation of photosynthesis in Earth System Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, Alistair; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Dukes, Jeffrey S.

Accurate representation of photosynthesis in terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) is essential for robust projections of global change. However, current representations vary markedly between TBMs, contributing uncertainty projections of global carbon fluxes.

A roadmap for improving the representation of photosynthesis in Earth System Models

DOE PAGES

Rogers, Alistair; Medlyn, Belinda E.; Dukes, Jeffrey S.; ...

2016-11-28

Accurate representation of photosynthesis in terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) is essential for robust projections of global change. However, current representations vary markedly between TBMs, contributing uncertainty projections of global carbon fluxes.

Contributions of Planetary Science to Studies of Early Biosphere Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farmer, Jack D.; Chang, Sherwood (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The history of impact cratering on the Moon, and extrapolations of crater chronologies to the inner planets, suggests that the late accretionary history of the Earth overlapped with other crucial events in the its history, including the origin of terrestrial life. This evidence, acquired from studies of other planetary bodies in the inner solar system, has profoundly affected how we view the early history of the Earth and evolution of the biosphere. Pre-biotic chemical evolution and the origin of life would have been delayed by the probable existence of a global magma ocean until -4.2 Ga. The early crust was largely destroyed by recycling, thus accounting for the sparse Archean record on Earth. Once life had developed, large impacts may have extinguished it several times before it finally gained a foothold. Potentially sterilizing impacts could have occurred as late as 3.7 Ga. At the very least, large impacts would have forced the biosphere through major environmental "bottlenecks" thereby canalizing its subsequent evolution. One legacy of these early events may be the structure of the present RNA-tree which indicates that extreme thermophiles are primitive within the Archaea, and may be the last common ancestors of life. By 3.5 Ga, marine sedimentary sequences contain unequivocal microbial fossils that attest to the presence of a terrestrial biosphere. The diversity of microbial forms present in these earliest fossil assemblages implies a preceding interval of evolution during which major evolutionary advances (e.g. photosynthesis) could have taken place. Evidence cited above places the origin of life within the interval 3.5 and 4.2 Ga, a period of 700 Ma. Thus, it appears that terrestrial life not only evolved rapidly, but perhaps more than once. This expands the possibilities that life may have also developed elsewhere. Of the other planets in our solar system, Mars holds the greatest chance of having developed life. But, the present surface of Mars is hostile to life. Liquid water, regarded as essential for living systems, is unstable on the surface of Mars due to the low atmospheric pressure. The results of the Viking Lander biology experiments established that organic molecules are not present in the regolith of Mars, forcing the exobiological community to consider new ways of exploring for Martian life. Older, heavily cratered terranes on Mars show geomorphic evidence for abundant water between 3.0- 4.0 Ga. It is quite possible that life developed on Mars during this time, as it did on the Earth. The present focus for Mars Exobiology lies in the search for a fossil record. Archean-aged crust, while mostly missing on Earth, appears to be widespread in ancient cratered highlands of Mars, and aqueous mineral deposits within such sequences may hold crucial fossil evidence for an early Martian biosphere.

Brazil: Rondonia

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-12-30

... Places where clouds or other factors precluded an aerosol retrieval are shown in dark grey.   The main measurement site for the ... within World Reference System-2 path 231.   Further information about the CLAIRE campaign, and the Large-scale-Biosphere-Atmosphere ...

Environmental Biogeochemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nriagu, Jerome O.

1975-01-01

Discusses a symposium which centered on the interfaces between the biosphere and the geosphere, and the effects of industry at those interfaces. Topics include the food crisis, the nitrogen cycle, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and the transformations of metals in ecosystems. (MLH)

Report on the Biosphere 1976

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodwell, George M.

1977-01-01

Discusses contemporary challenges for biologists, environmentalists, technologists, teachers, and political supporters of science and education in solving global problems. Discussed are nation- and worldwide accumulation of toxic materials (DDT, PCB's, kepone, radioactivity, dieldrin, mirex), transformation of natural ecosystems, and instability…

Thermal Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talmage, Sylvia S.; Coutant, Charles C.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of the effect of temperature on the biosphere water, covering publications of 1976-77. This review includes the effects of temperature on growth, production, and embryonic and larval development. A list of 401 references is also presented. (HM)

Demonstrations To Save the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tom; Dias, Michael

2003-01-01

Presents two environmental modeling activities, biosphere bubbles and a crystal ball of population growth, along with a related online exercise and explains proven teaching methods that make demonstrations less teacher-centered and more engaging for groups of collaborating students. (KHR)

Earth Science Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philips, William C.

1991-01-01

Presented is a list of over 50 commonly held misconceptions based on a literature review found in students and adults. The list covers earth science topics such as space, the lithosphere, the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere. (KR)

Global Catastrophes in Earth History: An Interdisciplinary Conference on Impacts, Volcanism, and Mass Mortality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Topics addressed include: Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinctions; geologial indicators for meteorite collisions; carbon dioxide catastrophes; volcanism; climatic changes; geochemistry; mineralogy; fossil records; biospheric traumas; stratigraphy; mathematical models; and ocean dynamics.

Microbial Life in the Deep Subsurface: Deep, Hot and Radioactive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeStefano, Andrea L.; Ford, Jill C.; Winsor, Seana K.; Allen, Carlton C.; Miller, Judith; McNamara, Karen M.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.

2000-01-01

Recent studies, motivated in part by the search for extraterrestrial life, continue to expand the recognized limits of Earth's biosphere. This work explored evidence for life a high-temperature, radioactive environment in the deep subsurface.

A simple biosphere model (SiB) for use within general circulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, P. J.; Mintz, Y.; Sud, Y. C.; Dalcher, A.

1986-01-01

A simple realistic biosphere model for calculating the transfer of energy, mass and momentum between the atmosphere and the vegetated surface of the earth has been developed for use in atmospheric general circulation models. The vegetation in each terrestrial model grid is represented by an upper level, representing the perennial canopy of trees and shrubs, and a lower level, representing the annual cover of grasses and other heraceous species. The vegetation morphology and the physical and physiological properties of the vegetation layers determine such properties as: the reflection, transmission, absorption and emission of direct and diffuse radiation; the infiltration, drainage, and storage of the residual rainfall in the soil; and the control over the stomatal functioning. The model, with prescribed vegetation parameters and soil interactive soil moisture, can be used for prediction of the atmospheric circulation and precipitaion fields for short periods of up to a few weeks.

Space Based Measurements for Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide: a New Tool for Monitoring Our Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crisp, David

2015-01-01

Fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and other human activities are now adding almost 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere each year. Interestingly, as these emissions have increased over time, natural "sinks" in land biosphere and oceans have absorbed roughly half of this CO2, reducing the rate of atmospheric buildup by a half. Measurements of the increasing acidity (pH) of seawater indicate that the ocean absorbs one quarter of this CO2. Another quarter is apparently being absorbed by the land biosphere, but the identity and location of these natural land CO2 "sinks" are still unknown. The existing ground-based greenhouse gas monitoring network provides an accurate record of the atmospheric buildup, but still does not have the spatial resolution or coverage needed to identify or quantify CO2 sources and sinks.

Biosurfactants, bioemulsifiers and exopolysaccharides from marine microorganisms.

PubMed

Satpute, Surekha K; Banat, Ibrahim M; Dhakephalkar, Prashant K; Banpurkar, Arun G; Chopade, Balu A

2010-01-01

Marine biosphere offers wealthy flora and fauna, which represents a vast natural resource of imperative functional commercial grade products. Among the various bioactive compounds, biosurfactant (BS)/bioemulsifiers (BE) are attracting major interest and attention due to their structural and functional diversity. The versatile properties of surface active molecules find numerous applications in various industries. Marine microorganisms such as Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Halomonas, Myroides, Corynebacteria, Bacillus, Alteromonas sp. have been studied for production of BS/BE and exopolysaccharides (EPS). Due to the enormity of marine biosphere, most of the marine microbial world remains unexplored. The discovery of potent BS/BE producing marine microorganism would enhance the use of environmental biodegradable surface active molecule and hopefully reduce total dependence or number of new application oriented towards the chemical synthetic surfactant industry. Our present review gives comprehensive information on BS/BE which has been reported to be produced by marine microorganisms and their possible potential future applications.

Workplan for Catalyzing Collaboration with Amazonian Universities in the Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, I. Foster; Moreira, Adriana

1997-01-01

Success of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmospheric Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) program depends on several critical factors, the most important being the effective participation of Amazonian researchers and institutions. Without host-county counterparts, particularly in Amazonia, many important studies cannot he undertaken due either to lack of qualified persons or to legal constraints. No less important, the acceptance of the LBA program in Amazonia is also dependent on what LBA can do for improving the scientific expertise in Amazonia. Gaining the active investment of Amazonian scientists in a comprehensive research program is not a trivial task. Potential collaborators are few, particularly where much of the research was to be originally focused - the southern arc of Brazilian Amazonia. The mid-term goals of the LBA Committee on Training and Education are to increase the number of collaborators and to demonstrate that LBA will be of benefit to the region.

Metagenomic ventures into outer sequence space.

PubMed

Dutilh, Bas E

Sequencing DNA or RNA directly from the environment often results in many sequencing reads that have no homologs in the database. These are referred to as "unknowns," and reflect the vast unexplored microbial sequence space of our biosphere, also known as "biological dark matter." However, unknowns also exist because metagenomic datasets are not optimally mined. There is a pressure on researchers to publish and move on, and the unknown sequences are often left for what they are, and conclusions drawn based on reads with annotated homologs. This can cause abundant and widespread genomes to be overlooked, such as the recently discovered human gut bacteriophage crAssphage. The unknowns may be enriched for bacteriophage sequences, the most abundant and genetically diverse component of the biosphere and of sequence space. However, it remains an open question, what is the actual size of biological sequence space? The de novo assembly of shotgun metagenomes is the most powerful tool to address this question.

Social Structure of Lions (Panthera leo) Is Affected by Management in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve, Benin

PubMed Central

Sogbohossou, Etotépé A.; Bauer, Hans; Loveridge, Andrew; Funston, Paul J.; De Snoo, Geert R.; Sinsin, Brice; De Iongh, Hans H.

2014-01-01

Lion populations have undergone a severe decline in West Africa. As baseline for conservation management, we assessed the group structure of lions in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin. This reserve, composed of one National Park and two Hunting Zones, is part of the WAP transboundary complex of protected areas. Overall mean group size was 2.6±1.7 individuals (n = 296), it was significantly higher in the National Park (2.7±1.7, n = 168) than in the Hunting Zones (2.2±1.5, n = 128). Overall adult sex ratio was even, but significantly biased towards females (0.67) in the National Park and towards males (1.67) in the Hunting Zones. Our results suggest that the Pendjari lion population is affected by perturbations, such as trophy hunting. PMID:24416263

Calibrating the simple biosphere model for Amazonian tropical forest using field and remote sensing data. I - Average calibration with field data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, Piers J.; Shuttleworth, W. James; Dorman, Jeff L.; Dalcher, Amnon; Roberts, John M.

1989-01-01

Using meteorological and hydrological measurements taken in and above the central-Amazon-basin tropical forest, calibration of the Sellers et al. (1986) simple biosphere (SiB) model are described. The SiB model is a one-dimensional soil-vegetation-atmosphere model designed for use within GCMs models, representing the vegetation cover by analogy with processes operating within a single representative plant. The experimental systems and the procedures used to obtain field data are described, together with the specification of the physiological parameterization required to provide an average description of data. It was found that some of the existing literature on stomatal behavior for tropical species is inconsistent with the observed behavior of the complete canopy in Amazonia, and that the rainfall interception store of the canopy is considerably smaller than originally specified in the SiB model.

Tackling pollution by organic farming is capable of increasing fortified foods.

PubMed

Navarro-Aviñó, J P; Navarro, J J Fernández; Castro, V Vargas; Ripoll, I Ilzarbe; Sahuquillo, M J Márquez

2016-01-01

The global pollution stage is poisoning the biosphere and causing global temperatures to rise, necessitating a drastic change in the way man is dealing with nature. One change that may produce many beneficial effects on the biosphere and human health is the use of specific organic farming to produce food in a more integrated way in nature and to increase the capacity of man's own response. Despite many experts' opinion another way to deal with environmental contamination is possible: organic farming, which can increase man's ability to fortify foods. After more than 20 years working under this discipline, Bodegas Dagon is able to achieve the highest stilbenes concentrations (as resveratrol). Versus 14.3 mg/l, "Bodegas Dagón" wines contain resveratrol (HPLC and UV-spectroscopy) up to 1611.73 ± 72.66 mg/l, standing as world's potentially healthiest wine reported to date.

Climate Sensitivity Controls Uncertainty in Future Terrestrial Carbon Sink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schurgers, Guy; Ahlström, Anders; Arneth, Almut; Pugh, Thomas A. M.; Smith, Benjamin

2018-05-01

For the 21st century, carbon cycle models typically project an increase of terrestrial carbon with increasing atmospheric CO2 and a decrease with the accompanying climate change. However, these estimates are poorly constrained, primarily because they typically rely on a limited number of emission and climate scenarios. Here we explore a wide range of combinations of CO2 rise and climate change and assess their likelihood with the climate change responses obtained from climate models. Our results demonstrate that the terrestrial carbon uptake depends critically on the climate sensitivity of individual climate models, representing a large uncertainty of model estimates. In our simulations, the terrestrial biosphere is unlikely to become a strong source of carbon with any likely combination of CO2 and climate change in the absence of land use change, but the fraction of the emissions taken up by the terrestrial biosphere will decrease drastically with higher emissions.

Atmospheric chemistry: Description of the area of performance and a working plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchhoff, Volker W. J. H.

1986-11-01

INPE's program in Atmospheric Chemistry Research is described. Research in this area is concerned with atmospheric gases and their chemical reactions, production and loss rates, and their interactions with the biosphere. Atmospheric chemistry includes concepts in Physics, Chemistry, Meteorology, and Biology, which gives it a strong interdisciplinary character. The interaction of some of the atmospheric gases with the biosphere, such as ozone, is very strong and direct. Studying atmospheric chemistry is, therefore, of direct interest to man and the quality of life. Details are described to define the objectives of study, in particular those of our research program at INPE. A working plan is proposed in order to reach the defined goals. Owing to the large anthropogenic interference in the balance of the natural atmosphere it is anticipated that a better understanding of Atmospheric Chemistry will be the great scientific challenge of the next decade.

Toward “optimal” integration of terrestrial biosphere models

DOE PAGES

Schwalm, Christopher R.; Huntzinger, Deborah N.; Fisher, Joshua B.; ...

2015-06-10

Multimodel ensembles (MME) are commonplace in Earth system modeling. Here we perform MME integration using a 10-member ensemble of terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) from the Multiscale synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP). We contrast optimal (skill based for present-day carbon cycling) versus naive (one model-one vote) integration. MsTMIP optimal and naive mean land sink strength estimates (-1.16 versus -1.15 Pg C per annum respectively) are statistically indistinguishable. This holds also for grid cell values and extends to gross uptake, biomass, and net ecosystem productivity. TBM skill is similarly indistinguishable. The added complexity of skill-based integration does not materially changemore » MME values. This suggests that carbon metabolism has predictability limits and/or that all models and references are misspecified. Finally, resolving this issue requires addressing specific uncertainty types (initial conditions, structure, and references) and a change in model development paradigms currently dominant in the TBM community.« less

Global linkages between teleconnection patterns and the terrestrial biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlin, Kyla M.; Ault, Toby R.

2018-07-01

Interannual variability in the global carbon cycle is largely due to variations in carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems, yet linkages between climate variability and variability in the terrestrial carbon cycle are not well understood at the global scale. Using a 30-year satellite record of semi-monthly leaf area index (LAI), we show that four modes of climate variability - El Niño/Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Atlantic Meridional Mode, and the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode - strongly impact interannual vegetation growth patterns, with 68% of the land surface impacted by at least one of these teleconnection patterns, yet the spatial distribution of these impacts is heterogeneous. Considering the patterns' impacts by biome, none has an exclusively positive or negative relationship with LAI. Our findings imply that future changes in the frequency and/or magnitude of teleconnection patterns will lead to diverse changes to the terrestrial biosphere and the global carbon cycle.

Summer Research Internships at Biosphere 2 Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Through the support of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth, Biosphere 2 Center hosted 10 research interns for a 10 week period during the summer of 1998. In addition, we were able to offer scholarships to 10 students for Columbia University summer field courses. Students participating in these programs were involved in numerous earth systems activities, collecting data in the field and conducting analyses in the laboratory. Students enrolled in the field program were expected to design independent research projects as part of their coursework. In addition to laboratory and field research, students participated in weekly research seminars by resident and visiting scientists. Field school students were involved in field trips exposing them to the geology and ecology of the region including Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Mount Lemmon, Aravaipa Canyon and the Gulf of California. Interns participated in laboratory-based research. All students were expected to complete oral and written presentations of their work during the summer.

Biotechnological uses of enzymes from psychrophiles

PubMed Central

Cavicchioli, R.; Charlton, T.; Ertan, H.; Omar, S. Mohd; Siddiqui, K. S.; Williams, T. J.

2011-01-01

Summary The bulk of the Earth's biosphere is cold (e.g. 90% of the ocean's waters are ≤ 5°C), sustaining a broad diversity of microbial life. The permanently cold environments vary from the deep ocean to alpine reaches and to polar regions. Commensurate with the extent and diversity of the ecosystems that harbour psychrophilic life, the functional capacity of the microorganisms that inhabitat the cold biosphere are equally diverse. As a result, indigenous psychrophilic microorganisms provide an enormous natural resource of enzymes that function effectively in the cold, and these cold‐adapted enzymes have been targeted for their biotechnological potential. In this review we describe the main properties of enzymes from psychrophiles and describe some of their known biotechnological applications and ways to potentially improve their value for biotechnology. The review also covers the use of metagenomics for enzyme screening, the development of psychrophilic gene expression systems and the use of enzymes for cleaning. PMID:21733127

Geologic isolation of nuclear waste at high latitudes: the role of ice sheets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Person, M.; McIntosh, J.; Iverson, N.; Neuzil, C.E.; Bense, V.

2012-01-01

Geologic isolation of high-level nuclear waste from the biosphere requires special consideration in countries at high latitudes (>40°N) owing to the possibility of future episodes of continental glaciation (Talbot 1999). It is now widely recognized that Pleistocene continental glaciations have had a profound effect on rates of sediment erosion (Cuffey & Paterson 2010) and deformation including tectonic thrusting (Pedersen 2005) as well as groundwater flow (Person et al. 2007; Lemieux et al. 2008a,b,c). In addition, glacial mechanical loads may have generated anomalous, or fossil, pore pressures within certain clay-rich confining units (e.g. Vinard et al. 2001). Because high-level nuclear wastes must be isolated from the biosphere as long as 1 million years (McMurry et al. 2003), the likelihood of one or more continental ice sheets overrunning high-latitude sites must be considered.

The contribution of respiration in tree-stems to the Dole Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angert, A.; Muhr, J.; Negron Juarez, R.; Alegria Muñoz, W.; Kraemer, G.; Ramirez Santillan, J.; Chambers, J. Q.; Trumbore, S. E.

2012-01-01

Understanding the variability and the current value of the Dole Effect, which has been used to infer past changes in biospheric productivity, requires accurate information on the discrimination associated with respiratory oxygen consumption in each of the biosphere components. Respiration in tree stems is an important component of the land carbon cycle. Here we measured, for the first time, the discrimination associated with tree stem oxygen uptake. The measurements included tropical forest trees, which are major contributors to the global fluxes of carbon and oxygen. We found discrimination in the range of 12.6-21.5 ‰, indicating both diffusion limitation, resulting in O2 discrimination values below 20 ‰, and alternative oxidase respiration, which resulted in discrimination values greater than 20 ‰. Discrimination varied seasonally, between and within tree species. Calculations based on these results show that variability in woody plants discrimination can result in significant variations in the global Dole Effect.

The contribution of respiration in tree stems to the Dole Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angert, A.; Muhr, J.; Negron Juarez, R.; Alegria Muñoz, W.; Kraemer, G.; Ramirez Santillan, J.; Chambers, J. Q.; Trumbore, S. E.

2012-10-01

Understanding the variability and the current value of the Dole Effect, which has been used to infer past changes in biospheric productivity, requires accurate information on the isotopic discrimination associated with respiratory oxygen consumption in each of the biosphere components. Respiration in tree stems is an important component of the land carbon cycle. Here we measured, for the first time, the discrimination associated with tree stem oxygen uptake. The measurements included tropical forest trees, which are major contributors to the global fluxes of carbon and oxygen. We found discrimination in the range of 12.6-21.5‰, indicating both diffusion limitation, resulting in O2 discrimination values below 20‰, and alternative oxidase respiration, which resulted in discrimination values greater than 20‰. Discrimination varied seasonally, between and within tree species. Calculations based on these results show that variability in woody plants discrimination can result in significant variations in the global Dole Effect.

Seasonal Variation of Eutrophication in Some Lakes of Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

PubMed

Török, Liliana; Török, Zsolt; Carstea, Elfrida M; Savastru, Dan

2017-01-01

  To understand the trophic state of lakes, this study aims to determine the dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages and the main factors that influence their seasonal variation. Sampling campaigns were carried out in three lakes from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Spectral analysis of specific phytoplankton pigments was applied as a diagnostic marker to establish the distribution and composition of phytoplankton taxonomic groups. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to quantify changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM). The relative contribution of the main phytoplankton groups to the total phytoplankton biomass and the trend of development during succession of the seasons showed that cyanobacteria could raise potential ecological or human health problems. Moreover, fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that Cryptophyta and cyanobacteria were the main contributors to the protein-like components of DOM. It was concluded that fluorescence could be used to provide a qualitative evaluation of the eutrophication degree in Danube Delta lakes.

Where less may be more: how the rare biosphere pulls ecosystems strings.

PubMed

Jousset, Alexandre; Bienhold, Christina; Chatzinotas, Antonis; Gallien, Laure; Gobet, Angélique; Kurm, Viola; Küsel, Kirsten; Rillig, Matthias C; Rivett, Damian W; Salles, Joana F; van der Heijden, Marcel G A; Youssef, Noha H; Zhang, Xiaowei; Wei, Zhong; Hol, W H Gera

2017-04-01

Rare species are increasingly recognized as crucial, yet vulnerable components of Earth's ecosystems. This is also true for microbial communities, which are typically composed of a high number of relatively rare species. Recent studies have demonstrated that rare species can have an over-proportional role in biogeochemical cycles and may be a hidden driver of microbiome function. In this review, we provide an ecological overview of the rare microbial biosphere, including causes of rarity and the impacts of rare species on ecosystem functioning. We discuss how rare species can have a preponderant role for local biodiversity and species turnover with rarity potentially bound to phylogenetically conserved features. Rare microbes may therefore be overlooked keystone species regulating the functioning of host-associated, terrestrial and aquatic environments. We conclude this review with recommendations to guide scientists interested in investigating this rapidly emerging research area.

Elemental concentration and potential ecological risk assessment of reef associated surface sediments of Appa Island, Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Southeast coast of India.

PubMed

Saravanan, P; Krishnakumar, S; Silva, Judith D; Pradhap, D; Vidyasakar, A; Radhakrishnan, K; Godson, Prince S; Arumugam, K; Magesh, N S

2018-03-01

Thirty three surface sediments were collected for the present study to assess the elemental concentration and its associated ecological risk in the reef associated surface sediments, Appa Island, Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, South east coast of India. The distribution of calcium carbonate in the reef sediments is controlled by coral debris and shell fragments whereas the Organic matter (OM) content are chiefly derived from mangroves and sea grasses. The circulation of trace elements and Fe, Mn are controlled by the fluvial process and re-suspended sediments. The concentration of Pb was primarily controlled by migration of pollutants through long shore sediment transport process. The main source of Pb in the study area is from coal incinerating power plants and coal handling operations from harbors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Green synthesis and antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles using wild medicinal mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India.

PubMed

Mohanta, Yugal Kishore; Singdevsachan, Sameer Kumar; Parida, Umesh Kumar; Panda, Sujogya Kumar; Mohanta, Tapan Kumar; Bae, Hanhong

2016-08-01

In the present study, green synthesis and cost effective approach of silver nanoparticles using wild medicinal mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. from Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Odisha, India is reported. The biosynthesised AgNPs were characterised using UV-visible spectroscopy, particle analyser and scanning electron microscopy studies. It was found by dynamic light scattering analysis, that the average size and charges of the AgNPs were 133.0 ± 0.361 nm and -6.01 ± 5.30 mV, respectively. Moreover, the Fourier transform infrared study was also conducted to identify the biomolecules or functional groups responsible for the reduction of Ag and stabilisation of the AgNPs. The potential biomedical application with reference to antimicrobial activity of the synthesised AgNPs was investigated against some pathogenic microorganisms viz. Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella flexneri.

Trends and Future Challenges in Sampling the Deep Terrestrial Biosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilkins, Michael J.; Daly, Rebecca; Mouser, Paula J.

2014-09-12

Research in the deep terrestrial biosphere is driven by interest in novel biodiversity and metabolisms, biogeochemical cycling, and the impact of human activities on this ecosystem. As this interest continues to grow, it is important to ensure that when subsurface investigations are proposed, materials recovered from the subsurface are sampled and preserved in an appropriate manner to limit contamination and ensure preservation of accurate microbial, geochemical, and mineralogical signatures. On February 20th, 2014, a workshop on “Trends and Future Challenges in Sampling The Deep Subsurface” was coordinated in Columbus, Ohio by The Ohio State University and West Virginia University faculty,more » and sponsored by The Ohio State University and the Sloan Foundation’s Deep Carbon Observatory. The workshop aims were to identify and develop best practices for the collection, preservation, and analysis of terrestrial deep rock samples. This document summarizes the information shared during this workshop.« less

Soil bed reactor work of the Environmental Research Lab. of the University of Arizona in support of the research and development of Biosphere 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frye, Robert

1990-01-01

Research at the Environmental Research Lab in support of Biosphere 2 was both basic and applied in nature. One aspect of the applied research involved the use of biological reactors for the scrubbing of trace atmospheric organic contaminants. The research involved a quantitative study of the efficiency of operation of Soil Bed Reactors (SBR) and the optimal operating conditions for contaminant removal. The basic configuration of a SBR is that air is moved through a living soil that supports a population of plants. Upon exposure to the soil, contaminants are either passively adsorbed onto the surface of soil particles, chemically transformed in the soil to usable compounds that are taken up by the plants or microbes as a metabolic energy source and converted to CO2 and water.

Trends and future challenges in sampling the deep terrestrial biosphere.

PubMed

Wilkins, Michael J; Daly, Rebecca A; Mouser, Paula J; Trexler, Ryan; Sharma, Shihka; Cole, David R; Wrighton, Kelly C; Biddle, Jennifer F; Denis, Elizabeth H; Fredrickson, Jim K; Kieft, Thomas L; Onstott, Tullis C; Peterson, Lee; Pfiffner, Susan M; Phelps, Tommy J; Schrenk, Matthew O

2014-01-01

Research in the deep terrestrial biosphere is driven by interest in novel biodiversity and metabolisms, biogeochemical cycling, and the impact of human activities on this ecosystem. As this interest continues to grow, it is important to ensure that when subsurface investigations are proposed, materials recovered from the subsurface are sampled and preserved in an appropriate manner to limit contamination and ensure preservation of accurate microbial, geochemical, and mineralogical signatures. On February 20th, 2014, a workshop on "Trends and Future Challenges in Sampling The Deep Subsurface" was coordinated in Columbus, Ohio by The Ohio State University and West Virginia University faculty, and sponsored by The Ohio State University and the Sloan Foundation's Deep Carbon Observatory. The workshop aims were to identify and develop best practices for the collection, preservation, and analysis of terrestrial deep rock samples. This document summarizes the information shared during this workshop.

Carboxydotrophy potential of uncultivated Hydrothermarchaeota from the oceanic crust deep biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, S. A.; Jungbluth, S.; Rappe, M. S.; Orcutt, B.

2017-12-01

The marine sedimentary and crustal subsurface biospheres harbor many uncultured microorganisms, including those belonging to Hydrothermarchaeota, formerly known as Marine Benthic Group E. SSU rRNA sequences of Hydrothermarchaeota have been identified in marine sediments across the globe, often in low abundance. Recently, crustal fluids from two subseafloor borehole observatories located on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge (i.e., CORKs at IODP Holes U1362A and U1362B), were collected for single-cell and metagenomic analyses. Both techniques revealed Hydrothermarchaeota to be prevalent in this system. Collectively, single-cell amplified genomes (SAGs) and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) depict Hydrothermarchaeota as opportunists, potentially capable of dissimilative and assimilative carboxydotrophy, sulfate reduction, thiosulfate reduction, nitrate reduction, chemotaxis, and motility. We propose that this diverse suit of metabolic potential may be advantageous for the hydrologically and geochemically dynamic subsurface crustal aquifer, an environment thought to be energy and nutrient limited.

Geochemistry of selenium.

PubMed

Kabata-Pendias, A

1998-01-01

Selenium (Se) is one of the most peculiar chemical elements in the geo- and biospheres. It partly resembles sulfur and tellurium; however, its behavior in the geosphere and its functions in the biosphere are very specific. Despite a relatively large database, its cycling in both the natural environment and in that modified by human activities requires further study. Selenium is rather concentrated in the geospheric cycle and is also bioconcentrated. The values of its accumulation ratios are: 5 for soil/sandstone, 2 for animal tissues/sandstone, and 5 for animal tissues/grain. For a specific plant/soil system, the bioconcentration factor for plants always has to be estimated because some plants can absorb extremely high concentrations of Se. Their ability to accumulate and tolerate high Se levels is related to different Se metabolisms. These plants play a significant role in geochemical prospecting and animal nutrition. This paper presents some geochemical observations toward a better understanding of the environmental properties of Se.

The value of small habitat islands for the conservation of genetic variability in a steppe grass species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wódkiewicz, Maciej; Dembicz, Iwona; Moysiyenko, Ivan I.

2016-10-01

The habitat loss and fragmentation due to agricultural land-conversion affected the steppe throughout its range. In Ukraine, 95% of steppe was destroyed in the last two centuries. Remaining populations are confined to few refuges, like nature reserves, loess ravines, and kurgans (small burial mounds), the latter being often subject to destruction by archeological excavations. Stipa capillata L. is a typical grass species of Eurasian steppes and extrazonal dry grasslands, that was previously used as a model species in studies on steppe ecology. The aim of our research was to assess genetic diversity of S. capillata populations within different types of steppe refuges (loess ravines, biosphere reserve, kurgan) and to evaluate the value of the latter group for the preservation of genetic diversity in the study species. We assessed genetic diversity of 266 individuals from 15 populations (nine from kurgans, three from loess ravines and three from Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve) with eight Universal Rice Primers (URPs). Studied populations showed high intra-population variability (I: 0.262-0.419, PPB: 52.08-82.64%). Populations from kurgans showed higher genetic differentiation (ΦST = 0.247) than those from loess ravines (ΦST = 0.120) and the biosphere reserve (ΦST = 0.142). Although the diversity metrics were to a small extent lower for populations from kurgans than from larger refugia we conclude that all studied populations of the species still preserve high genetic variability and are valuable for protection. To what extent this pattern holds true under continuous fragmentation in the future must be carefully monitored.

FORest canopy atmosphere transfer (FORCAsT) 1.0: a 1-D model of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, K.; Chung, S. H.; Griffin, R. J.; Chen, J.; Forkel, R.; Bryan, A. M.; Steiner, A. L.

2015-07-01

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in governing atmospheric composition, mediating the concentration of key species such as ozone and aerosol, thereby influencing air quality and climate. The exchange of reactive trace gases and their oxidation products (both gas and particle phase) is of particular importance in this process. The FORCAsT (FORest Canopy AtmoSphere Transfer) one-dimensional model is developed to study the emission, deposition, chemistry and transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation products in the atmosphere within and above the forest canopy. We include an equilibrium partitioning scheme, making FORCAsT one of the few canopy models currently capable of simulating the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from VOC oxidation in a forest environment. We evaluate the capability of FORCAsT to reproduce observed concentrations of key gas-phase species and report modeled SOA concentrations within and above a mixed forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) during the Community Atmosphere-Biosphere Interactions Experiment (CABINEX) field campaign in summer 2009. We examine the impact of two different gas-phase chemical mechanisms on modelled concentrations of short-lived primary emissions, such as isoprene and monoterpenes, and their oxidation products. While the two chemistry schemes perform similarly under high-NOx conditions, they diverge at the low levels of NOx at UMBS. We identify peroxy radical and alkyl nitrate chemistry as the key causes of the differences, highlighting the importance of this chemistry in understanding the fate of biogenic VOCs (bVOCs) for both the modelling and measurement communities.

FORest Canopy Atmosphere Transfer (FORCAsT) 1.0: a 1-D model of biosphere-atmosphere chemical exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, K.; Chung, S. H.; Griffin, R. J.; Chen, J.; Forkel, R.; Bryan, A. M.; Steiner, A. L.

2015-11-01

Biosphere-atmosphere interactions play a critical role in governing atmospheric composition, mediating the concentrations of key species such as ozone and aerosol, thereby influencing air quality and climate. The exchange of reactive trace gases and their oxidation products (both gas and particle phase) is of particular importance in this process. The FORCAsT (FORest Canopy Atmosphere Transfer) 1-D model is developed to study the emission, deposition, chemistry and transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their oxidation products in the atmosphere within and above the forest canopy. We include an equilibrium partitioning scheme, making FORCAsT one of the few canopy models currently capable of simulating the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) from VOC oxidation in a forest environment. We evaluate the capability of FORCAsT to reproduce observed concentrations of key gas-phase species and report modeled SOA concentrations within and above a mixed forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) during the Community Atmosphere-Biosphere Interactions Experiment (CABINEX) field campaign in the summer of 2009. We examine the impact of two different gas-phase chemical mechanisms on modelled concentrations of short-lived primary emissions, such as isoprene and monoterpenes, and their oxidation products. While the two chemistry schemes perform similarly under high-NOx conditions, they diverge at the low levels of NOx at UMBS. We identify peroxy radical and alkyl nitrate chemistry as the key causes of the differences, highlighting the importance of this chemistry in understanding the fate of biogenic VOCs (bVOCs) for both the modelling and measurement communities.

Simulating estimation of California fossil fuel and biosphere carbon dioxide exchanges combining in situ tower and satellite column observations

DOE PAGES

Fischer, Marc L.; Parazoo, Nicholas; Brophy, Kieran; ...

2017-03-09

Here, we report simulation experiments estimating the uncertainties in California regional fossil fuel and biosphere CO 2 exchanges that might be obtained by using an atmospheric inverse modeling system driven by the combination of ground-based observations of radiocarbon and total CO 2, together with column-mean CO 2 observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2). The work includes an initial examination of statistical uncertainties in prior models for CO 2 exchange, in radiocarbon-based fossil fuel CO 2 measurements, in OCO-2 measurements, and in a regional atmospheric transport modeling system. Using these nominal assumptions for measurement and model uncertainties, we find thatmore » flask measurements of radiocarbon and total CO 2 at 10 towers can be used to distinguish between different fossil fuel emission data products for major urban regions of California. We then show that the combination of flask and OCO-2 observations yields posterior uncertainties in monthly-mean fossil fuel emissions of ~5–10%, levels likely useful for policy relevant evaluation of bottom-up fossil fuel emission estimates. Similarly, we find that inversions yield uncertainties in monthly biosphere CO 2 exchange of ~6%–12%, depending on season, providing useful information on net carbon uptake in California's forests and agricultural lands. Finally, initial sensitivity analysis suggests that obtaining the above results requires control of systematic biases below approximately 0.5 ppm, placing requirements on accuracy of the atmospheric measurements, background subtraction, and atmospheric transport modeling.« less

Multi-model analysis of terrestrial carbon cycles in Japan: limitations and implications of model calibration using eddy flux observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichii, K.; Suzuki, T.; Kato, T.; Ito, A.; Hajima, T.; Ueyama, M.; Sasai, T.; Hirata, R.; Saigusa, N.; Ohtani, Y.; Takagi, K.

2010-07-01

Terrestrial biosphere models show large differences when simulating carbon and water cycles, and reducing these differences is a priority for developing more accurate estimates of the condition of terrestrial ecosystems and future climate change. To reduce uncertainties and improve the understanding of their carbon budgets, we investigated the utility of the eddy flux datasets to improve model simulations and reduce variabilities among multi-model outputs of terrestrial biosphere models in Japan. Using 9 terrestrial biosphere models (Support Vector Machine - based regressions, TOPS, CASA, VISIT, Biome-BGC, DAYCENT, SEIB, LPJ, and TRIFFID), we conducted two simulations: (1) point simulations at four eddy flux sites in Japan and (2) spatial simulations for Japan with a default model (based on original settings) and a modified model (based on model parameter tuning using eddy flux data). Generally, models using default model settings showed large deviations in model outputs from observation with large model-by-model variability. However, after we calibrated the model parameters using eddy flux data (GPP, RE and NEP), most models successfully simulated seasonal variations in the carbon cycle, with less variability among models. We also found that interannual variations in the carbon cycle are mostly consistent among models and observations. Spatial analysis also showed a large reduction in the variability among model outputs. This study demonstrated that careful validation and calibration of models with available eddy flux data reduced model-by-model differences. Yet, site history, analysis of model structure changes, and more objective procedure of model calibration should be included in the further analysis.

Human domination of the biosphere: Rapid discharge of the earth-space battery foretells the future of humankind

PubMed Central

Schramski, John R.; Gattie, David K.; Brown, James H.

2015-01-01

Earth is a chemical battery where, over evolutionary time with a trickle-charge of photosynthesis using solar energy, billions of tons of living biomass were stored in forests and other ecosystems and in vast reserves of fossil fuels. In just the last few hundred years, humans extracted exploitable energy from these living and fossilized biomass fuels to build the modern industrial-technological-informational economy, to grow our population to more than 7 billion, and to transform the biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity of the earth. This rapid discharge of the earth’s store of organic energy fuels the human domination of the biosphere, including conversion of natural habitats to agricultural fields and the resulting loss of native species, emission of carbon dioxide and the resulting climate and sea level change, and use of supplemental nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar energy sources. The laws of thermodynamics governing the trickle-charge and rapid discharge of the earth’s battery are universal and absolute; the earth is only temporarily poised a quantifiable distance from the thermodynamic equilibrium of outer space. Although this distance from equilibrium is comprised of all energy types, most critical for humans is the store of living biomass. With the rapid depletion of this chemical energy, the earth is shifting back toward the inhospitable equilibrium of outer space with fundamental ramifications for the biosphere and humanity. Because there is no substitute or replacement energy for living biomass, the remaining distance from equilibrium that will be required to support human life is unknown. PMID:26178196

Greenhouse gas network design using backward Lagrangian particle dispersion modelling - Part 1: Methodology and Australian test case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziehn, T.; Nickless, A.; Rayner, P. J.; Law, R. M.; Roff, G.; Fraser, P.

2014-09-01

This paper describes the generation of optimal atmospheric measurement networks for determining carbon dioxide fluxes over Australia using inverse methods. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model is used in reverse mode together with a Bayesian inverse modelling framework to calculate the relationship between weekly surface fluxes, comprising contributions from the biosphere and fossil fuel combustion, and hourly concentration observations for the Australian continent. Meteorological driving fields are provided by the regional version of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) at 12 km resolution at an hourly timescale. Prior uncertainties are derived on a weekly timescale for biosphere fluxes and fossil fuel emissions from high-resolution model runs using the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) model and the Fossil Fuel Data Assimilation System (FFDAS) respectively. The influence from outside the modelled domain is investigated, but proves to be negligible for the network design. Existing ground-based measurement stations in Australia are assessed in terms of their ability to constrain local flux estimates from the land. We find that the six stations that are currently operational are already able to reduce the uncertainties on surface flux estimates by about 30%. A candidate list of 59 stations is generated based on logistic constraints and an incremental optimisation scheme is used to extend the network of existing stations. In order to achieve an uncertainty reduction of about 50%, we need to double the number of measurement stations in Australia. Assuming equal data uncertainties for all sites, new stations would be mainly located in the northern and eastern part of the continent.

Preindustrial nitrous oxide emissions from the land biosphere estimated by using a global biogeochemistry model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Rongting; Tian, Hanqin; Lu, Chaoqun; Pan, Shufen; Chen, Jian; Yang, Jia; Zhang, Bowen

2017-07-01

To accurately assess how increased global nitrous oxide (N2O) emission has affected the climate system requires a robust estimation of the preindustrial N2O emissions since only the difference between current and preindustrial emissions represents net drivers of anthropogenic climate change. However, large uncertainty exists in previous estimates of preindustrial N2O emissions from the land biosphere, while preindustrial N2O emissions on the finer scales, such as regional, biome, or sector scales, have not been well quantified yet. In this study, we applied a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM) to estimate the magnitude and spatial patterns of preindustrial N2O fluxes at the biome, continental, and global level as driven by multiple environmental factors. Uncertainties associated with key parameters were also evaluated. Our study indicates that the mean of the preindustrial N2O emission was approximately 6.20 Tg N yr-1, with an uncertainty range of 4.76 to 8.13 Tg N yr-1. The estimated N2O emission varied significantly at spatial and biome levels. South America, Africa, and Southern Asia accounted for 34.12, 23.85, and 18.93 %, respectively, together contributing 76.90 % of global total emission. The tropics were identified as the major source of N2O released into the atmosphere, accounting for 64.66 % of the total emission. Our multi-scale estimates provide a robust reference for assessing the climate forcing of anthropogenic N2O emission from the land biosphere

The deep, hot biosphere: Twenty-five years of retrospection

PubMed Central

Colman, Daniel R.; Poudel, Saroj; Stamps, Blake W.; Boyd, Eric S.; Spear, John R.

2017-01-01

Twenty-five years ago this month, Thomas Gold published a seminal manuscript suggesting the presence of a “deep, hot biosphere” in the Earth’s crust. Since this publication, a considerable amount of attention has been given to the study of deep biospheres, their role in geochemical cycles, and their potential to inform on the origin of life and its potential outside of Earth. Overwhelming evidence now supports the presence of a deep biosphere ubiquitously distributed on Earth in both terrestrial and marine settings. Furthermore, it has become apparent that much of this life is dependent on lithogenically sourced high-energy compounds to sustain productivity. A vast diversity of uncultivated microorganisms has been detected in subsurface environments, and we show that H2, CH4, and CO feature prominently in many of their predicted metabolisms. Despite 25 years of intense study, key questions remain on life in the deep subsurface, including whether it is endemic and the extent of its involvement in the anaerobic formation and degradation of hydrocarbons. Emergent data from cultivation and next-generation sequencing approaches continue to provide promising new hints to answer these questions. As Gold suggested, and as has become increasingly evident, to better understand the subsurface is critical to further understanding the Earth, life, the evolution of life, and the potential for life elsewhere. To this end, we suggest the need to develop a robust network of interdisciplinary scientists and accessible field sites for long-term monitoring of the Earth’s subsurface in the form of a deep subsurface microbiome initiative. PMID:28674200

Microbes, Mineral Evolution, and the Rise of Microcontinents-Origin and Coevolution of Life with Early Earth.

PubMed

Grosch, Eugene G; Hazen, Robert M

2015-10-01

Earth is the most mineralogically diverse planet in our solar system, the direct consequence of a coevolving geosphere and biosphere. We consider the possibility that a microbial biosphere originated and thrived in the early Hadean-Archean Earth subseafloor environment, with fundamental consequences for the complex evolution and habitability of our planet. In this hypothesis paper, we explore possible venues for the origin of life and the direct consequences of microbially mediated, low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of the early oceanic lithosphere. We hypothesize that subsurface fluid-rock-microbe interactions resulted in more efficient hydration of the early oceanic crust, which in turn promoted bulk melting to produce the first evolved fragments of felsic crust. These evolved magmas most likely included sialic or tonalitic sheets, felsic volcaniclastics, and minor rhyolitic intrusions emplaced in an Iceland-type extensional setting as the earliest microcontinents. With the further development of proto-tectonic processes, these buoyant felsic crustal fragments formed the nucleus of intra-oceanic tonalite-trondhjemite-granitoid (TTG) island arcs. Thus microbes, by facilitating extensive hydrothermal alteration of the earliest oceanic crust through bioalteration, promoted mineral diversification and may have been early architects of surface environments and microcontinents on young Earth. We explore how the possible onset of subseafloor fluid-rock-microbe interactions on early Earth accelerated metavolcanic clay mineral formation, crustal melting, and subsequent metamorphic mineral evolution. We also consider environmental factors supporting this earliest step in geosphere-biosphere coevolution and the implications for habitability and mineral evolution on other rocky planets, such as Mars.

Gaian bottlenecks and planetary habitability maintained by evolving model biospheres: the ExoGaia model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicholson, Arwen E.; Wilkinson, David M.; Williams, Hywel T. P.; Lenton, Timothy M.

2018-06-01

The search for habitable exoplanets inspires the question - how do habitable planets form? Planet habitability models traditionally focus on abiotic processes and neglect a biotic response to changing conditions on an inhabited planet. The Gaia hypothesis postulates that life influences the Earth's feedback mechanisms to form a self-regulating system, and hence that life can maintain habitable conditions on its host planet. If life has a strong influence, it will have a role in determining a planet's habitability over time. We present the ExoGaia model - a model of simple `planets' host to evolving microbial biospheres. Microbes interact with their host planet via consumption and excretion of atmospheric chemicals. Model planets orbit a `star' that provides incoming radiation, and atmospheric chemicals have either an albedo or a heat-trapping property. Planetary temperatures can therefore be altered by microbes via their metabolisms. We seed multiple model planets with life while their atmospheres are still forming and find that the microbial biospheres are, under suitable conditions, generally able to prevent the host planets from reaching inhospitable temperatures, as would happen on a lifeless planet. We find that the underlying geochemistry plays a strong role in determining long-term habitability prospects of a planet. We find five distinct classes of model planets, including clear examples of `Gaian bottlenecks' - a phenomenon whereby life either rapidly goes extinct leaving an inhospitable planet or survives indefinitely maintaining planetary habitability. These results suggest that life might play a crucial role in determining the long-term habitability of planets.

Life in the Aftermath of Mass Extinctions.

PubMed

Hull, Pincelli

2015-10-05

The vast majority of species that have ever lived went extinct sometime other than during one of the great mass extinction events. In spite of this, mass extinctions are thought to have outsized effects on the evolutionary history of life. While part of this effect is certainly due to the extinction itself, I here consider how the aftermaths of mass extinctions might contribute to the evolutionary importance of such events. Following the mass loss of taxa from the fossil record are prolonged intervals of ecological upheaval that create a selective regime unique to those times. The pacing and duration of ecosystem change during extinction aftermaths suggests strong ties between the biosphere and geosphere, and a previously undescribed macroevolutionary driver - earth system succession. Earth system succession occurs when global environmental or biotic change, as occurs across extinction boundaries, pushes the biosphere and geosphere out of equilibrium. As species and ecosystems re-evolve in the aftermath, they change global biogeochemical cycles - and in turn, species and ecosystems - over timescales typical of the geosphere, often many thousands to millions of years. Earth system succession provides a general explanation for the pattern and timing of ecological and evolutionary change in the fossil record. Importantly, it also suggests that a speed limit might exist for the pace of global biotic change after massive disturbance - a limit set by geosphere-biosphere interactions. For mass extinctions, earth system succession may drive the ever-changing ecological stage on which species evolve, restructuring ecosystems and setting long-term evolutionary trajectories as they do. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clays and Carbonates in a Groundwater-Fed 3.8 Ga Martian Lake: Insights to Subsurface Habitability on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalski, Joseph; Niles, Paul

2015-01-01

On Earth, the deep biosphere remains a largely unexplored, but clearly important carbon reservoir. Results from some uplifted central peaks in craters on Mars indicate that substantial carbon was also present at depth and might have helped sustain a deep biosphere. In fact, many factors relevant to deep biosphere habitability are more favorable on Mars than on Earth (e.g. porosity of the crust, geothermal gradient). Future exploration of Mars should include landing sites where materials have been exhumed from depth by meteor impact or basins where subsurface fluids have emerged, carrying clues to subsurface habitability. One of the most astrobiologically interesting sites on Mars McLaughlin Crater, a 93 km-diameter impact crater that formed approximately 4 b.y. ago. On the floor of the crater is a stratigraphic section of subhorizontal, layered sedimentary rocks with strong spectroscopic evidence for Fe-rich clay minerals and Mg-rich carbonates, which we interpret as ancient lacustrine deposits. The fluids that formed these materials likely originated in the subsurface, based on the paucity of channels leading into the crater basin and the fact that this is one of the deepest basins on Mars - a good candidate to have experienced upwelling of subsurface fluids. Therefore, the deposits within McLaughlin crater provide insight into subsurface processes on Mars. In this presentation, we will discuss the habitability of the martian subsurface as well as the geology of McLaughlin Crater and the possibility to detect biomarkers at that site with a future landed mission.

Human domination of the biosphere: Rapid discharge of the earth-space battery foretells the future of humankind.

PubMed

Schramski, John R; Gattie, David K; Brown, James H

2015-08-04

Earth is a chemical battery where, over evolutionary time with a trickle-charge of photosynthesis using solar energy, billions of tons of living biomass were stored in forests and other ecosystems and in vast reserves of fossil fuels. In just the last few hundred years, humans extracted exploitable energy from these living and fossilized biomass fuels to build the modern industrial-technological-informational economy, to grow our population to more than 7 billion, and to transform the biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity of the earth. This rapid discharge of the earth's store of organic energy fuels the human domination of the biosphere, including conversion of natural habitats to agricultural fields and the resulting loss of native species, emission of carbon dioxide and the resulting climate and sea level change, and use of supplemental nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar energy sources. The laws of thermodynamics governing the trickle-charge and rapid discharge of the earth's battery are universal and absolute; the earth is only temporarily poised a quantifiable distance from the thermodynamic equilibrium of outer space. Although this distance from equilibrium is comprised of all energy types, most critical for humans is the store of living biomass. With the rapid depletion of this chemical energy, the earth is shifting back toward the inhospitable equilibrium of outer space with fundamental ramifications for the biosphere and humanity. Because there is no substitute or replacement energy for living biomass, the remaining distance from equilibrium that will be required to support human life is unknown.

The Earth's Biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

In the last five years, scientists have been able to monitor our changing planet in ways never before possible. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS), aboard the OrbView-2 satellite, has given researchers an unprecedented view of the biological engine that drives life on Earth-the countless forms of plants that cover the land and fill the oceans. 'There is no question the Earth is changing. SeaWiFS has enabled us, for the first time, to monitor the biological consequences of that change-to see how the things we do, as well as natural variability, affect the Earth's ability to support life,' said Gene Carl Feldman, SeaWiFS project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. SeaWiFS data, based on continuous daily global observations, have helped scientists make a more accurate assessment of the oceans' role in the global carbon cycle. The data provide a key parameter in a number of ecological and environmental studies as well as global climate-change modeling. The images of the Earth's changing land, ocean and atmosphere from SeaWiFS have documented many previously unrecognized phenomena. The image above shows the global biosphere from June 2002 measured by SeaWiFS. Data in the oceans is chlorophyll concentration, a measure of the amount of phytoplankton (microscopic plants) living in the ocean. On land SeaWiFS measures Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, an indication of the density of plant growth. For more information and images, read: SeaWiFS Sensor Marks Five Years Documenting Earth'S Dynamic Biosphere Image courtesy SeaWiFS project and copyright Orbimage.

Comparative assessment of public opinion on the landscape quality of two biosphere reserves in Europe.

PubMed

Sowińska-Świerkosz, Barbara; Chmielewski, Tadeusz J

2014-09-01

The European Landscape Convention (2000) obligates European Union countries to identify and implement landscape quality objectives (LQOs) understood as the specification of public expectations and preferences concerning the landscape of a given area, expressed by competent public authorities. The convention emphasizes the important role of local community representatives in this field. In Poland, the implementation of the LQO concept was first undertaken in two regions with radically different landscape characteristics: (1) the West Polesie Biosphere Reserve and (2) the selected protected areas of the Roztocze-Solska Forest, nominated to the rank of a biosphere reserve. The first stage of the presented study was the recognition of public opinion on the quality of key features of landscape, based on a questionnaire (n = 470). The primary objective of the study was to provide an answer to the following questions: (1) Whether similar social expectations regarding landscape quality exist in spite of radically different landscape characteristics of the regions investigated (landscape quality is understood as spatial arrangement, scenic beauty, and lack of environmental pollution); (2) which landscape features are considered to be most preservation worthy by the representatives of both local communities; and (3) What processes or development impacts pose the greatest threat to the landscape quality of both regions according to the public opinion? The conducted comparative assessment revealed that it is possible to define a set of features fundamental to the quality of both areas and that representatives of local communities pointed out the same threats to the natural and cultural values of both regions investigated.

The importance of a Biosphere Reserve of Atlantic Forest for the conservation of stream fauna.

PubMed

Yoshida, C E; Uieda, V S

2014-05-01

Preservation of terrestrial fauna and flora has been the main reason for the settlement of most protected areas in the past 30 years, but although those areas may include water bodies, this does not necessarily mean that the biodiversity of freshwater environments are also protected. In the present study, the fauna inventory of eight streams (1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th orders) of three microbasins of Japi Mountain, a Biosphere Reserve of Atlantic Forest recognised by UNESCO since 1994, located in São Paulo state, southeast of Brazil, was conducted. The hypothesis of this study is that the conservation of this area is important for the maintenance of the aquatic biodiversity of this biome, and so, this world hotspot deserves priority conservation actions. From 2005 to 2007, benthic macroinvertebrates, fishes and, eventually, anuran amphibians were sampled in these streams. The results showed that Japi Mountain contributes to the conservation of 138 taxonomic units of the aquatic biota and covers a rich and representative biodiversity of freshwater fauna of the world (0.2%), Neotropical region (0.9%), Brazil (2.4%) and São Paulo state (17.9%). The studied streams in the Environmental Protection Area help protect endangered taxa like the fishes Neoplecostomus paranensis and Pareiorhina cf rudolphi, and shelter freshwater invertebrates and fishes whose distribution is restricted to the Brazilian territory. Japi Mountain is also an important haven of species that was missing there like the frog species Vitreorana eurygnatha. Thus, this species inventory emphasises the importance of conservation actions of the freshwater environments of this Biosphere Reserve of Atlantic Forest.

Simulating estimation of California fossil fuel and biosphere carbon dioxide exchanges combining in situ tower and satellite column observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, Marc L.; Parazoo, Nicholas; Brophy, Kieran

Here, we report simulation experiments estimating the uncertainties in California regional fossil fuel and biosphere CO 2 exchanges that might be obtained by using an atmospheric inverse modeling system driven by the combination of ground-based observations of radiocarbon and total CO 2, together with column-mean CO 2 observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2). The work includes an initial examination of statistical uncertainties in prior models for CO 2 exchange, in radiocarbon-based fossil fuel CO 2 measurements, in OCO-2 measurements, and in a regional atmospheric transport modeling system. Using these nominal assumptions for measurement and model uncertainties, we find thatmore » flask measurements of radiocarbon and total CO 2 at 10 towers can be used to distinguish between different fossil fuel emission data products for major urban regions of California. We then show that the combination of flask and OCO-2 observations yields posterior uncertainties in monthly-mean fossil fuel emissions of ~5–10%, levels likely useful for policy relevant evaluation of bottom-up fossil fuel emission estimates. Similarly, we find that inversions yield uncertainties in monthly biosphere CO 2 exchange of ~6%–12%, depending on season, providing useful information on net carbon uptake in California's forests and agricultural lands. Finally, initial sensitivity analysis suggests that obtaining the above results requires control of systematic biases below approximately 0.5 ppm, placing requirements on accuracy of the atmospheric measurements, background subtraction, and atmospheric transport modeling.« less

Carbon and Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation in Lipid Biosynthesis of Piezophilic Bacteria - Implications for Studying Microbial Metabolism and Carbon Cycle in Deep Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, J.; Dasgupta, S.; Zhang, L.; Li, J.; Kato, C.; Bartlett, D.

2012-12-01

Piezophiles are pressure-loving microorganisms, which reproduce preferentially or exclusively at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure. In this study, we examined stable carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation in fatty acid biosynthesis of a piezophilic bacterium Moritella japonica DSK1. The bacterium was grown to stationary phase at hydrstatic pressures of 0.1, 10, 20, and 50 MPa (mega-passcal) in media prepared using sterilized natural seawater supplied with glucose as the sole carbon source. Bacterial cell biomass and individual fatty acids exhibited consistent pressure-dependent carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionations relative to substrates. Average carbon isotope fractionation (delta(FA-glucose)) at high pressures was much higher than that for surface bacteria: -15.7, -15.3, and -18.3‰ at 10, 20, and 50 MPa, respectively. For deltaD, fatty acids are more depleted in D relative to glucose than to water. Monounsaturated fatty acids are more depleted in D than corresponding saturated fatty acids by as much as 36‰. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are most depleted in D. For example, DHA (22:6omega3) has the most negative hydrogen isotope ratio (-170.91‰) (delta(FA-glucose) = -199, delta(FA-water) = -176). The observed isotope effects can be ascribed to the kinetics of enzymatic reactions that are affected by hydrostatic pressure and to operating of two independent lipid biosynthetic pathways of the piezophilic bacteria. Given that most of the biosphere lives under high pressures, our results have important important implications for studying microbial metabolism and carbon cycle in the deep biosphere.

Low to middle tropospheric profiles and biosphere/troposphere fluxes of acidic gases in the summertime Canadian taiga

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klemm, O.; Talbot, R. W.; Fitzgerald, D. R.; Klemm, K. I.; Lefer, B. L.

1994-01-01

We report features of acidic gases in the troposphere from 9 to 5000 m altitude above ground over the Canadian taiga in the summer of 1990. The measurements were conducted at a 30-m meteorological tower and from the NASA Wallops Electra aircraft as part of the joint U.S.-Canadian Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE) 3B Northern Wetland Studies (NOWES). We sampled air for acidic gases using the mist chamber collector coupled with subsequent analysis using ion chromatography. At the tower we collected samples at two heights during a 13-day period, including diurnal studies. Using eddy flux and profile data, we estimated the biosphere/troposphere fluxes of nitric, formic, and acetic acids and sulfur dioxide. For the organic acids, emissions from the taiga in the afternoon hours and deposition during the predawn morning hours were observed. The flux intensities alone were however not high enough to explain the observed changes in mixing ratios. The measured deposition fluxes of nitric acid were high enough to have a significant influence on its mixing ratio in the boundary layer. On three days we measured vertical profiles of nitric, formic, and acetic acids through the lower to midtroposphere. We found that the chemical composition of the troposphere was extremely heterogenous. Pronounced layers of polluted air were readily apparent from our measurements. Local photochemical production and episodic long-range transport of trace components, originating from biomass burning and possibly industrial emissions, appear to have a strong influence on the composition of the troposphere and biosphere/troposphere fluxes of acidic gases at this site.

Biosphere 2, a nexus of partner networks that improve student experiences and outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dontsova, K.; Bonine, K. E.; Batchelor, R. L.; Brinkworth, C.; Keller, J. M.; Hogan, D.; Treloar, D.

2017-12-01

University of Arizona (UA) Biosphere 2 co-convenes several internship opportunities for undergraduate students, including 1) NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: "Biosphere 2 Earth Systems Research for Environmental Solutions", 2) NSF-funded INCLUDES program "Collaborative Research: Integrating Indigenous and Western Knowledge to Transform Learning and Discovery in the Geosciences" executed in collaboration with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and 3) STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Fellows Program in partnership with California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. In addition, the B2 REU Site partners with several UA organizations linking research to stakeholders, such as UA Cooperative Extension, Institute of the Environment, and the Water Resources Research Center, and with the UA Graduate College's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC), which connects a diverse portfolio of summer research programs across the UA campus. Connections among these programs and organizations allow us to improve student experiences and outcomes by leveraging organizational, mentor, and peer diversity and expertise. Each partnership brings unique benefits for the students - from access to teaching experience and perspectives that STAR Fellows provide, to a multitude of professional development programs made possible by pooled resources of UROC participants, to access to networks and knowledge from our outreach partners, to opportunities for continued multi-year learning and support with INCLUDES and UCAR. Coming together allows all partners to better apply outside resources, expertise, and knowledge to bring more value to the students and to help students enrich themselves as well as partner organizations and program participants.

Atmospheric Seasonality as an Exoplanet Biosignature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Stephanie L.; Schwieterman, Edward W.; Reinhard, Christopher T.; Ridgwell, Andy; Kane, Stephen R.; Meadows, Victoria S.; Lyons, Timothy W.

2018-05-01

Current investigations of exoplanet biosignatures have focused on static evidence of life, such as the presence of biogenic gases like O2 or CH4. However, the expected diversity of terrestrial planet atmospheres and the likelihood of both “false positives” and “false negatives” for conventional biosignatures motivate exploration of additional life detection strategies, including time-varying signals. Seasonal variation in atmospheric composition is a biologically modulated phenomenon on Earth that may occur elsewhere because it arises naturally from the interplay between the biosphere and time-variable insolation. The search for seasonality as a biosignature would avoid many assumptions about specific metabolisms and provide an opportunity to directly quantify biological fluxes—allowing us to characterize, rather than simply recognize, biospheres on exoplanets. Despite this potential, there have been no comprehensive studies of seasonality as an exoplanet biosignature. Here, we provide a foundation for further studies by reviewing both biological and abiological controls on the magnitude and detectability of seasonality of atmospheric CO2, CH4, O2, and O3 on Earth. We also consider an example of an inhabited world for which atmospheric seasonality may be the most notable expression of its biosphere. We show that life on a low O2 planet like the weakly oxygenated mid-Proterozoic Earth could be fingerprinted by seasonal variation in O3 as revealed in its UV Hartley–Huggins bands. This example highlights the need for UV capabilities in future direct-imaging telescope missions (e.g., LUVOIR/HabEx) and illustrates the diagnostic importance of studying temporal biosignatures for exoplanet life detection/characterization.

Fifty-year spatiotemporal analysis of landscape changes in the Mont Saint-Hilaire UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Quebec, Canada).

PubMed

Béliveau, Marc; Germain, Daniel; Ianăş, Ana-Neli

2017-05-01

Diachronic analysis with a GIS-based classification of land-use changes based on aerial photographs, orthophotos, topographic maps, geotechnical reports, urban plans, and using landscape metrics has permitted insight into the driving forces responsible for landscape fragmentation in the Mont Saint-Hilaire (MSH) Biosphere Reserve over the period 1958-2015. Although the occurrence of exogenous factors, such as extreme weather and fires, can have a significant influence on the fragmentation of the territory in time and space, the accelerated development of the built environment (+470%) is nevertheless found to be primarily responsible for landscape fragmentation and the loss of areas formerly occupied by orchards, agriculture, and woodlands. The landscape metrics used corroborate these results, with a simplification of the shape of polygons, and once again reveal the difficulties of harmonizing different land uses. MSH has become somewhat of a forest island in a sea of residential development and agriculture. To counter this isolation of fragmented habitat components, forest corridors have been proposed and developed for the Biosphere Reserve and particularly for the core area. Two corridors, to the north and south, are used to connect the protected area and other wooded areas at the regional scale, in order to promote genetic exchange between populations of various species. In that regard, the forest buffer zone around the hill continues to play a key role and has great ecological value for species and ecological preservation and conservation. However, appropriate management and landscape preservation actions should recognize and focus on landscape composition and the associated geographical configuration.

Potential for hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic populations to initiate biofilm formation in oligotrophic, deep terrestrial subsurface waters.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaofen; Pedersen, Karsten; Edlund, Johanna; Eriksson, Lena; Åström, Mats; Andersson, Anders F; Bertilsson, Stefan; Dopson, Mark

2017-03-23

Deep terrestrial biosphere waters are separated from the light-driven surface by the time required to percolate to the subsurface. Despite biofilms being the dominant form of microbial life in many natural environments, they have received little attention in the oligotrophic and anaerobic waters found in deep bedrock fractures. This study is the first to use community DNA sequencing to describe biofilm formation under in situ conditions in the deep terrestrial biosphere. In this study, flow cells were attached to boreholes containing either "modern marine" or "old saline" waters of different origin and degree of isolation from the light-driven surface of the earth. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we showed that planktonic and attached populations were dissimilar while gene frequencies in the metagenomes suggested that hydrogen-fed, carbon dioxide- and nitrogen-fixing populations were responsible for biofilm formation across the two aquifers. Metagenome analyses further suggested that only a subset of the populations were able to attach and produce an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. Initial biofilm formation is thus likely to be mediated by a few bacterial populations which were similar to Epsilonproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and unclassified bacteria. Populations potentially capable of attaching to a surface and to produce extracellular polysaccharide matrix for attachment were identified in the terrestrial deep biosphere. Our results suggest that the biofilm populations were taxonomically distinct from the planktonic community and were enriched in populations with a chemolithoautotrophic and diazotrophic metabolism coupling hydrogen oxidation to energy conservation under oligotrophic conditions.

Measuring volatile organic compounds and stable isotopes emitted from trees and soils of the Biosphere 2 Rainforest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meraz, J. C.; Meredith, L. K.; Van Haren, J. L. M.; Volkmann, T. H. M.

2017-12-01

Rainforest trees and soils play an important role in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. It is known that many rainforest tree species emit these organic compounds, such as terpenes, which can have an impact on the atmosphere and can be indicative of their metabolic functions. Some VOCs also absorb infrared radiation at wavelengths at which water isotopes are measured with laser spectrometers. Normal concentrations are not high enough for ambient sampling, but increased concentrations resulting from soil and plant samples extracted using equilibrium methods affect observed isotope ratios. There is thus a need to characterize volatile emissions from soil and plant samples, and to develop better methods to account for VOC interference during water isotope measurements. In this study, we collected soil and leaf samples from plants of the Biosphere 2 Rainforest Biome, a mesocosm system created to stimulate natural tropical rainforest habitats . Volatile concentrations were measured using a Gasmet DX4015 FTIR analyzer and a custom sampling system with sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) used as a tracer gas to test for leakage, and a commercial laser spectrometer was used for isotopic analysis. We determined that the different types of tree species emit different kinds of VOCs, such as isoprenes, alcohols, and aldehydes, that will potentially have to be accounted for. This study will help build the understanding of which organic compounds are emitted and develop new methods to test for water isotopes and gas fluxes in clear and precise measures. Such measures can help characterize the functioning of environmental systems such as the Biosphere 2 Rainforest Biome.

Book Review: Fluxes as functions of ecosystem and drivers of atmosphere

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gu, Lianhong

2015-06-01

The review is of the book Terrestrial biosphere-atmospheric fluxes, by Russell Monson and Dennis Baldochi. The book was published by Cambridge University Press, NY, 487 p. in 2014. ISBN 978-1-107-04065-6

Microbial oceanography: Killers of the winners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchman, David L.

2013-02-01

Viruses that infect the SAR11 group of oceanic bacteria have finally been found and sequenced. Because SAR11 is ubiquitous, these viruses may be the most abundant in the oceans -- and perhaps in the entire biosphere. See Letter p.357

Exploring the Deep Biosphere in Ophiolite-hosted Systems: What Can Metabolic Processes in Surface Seeps Tell Us About Subsurface Ecosystems in Serpentinizing Fluids?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer-Dombard, D. R.; Cardace, D.; Woycheese, K. M.; Vallalar, B.; Casar, C.; Simon, A.; Arcilla, C. A.

2016-12-01

Serpentinization in the subsurface produces highly reduced, high pH fluids that provide microbial habitats. It is assumed that these deep subsurface fluids contain copious H2 and CH4 gas, little/no inorganic carbon, and limited electron acceptors. As serpentinized fluids reach the oxygenated surface environment, microbial biomes shift and organisms capable of metabolizing O2 thrive (Woycheese et al., 2015). However, the relationship of microbial communities found in surface expressions of serpentinizing fluids to the subsurface biosphere is still a target of exploration. Our work in the Zambales ophiolite (Philippines) defines surface microbial habitats with geochemistry, targeted culturing efforts, and community analysis (Cardace et al., 2015; Woycheese et al., 2015). Springs range from pH 9-11.5, and contain 0.06-2 ppm DO, 0-3.7 ppm sulfide, 30-800 ppm silica. Gases include H2 and CH4 > 10uM, CO2 > 1 mM, and trace amounts of CO. These surface data allow prediction of the subsurface metabolic landscape. For example, Cardace et al., (2015) predicted that metabolism of iron is important in both biospheres. Growth media were designed to target iron reduction yielding heterotrophic and autotrophic iron reducers at high pH. Reduced iron minerals were produced in several cultures (Casar et al., sub.), and isolation efforts are underway. Shotgun metagenomic analysis shows the metabolic capacity for methanogenesis, suggesting microbial origins for some CH4 present. The enzymes methyl coenzyme M reductase, and formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase were detected, and relative abundance increased near the near-anoxic spring source. The metagenomes indicate carbon cycling at these sites is reliant on methanogenesis, acetogenesis, sulfate reduction, and H2 and CH4 oxidation. In this tropical climate, cellulose is also a likely carbon source; cellulose degrading isolates have been obtained. These results indicate a metabolically flexible community at the surface where serpentinizing fluids are expressed. The next step is to understand what these surface systems might tell us about the subsurface biosphere. References: Cardace et al., 2015 Frontiers in Extreme Microbiology 6: doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00010 Woycheese et al., 2015 Frontiers in Extreme Microbiology 6: doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00044

Development of wildfires in Australia over the last century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieradzik, Lars Peter; Haverd, Vanessa; Briggs, Peter; Canadell, Josep G.; Smith, Ben

2017-04-01

Wildfires and their emissions are key biospheric processes in the modeling of the carbon cycle that still are insufficiently understood. In Australia, fire emissions constitute a large flux of carbon from the biosphere to the atmosphere of approximately 1.3 times larger than the annual fossil fuel emissions. In addition, fire plays a big role in determining the composition of vegetation which in turn affects land-atmosphere fluxes. Annualy, up to 4% of the vegetated land-surface area is burned which amounts to up to 3% of global NPP and results in the reslease of about 2 Pg carbon into the atmosphere. There are indications that burned area has decreased globally over recent decades but so far there is not a clear trend in the development in fire-intensity and fuel availability. Net emissions from wildfires are not generally included in global and regional carbon budgets, because it is assumed that gross fire emissions are in balance with post-fire carbon uptake by recovering vegetation. This is a valid assumption as long as climate and fire regimes are in equilibrium, but not when the climate and other drivers are changing. We present a study on the behaviour of wildfires on the Australian continent over the last century (1911 - 2012) introducing the novel fire model BLAZE (BLAZe induced biosphere-atmosphere flux Estimator) that has been designed to address the feedbacks between climate, fuel loads, and fires. BLAZE is used within the Australian land-surface model CABLE (Community Atmophere-Biosphere-Land Exchange model). The study shows two significant outcomes: A regional shift in fire patterns shift during this century due to fire suppression and greening effects as well as an increase of potential fire-line intensity (the risk that a fire becomes more intense), especially in regions where most of Australia's population resides. This strongly emphasises the need to further investigate fire dynamics under future climate scenarios. The fire model BLAZE has been developed at the CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Canberra, Australia and will be part of the upcoming release of the dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS version 4.1 within the MERGE project at Lund University, Sweden. It will also be included in the EC-Earth ESM within the EU Horizon 2020 project CRESCENDO.

Proposed law of nature linking impacts, plume volcanism, and Milankovitch cycles to terrestrial vertebrate mass extinctions via greenhouse-embryo death coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclean, D. M.

1994-01-01

A greenhouse-physiological coupling killing mechanism active among mammals, birds, and reptiles has been identified. Operating via environmental thermal effects upon the maternal core-skin blood flow critical to the survival and development of embryos, it reduces the flow of blood to the uterine tract. Today, during hot summers, this phenomena kills embryos on a vast, global scale. Because of sensitivity of many mammals to modern heat, a major modern greenhouse could reduce population numbers on a global scale, and potentially trigger population collapses in the more vulnerable parts of the world. In the geological past, the killing mechanism has likely been triggered into action by greenhouse warming via impact events, plume volcanism, and Earth orbital variations (Milankovitch cycles). Earth's biosphere is maintained and molded by the flow of energy from the solar energy source to Earth and on to the space energy sink (SES). This SES energy flow maintains Earth's biosphere and its living components, as open, intermediate, dissipative, nonequilibrium systems whose states are dependent upon the rate of energy flowing through them. Greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere influence the SES energy flow rate. Steady-state flow is necessary for global ecological stability (autopoiesis). Natural fluctuations of the C cycle such as rapid releases of CO2 from the mantle, or oceans, disrupt steady-state SES flow. These fluctuations constantly challenge the biosphere; slowdown of SES energy flow drives it toward thermodynamical equilibrium and stagnation. Fluctuations induced by impact event, mantle plume volcanism, and Milankovitch cycles can grow into structure-breaking waves triggering major perturbations of Earth's C cycle and mass extinctions. A major C cycle perturbation involves readjustment of the outer physiochemical spheres of the Earth: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere; and by necessity, the biosphere. A greenhouse, one manifestation of a major C cycle perturbation, is the most dangerous natural phenomenon that life on Earth can experience. Greenhouse conditions existed during the KT mass extinctions of 65 m.y. ago, and the Pleistocene-Holocene (P-H) mammalian extinctions of 10,000-12,000 yr ago. Coupling climatology to reproductive physiology via effects of ambient air temperature upon uterine blood flow to developing embryos accounts for the extinctions via established physiological principles.

Audit of the global carbon budget: estimate errors and their impact on uptake uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballantyne, A. P.; Andres, R.; Houghton, R.; Stocker, B. D.; Wanninkhof, R.; Anderegg, W.; Cooper, L. A.; DeGrandpre, M.; Tans, P. P.; Miller, J. C.; Alden, C.; White, J. W. C.

2014-10-01

Over the last 5 decades monitoring systems have been developed to detect changes in the accumulation of C in the atmosphere, ocean, and land; however, our ability to detect changes in the behavior of the global C cycle is still hindered by measurement and estimate errors. Here we present a rigorous and flexible framework for assessing the temporal and spatial components of estimate error and their impact on uncertainty in net C uptake by the biosphere. We present a novel approach for incorporating temporally correlated random error into the error structure of emission estimates. Based on this approach, we conclude that the 2 σ error of the atmospheric growth rate has decreased from 1.2 Pg C yr-1 in the 1960s to 0.3 Pg C yr-1 in the 2000s, leading to a ~20% reduction in the over-all uncertainty of net global C uptake by the biosphere. While fossil fuel emissions have increased by a factor of 4 over the last 5 decades, 2 σ errors in fossil fuel emissions due to national reporting errors and differences in energy reporting practices have increased from 0.3 Pg C yr-1 in the 1960s to almost 1.0 Pg C yr-1 during the 2000s. At the same time land use emissions have declined slightly over the last 5 decades, but their relative errors remain high. Notably, errors associated with fossil fuel emissions have come to dominate uncertainty in the global C budget and are now comparable to the total emissions from land use, thus efforts to reduce errors in fossil fuel emissions are necessary. Given all the major sources of error in the global C budget that we could identify, we are 93% confident that C uptake has increased and 97% confident that C uptake by the terrestrial biosphere has increased over the last 5 decades. Although the persistence of future C sinks remains unknown and some ecosystem services may be compromised by this continued C uptake (e.g. ocean acidification), it is clear that arguably the greatest ecosystem service currently provided by the biosphere is the continued removal of approximately half of atmospheric CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

An international land-biosphere model benchmarking activity for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffman, Forrest M; Randerson, James T; Thornton, Peter E

2009-12-01

The need to capture important climate feedbacks in general circulation models (GCMs) has resulted in efforts to include atmospheric chemistry and land and ocean biogeochemistry into the next generation of production climate models, called Earth System Models (ESMs). While many terrestrial and ocean carbon models have been coupled to GCMs, recent work has shown that such models can yield a wide range of results (Friedlingstein et al., 2006). This work suggests that a more rigorous set of global offline and partially coupled experiments, along with detailed analyses of processes and comparisons with measurements, are needed. The Carbon-Land Model Intercomparison Projectmore » (C-LAMP) was designed to meet this need by providing a simulation protocol and model performance metrics based upon comparisons against best-available satellite- and ground-based measurements (Hoffman et al., 2007). Recently, a similar effort in Europe, called the International Land Model Benchmark (ILAMB) Project, was begun to assess the performance of European land surface models. These two projects will now serve as prototypes for a proposed international land-biosphere model benchmarking activity for those models participating in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). Initially used for model validation for terrestrial biogeochemistry models in the NCAR Community Land Model (CLM), C-LAMP incorporates a simulation protocol for both offline and partially coupled simulations using a prescribed historical trajectory of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Models are confronted with data through comparisons against AmeriFlux site measurements, MODIS satellite observations, NOAA Globalview flask records, TRANSCOM inversions, and Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) site measurements. Both sets of experiments have been performed using two different terrestrial biogeochemistry modules coupled to the CLM version 3 in the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3): the CASA model of Fung, et al., and the carbon-nitrogen (CN) model of Thornton. Comparisons of the CLM3 offline results against observational datasets have been performed and are described in Randerson et al. (2009). CLM version 4 has been evaluated using C-LAMP, showing improvement in many of the metrics. Efforts are now underway to initiate a Nitrogen-Land Model Intercomparison Project (N-LAMP) to better constrain the effects of the nitrogen cycle in biosphere models. Presented will be new results from C-LAMP for CLM4, initial N-LAMP developments, and the proposed land-biosphere model benchmarking activity.« less

Marine and coastal environmental awareness building within the context of UNESCO's activities in Asia and the Pacific.

PubMed

Kuijper, Maarten W M

2003-01-01

UNESCO is one of the specialized agencies under the United Nations charged with the advancement and improvement of education, social and natural sciences, culture and communication. This global mandate translates into programmes in the field tailored to the member states' specific requirements that build on the full breadth of expertise available in UNESCO. Environmental awareness building is an integral component of many of UNESCO's programmes. This paper describes how UNESCO addresses the need for awareness building in a variety of settings under different programmes and sectors. A first example is taken from the work of the education sector, which aims at introducing innovative learning methods and curricula that change or cultivate the perspective of people of all ages on sustainable development. The second example is taken from the Man and Biosphere Programme. The Biosphere Reserve concept has had a long history within UNESCO and is increasingly applied to protected areas in the coastal zone. Notable examples are Ranong Biosphere Reserve in Thailand, Can Gio Biosphere Reserve in Vietnam and the Island of Palawan in the Philippines. The concept is currently experiencing a revival as more and more countries realize the importance of striking a balance between human development and strict conservation. Many people know about UNESCO through the so-called World Heritage Sites. These are sites that are recognized by the world community as particular monuments, either natural or cultural, that warrant preservation for the whole of mankind. In the Asia-Pacific region, there are quite a number of coastal and marine sites that have been designated as natural world heritage sites, e.g. Halong Bay in Vietnam, the Komodo marine national park, Indonesia, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, East-Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands, and Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines. The need for a cross-sectoral approach is evident under the so-called Coastal Zone and Small Islands endeavour, which aims at assisting Member States towards environmentally sound, socially equitable and culturally appropriate development in coastal regions and in small islands. Four examples of current pilot projects (Surin Island, Thailand, Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, Upolo Island, Samoa and Ulugan Bay, the Philippines) are highlighted. Each setting and each audience requires a different strategy. UNESCO's strength is to learn from all these experiences and make such new insights universally available and to put novel concepts into practice.

Atmosphere-Forest Exchange: Important Questions Regarding the Atmosphere's Role in the Delivery of Nutrient Nitrogen and Impacts on Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, M.; Shepson, P. B.; Bertman, S. B.; Sparks, J. P.; Holland, E. A.

2002-12-01

Atmosphere-Forest Exchange: Important Questions Regarding the Atmosphere's Role in the Delivery of Nutrient Nitrogen and Impacts on Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling Atmospheric composition and chemistry directly affect ecosystem nitrogen cycling and indirectly affect ecosystem carbon cycling and storage. Current understanding of atmosphere-forest nitrogen exchange and subsequent impacts is based almost exclusively on nitrogen deposition data obtained from networks using buckets placed in open areas, studies involving inorganic nitrogen, frequently with enhanced N deposition inputs applied only to soils, and that ignore multiple stresses (e.g., the combined effects of aerosols, ozone exposure, elevated CO2, and drought). Current models of nitrogen cycling treat deposited nitrogen (e.g., HNO3 and NO3-) as a permanent sink whereas data appear to indicate that photolytic and heterogeneous chemical processes occurring on surfaces and in dew can result in the re-evolution of gaseous species such as NO and HONO. Similarly, the direct uptake of gaseous nitrogen compounds by foliage has been neglected, compromising conclusions drawn from deposition experiments and ignoring a mechanism that may significantly affect nitrogen cycling and carbon storage, one that may become more significant with future atmospheric and climate change. We hypothesize that the atmosphere plays a significant role in the delivery of nutrient nitrogen to the N-limited mixed hardwood forest at the PROPHET research site at the University of Michigan Biological Station. We assert that a complete understanding of atmosphere- biosphere interactions and feedbacks is required to develop a predictive capability regarding forest response to increasing atmospheric CO2, reactive nitrogen, oxidants, and aerosols, increasing nitrogen and acidic deposition, and anticipated climate change. We further assert that conclusions drawn from studies that are limited to inorganic nitrogen, fertilization of soils, and/or that neglect the role of the canopy (in N uptake and/or remobilization) may not produce a complete understanding of N and C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, including atmosphere-biosphere interactions and feedbacks. Here, as part of a new PROPHET focus on Biosphere Exchange of Atmospheric Carbon and Odd Nitrogen (BEACON), we identify a number of issues associated with nitrogen limited forest ecosystems and nitrogen saturation and important science questions that require collaborative studies involving the atmospheric and biospheric science communities.

Identification of sensitive parameters of a tropical forest in Southern Mexico to improve the understanding of C-band radar images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monsivais-Huertero, A.; Jimenez-Escalona, J. C.; Ramos, J.; Zempoaltecatl-Ramirez, E.

2013-05-01

Forest areas cover the 32% of the Mexican territory. Due to their geographical location, Mexico presents heterogeneous climatic and topographic conditions. The country is divided into two different regions: an arid /semiarid zone (North) and a tropical/temperate zone (South). Due to the effects of climate change, Mexico has been affected in two ways. In the North, there has been a desertification of regions as result of the absence of rainfall and a low rate of soil moisture. On the other hand, in the South, there has been an increase in the intensity of rainfall causing serious flooding. Another effect is the excessive deforestation in Southern Mexico. The FAO has determined that Mexico could present one of the highest losses of forest areas mainly in temperate and subtropical ecosystems. The Biosphere Reserve of Calakmul is the protected area with the largest surface of tropical forest in Mexico. The Biosphere Reserve of Calakmul is located in the state of Campeche that the flora and fauna are being affected. The type of vegetation located in the reserve of Calakmul Biosphere is rainforest with high spatial density and highly heterogeneous due to multiple plant species and the impact of human activities in the area. The satellite remote sensing techniques becomes a very useful tool to monitor the area because a large area can be covered. To understand the radar images, the identification of sensitive parameters governing the radar signal is necessary. With the launch of the satellites Radarsat-2, ASAR-Envisat and ALOSPalSAR, significant progress has been done in the interpretation of satellite radar images. Directly applying physical models becomes a problem due to the large number of input parameters in the models, together with the difficulty in measuring these parameters in the field. The models developed so far have been applied and validated for homogeneous forests with low or average spatial density of trees. This is why it is recommended in a comprehensive validation of the models for heterogeneous forests with a high density of trees, such as Calakmul. This paper presents a methodology for identifying sensitive parameters governing the scenes backscatter vegetables reserve Calakmul Biosphere from a physical model.

Quantifying the Importance of the Rare Biosphere for Microbial Community Response to Organic Pollutants in a Freshwater Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuanqi; Hatt, Janet K.; Tsementzi, Despina; Rodriguez-R, Luis M.; Ruiz-Pérez, Carlos A.; Kizer, Heidi; Maresca, Gina; Krishnan, Raj; Poretsky, Rachel; Spain, Jim C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A single liter of water contains hundreds, if not thousands, of bacterial and archaeal species, each of which typically makes up a very small fraction of the total microbial community (<0.1%), the so-called “rare biosphere.” How often, and via what mechanisms, e.g., clonal amplification versus horizontal gene transfer, the rare taxa and genes contribute to microbial community response to environmental perturbations represent important unanswered questions toward better understanding the value and modeling of microbial diversity. We tested whether rare species frequently responded to changing environmental conditions by establishing 20-liter planktonic mesocosms with water from Lake Lanier (Georgia, USA) and perturbing them with organic compounds that are rarely detected in the lake, including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and caffeine. The populations of the degraders of these compounds were initially below the detection limit of quantitative PCR (qPCR) or metagenomic sequencing methods, but they increased substantially in abundance after perturbation. Sequencing of several degraders (isolates) and time-series metagenomic data sets revealed distinct cooccurring alleles of degradation genes, frequently carried on transmissible plasmids, especially for the 2,4-D mesocosms, and distinct species dominating the post-enrichment microbial communities from each replicated mesocosm. This diversity of species and genes also underlies distinct degradation profiles among replicated mesocosms. Collectively, these results supported the hypothesis that the rare biosphere can serve as a genetic reservoir, which can be frequently missed by metagenomics but enables community response to changing environmental conditions caused by organic pollutants, and they provided insights into the size of the pool of rare genes and species. IMPORTANCE A single liter of water or gram of soil contains hundreds of low-abundance bacterial and archaeal species, the so called rare biosphere. The value of this astonishing biodiversity for ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood, primarily due to the fact that microbial community analysis frequently focuses on abundant organisms. Using a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenomics) techniques, we showed that rare taxa and genes commonly contribute to the microbial community response to organic pollutants. Our findings should have implications for future studies that aim to study the role of rare species in environmental processes, including environmental bioremediation efforts of oil spills or other contaminants. PMID:28258138

Quantifying the Importance of the Rare Biosphere for Microbial Community Response to Organic Pollutants in a Freshwater Ecosystem.

PubMed

Wang, Yuanqi; Hatt, Janet K; Tsementzi, Despina; Rodriguez-R, Luis M; Ruiz-Pérez, Carlos A; Weigand, Michael R; Kizer, Heidi; Maresca, Gina; Krishnan, Raj; Poretsky, Rachel; Spain, Jim C; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

2017-04-15

A single liter of water contains hundreds, if not thousands, of bacterial and archaeal species, each of which typically makes up a very small fraction of the total microbial community (<0.1%), the so-called "rare biosphere." How often, and via what mechanisms, e.g., clonal amplification versus horizontal gene transfer, the rare taxa and genes contribute to microbial community response to environmental perturbations represent important unanswered questions toward better understanding the value and modeling of microbial diversity. We tested whether rare species frequently responded to changing environmental conditions by establishing 20-liter planktonic mesocosms with water from Lake Lanier (Georgia, USA) and perturbing them with organic compounds that are rarely detected in the lake, including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and caffeine. The populations of the degraders of these compounds were initially below the detection limit of quantitative PCR (qPCR) or metagenomic sequencing methods, but they increased substantially in abundance after perturbation. Sequencing of several degraders (isolates) and time-series metagenomic data sets revealed distinct cooccurring alleles of degradation genes, frequently carried on transmissible plasmids, especially for the 2,4-D mesocosms, and distinct species dominating the post-enrichment microbial communities from each replicated mesocosm. This diversity of species and genes also underlies distinct degradation profiles among replicated mesocosms. Collectively, these results supported the hypothesis that the rare biosphere can serve as a genetic reservoir, which can be frequently missed by metagenomics but enables community response to changing environmental conditions caused by organic pollutants, and they provided insights into the size of the pool of rare genes and species. IMPORTANCE A single liter of water or gram of soil contains hundreds of low-abundance bacterial and archaeal species, the so called rare biosphere. The value of this astonishing biodiversity for ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood, primarily due to the fact that microbial community analysis frequently focuses on abundant organisms. Using a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenomics) techniques, we showed that rare taxa and genes commonly contribute to the microbial community response to organic pollutants. Our findings should have implications for future studies that aim to study the role of rare species in environmental processes, including environmental bioremediation efforts of oil spills or other contaminants. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Detecting a Terrestrial Biosphere Sink for Carbon Dioxide: Interannual Ecosystem Modeling for the Mid-1980s

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher S.; Klooster, Steven A.; Brooks, Vanessa; Gore, Warren J. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

There is considerable uncertainty as to whether interannual variability in climate and terrestrial ecosystem production is sufficient to explain observed variation in atmospheric carbon content over the past 20-30 years. In this paper, we investigated the response of net CO2 exchange in terrestrial ecosystems to interannual climate variability (1983 to 1988) using global satellite observations as drivers for the NASA-CASA (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach) simulation model. This computer model of net ecosystem production (NEP) is calibrated for interannual simulations driven by monthly satellite vegetation index data (NDVI) from the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) at 1 degree spatial resolution. Major results from NASA-CASA simulations suggest that from 1985 to 1988, the northern middle-latitude zone (between 30 and 60 degrees N) was the principal region driving progressive annual increases in global net primary production (NPP; i.e., the terrestrial biosphere sink for carbon). The average annual increase in NPP over this predominantly northern forest zone was on the order of +0.4 Pg (10 (exp 15) g) C per year. This increase resulted mainly from notable expansion of the growing season for plant carbon fixation toward the zonal latitude extremes, a pattern uniquely demonstrated in our regional visualization results. A net biosphere source flux of CO2 in 1983-1984, coinciding with an El Nino event, was followed by a major recovery of global NEP in 1985 which lasted through 1987 as a net carbon sink of between 0.4 and 2.6 Avg C per year. Analysis of model controls on NPP and soil heterotrophic CO2 fluxes (Rh) suggests that regional warming in northern forests can enhance ecosystem production significantly. In seasonally dry tropical zones, periodic drought and temperature drying effects may carry over with at least a two-year lag time to adversely impact ecosystem production. These yearly patterns in our model-predicted NEP are consistent in magnitude with the estimated exchange of CO2 by the terrestrial biosphere with the atmosphere, as determined by previous isotopic (delta (sup 13 C) convolution analysis. Ecosystem simulation results can help further target locations where net carbon sink fluxes have occurred in the past or may be verified in subsequent field studies.

Deep Biosphere Secrets of the Mediterranean Salt Giant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aloisi, Giovanni; Lugli, Stefano; McGenity, Terry; Kuroda, Junichiro; Takai, Ken; Treude, Tina; Camerlenghi, Angelo

2015-04-01

One component of the IODP multi-platform drilling proposal called DREAM (Deep-Sea Record of Mediterranean Messisnian Events), plans to investigate the deep biosphere associated to the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) Salt Giant. We propose that the MSC Salt Giant, because of the variety of chemical environments it produces, has the potential to harbour an unprecedented diversity of microbial life with exceptional metabolic activity. Gypsum and anhydrite deposits provide a virtually unlimited source of sulphate at depths where oxidants are a rarity in other sedimentary environments. When reduced organic carbon comes into contact with these minerals there is the potential for a dynamic deep biosphere community of sulphate reducers to develop, with implications for sedimentary biogeochemical cycles and the souring of cruide oil. But the thickness of the Messinian evaporites and the range of chemical environments it harbours poses fundamental questions: will the interaction of several extreme conditions of temperature, salinity, pressure and chemical composition limit the ability of microbes to take advantage of such favourable thermodynamic conditions? And has such a diverse set of physical and chemical environments fostered microbal diversity, rather than phylogenetic specialization, as recent research into deep Mediterranean brine systems seems to indicate ? Over three kilometres in thickness, approaching the known temperature limits of life and with fluids precipitating carbonate, sulphate, halite and potash salts, microbes living within and around the MSC Salt Giant will be subject to the most exotic combinations of extremes, and have likely evolved yet unknown adaptations. Gypsum and Halite crystals contain fluid inclusions that are a micro-habitat in which microbes survive for tens of thousands, to possibly millions, of years, posing the fundamental question of cells devoting nearly all of their energy flow to somatic maintenance needs, rather than growth and reproduction, and opening new avenues for research for life on other planets. Fluid inclusions and the microbes they contain also inform us on the chemical and physical conditions of the sedimentary environment at the moment of deposition. This information will be key in deciphering the complex succession of paleoclimatic and hydrological events that led to the formation of the MSC Salt Giant. Drilling the MSC Salt Giant is an unprecedented opportunity to sample and investigate this highly reactive association of microbial communities, pore fluids and minerals which is the modern analogue for ancient deep biosphere communities developed in the salt giants of the geological past.

Methodologies in forensic and decomposition microbiology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Culturable microorganisms represent only 0.1-1% of the total microbial diversity of the biosphere. This has severely restricted the ability of scientists to study the microbial biodiversity associated with the decomposition of ephemeral resources in the past. Innovations in technology are bringing...

DOT in the Biosphere: Where Does It Go?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodwell, George M.; And Others

1971-01-01

Despite the abundance, persistence, and worldwide distribution of DDT residues, they are not as freely available to the biota as might be assumed....Mere good fortune has protected man and the rest of the biota from much higher concentrations." (Author/AL)

Invasive Processes, Mosaics and the Structure of Helminth Parasite Faunas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The biosphere in evolutionary and ecological time has been structured by episodes of geographic and host colonization that have determined distributions for complex assemblages of microparasites and macroparasites including helminths circulating among vertebrates. Biological invasion is an intricat...

Carbon Storage in US Wetlands.

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Question/Methods Wetland soils contain some of the highest stores of soil carbon in the biosphere. However, there is little understanding of the quantity and distribution of carbon stored in US wetlands or of the potential effects of human disturbance on these stocks. ...

GEOSS, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND THE BIOSPHERE: REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

EPA Science Inventory

The international Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) initiative combines science, technology and collaboration to improve our understanding and monitoring of the integrated earth system, and to see how humans can be better global environmental stewards. GEOSS inco...

Climate metrics and aviation : analysis of current understanding and uncertainties

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-22

The impact of climate-altering agents on the atmospheric system is a result of a complex system : of interactions and feedbacks within the atmosphere, and with the oceans, the land surface, the : biosphere and the cryosphere. Climate metrics are used...

K-T Transition into Chaos.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Dewey M.

1988-01-01

Discusses the destabilizing influences that affect feedback systems in the earth and trigger disorganization. Presents information that integrates mantle degassing with feed-back systems, and the Sun-Earth-Space energy flow system which is the primary source of energy that drives the Earth's biosphere. (RT)

The Moon as a 100% Isolation Barrier for Earth During Exobiological Examination of Solar System Sample Return Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiGregorio, B. E.

2018-04-01

The only 100% guarantee of protecting Earth's biosphere from a hazardous back contamination event is to use the Moon as a sample return examination facility to qualify samples for eventual return to Earth.

The Moon: A 100% Isolation Barrier for Earth During Exobiological Examination of Solar System Sample Return Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiGregorio, B. E.

2018-02-01

The only 100% guarantee of protecting our planet's biosphere from a back contamination event is to use the Moon as a sample return examination facility to qualify samples for eventual return to Earth.