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#1 2018-02-20 22:12:32

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

What Biome's are needed on Mars

Void had a great question in a sense for the biome's that we need for mars as I meantioned that the biosphere 2 had seven biome areas. Would man only focus on the Land and Sea biome on mars?

To what extent are are these Biome's deployed, as we will not build earth on mars for quite some times but need them parts of each of these for food, processing of waste, and for materials to make use of in expanding mans capabilities on mars.

Biosphere biomes with details of content and why they were included in the earth simulation. I am researching for information as I go....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove

450 square meter Mangrove swamps/ wetlands are coastal found in tropical and subtropical regions mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° s. They are characterized by halophytic (salt loving) trees, shrubs and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters. In these areas, there are usually relatively high temperatures (70-80 degrees Fahrenheit) and significant amounts of precipitation (4.5 meters). The plant life in the mangrove swamps is very diverse. According to National Geographic, there are 70 different species of plants from dozens of different families that you can find in the mangroves.

There are three main types of mangrove plants: white mangrove, black mangrove, and red mangrove.

http://www.bioexpedition.com/wetland-biome/

Mangrove swamps are home to many different species of animals. They sustain billions of worms, barnacles, oysters, and other invertebrates. These organisms draw in other organisms such as fish,birds, pelicans, and even crocodiles.

They are natures filter to pollutants...they transpire fresh water....give habitats to wildlife.... and some of them are a food source for humans...

This needs more research for value in a mars inclusion as we will not have wildlife as such and will be very few animals for quite sometime and chosing just the right ones to include will need more knowledge for transport to mars.


other biomes for research infor mation for inclusion into mars life support and why we need them.

1,900 square meter rainforest

850 square meter ocean with a coral reef

1,300 square meter savannah grassland

1,400 square meter fog desert, and two anthropogenic biomes

2,500 square meter agricultural system and a human habitat with living spaces, laboratories and workshops

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#2 2018-03-09 13:52:32

Void
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Registered: 2011-12-29
Posts: 6,976

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Well this lonely topic needs a reply.

Europa, Enceladus.

In my mind it almost a certainty that we could infect a presumed ocean of Enceladus with some kind of Earth microbe, so I call it a biome.

Easiest possible first Biome.  Harping again, but even if you do not inject chemicals or photons into the ice covered water, there is evidence that water and particularly brine may react with the soil to create chemicals that life can subsist on.  From that then get some of your needed chemistry and also release Methane perhaps.

As for the liquid water, it is a ideal case for storing waste heat, or heat that you collect from the sun and intentionally inject.  Then at night in particular, you can generate electricity by releasing heat to the night sky from the water.

......

I will say this, however, if you covered a patch of ground with even melt temperature water (With ice over it), and it happened that their were clathrates buried under it, I think the heat would penetrate into the ground to release the gasses of the Clathrate much sooner than if you tried to warm the planet just with greenhouse gasses.

If that were the case, then perhaps you could hope to move upscale, maybe to a situation where the polar ice caps were destined to form seas by melting.

As for dry land, I guess we could try to inject water vapor into the high reaches of the Martian atmosphere, and hope that it will photo desiccate into Oxygen and Hydrogen, the Hydrogen then being swept away preferentially.  Then the Oxygen being changed to Ozone. 

However, I am not assured at all that the Ozone would remain separate from CO2.  Then a reaction might just create CO.

But if the atmosphere is stratified enough, and the Oxygen high enough, perhaps Ozone.  I don't count on it.

.....

After that and during that you should hope to inflate the Martian CO2 from the ice caps, and provide an average air pressure outside of 11 mb.  At those pressures, it is speculated that snow, and temporary streams can occur.  And so if you have temporary streams you will have temporary mud, and perhaps even more persisting ponds with muddy bottoms.  At that point it is possible for very radiation tolerant life to exist in the mud, perhaps even to a limited degree exposed to direct sunlight.

From there you punt I guess, we don't know enough about Mars. 

If you get some Ozone, then perhaps something like very a very high arctic biome possible.

Eventually under optimal conditions, I would like to see Steppe on dry land.

But that will likely require processing huge amounts of water vapor in the exosphere/Stratosphere of Mars.  Ideally the water comes from Phobos or Demos.  Otherwise you would have to push it up from the Martian surface.

Pushing it up could involve some kind of a "Gun/Cannon" (Very slow I think).

Hot air vortexes (Very hard I think).

Or, if you could somehow manage to overheat Mars with supergreenhouse gasses, then if you achieved a temperature sufficiently high, then water vapor would come out of the ground and ice caps, and saturate the atmosphere with high humidity and U.V. would eventually generate an Oxygen atmosphere.

If their are Clathrates containing Nitrogen then you would really be in luck.

Last edited by Void (2018-03-09 14:11:17)


Done.

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#3 2018-10-27 14:22:16

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Biomes will appear once the Mars are already terraformed. Types of biomes will be distributed based on their latitudinal gradient.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#4 2018-10-27 18:16:07

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
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Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

The biomes of early mars are more like a terrarium in that they would be a sealable glass container containing soil and plants, and can be opened for maintenance to access the plants inside.

This is an example of a dry environment:
succulent-terrarium.jpg

or a more typical wet
il_fullxfull.775268983_qdoa.jpg

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#5 2018-10-27 19:08:52

Void
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Posts: 6,976

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

A difference between "Western" cultures, and Chinese culture is that the Chinese tend to think in terms of harmony.

While we have probably exhaustively thought with western minds, you have to ask "What does Mars most want to give you".  What can you get the Mostest for with the Leastest effort?

That is why I emphasize under ice aquaculture.

It is obvious that before Mars becomes a forest, it must become a low arctic tundra.  Before a low arctic tundra, a high artic tundra.  Before that Dry Valley photo lakes.  Before that ice covered lakes where light does not shine through.

Yes you can build terrariums, if you have the money and the space suits that are reliable, but that should only be if other needs cannot be satisfied with a reservoir with an opaque cover.

An obvious possible biosphere is the possibility that there is a lake(s) under at least one of the polar ice caps.

Pressurized volume comes at a high price.  Ice covered reservoirs are obviously almost natural to some places on Mars.  So, start the bulk of your production to fill needs there.

That is not to say that you cannot try to have solar and tensile strength pressurized terrariums as well where if fills a spiritual need or a need that ice covered reservoirs or underground "Pink" houses cannot fulfill.

I have not seen one NASA greenhouse design which in a practical way harnesses photons on directly in the environment of Mars.  There must be a reason.

They are typically dirt covered.

https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livin … ouses.html
https://www.pulseheadlines.com/nasa-dev … ars/62376/
Quote:

To guard the greenhouse against space radiation, the units would likely be buried under surface soil or regolith, which is why they’d require specialized lighting.
“We’ve been successful in using electric LED (light emitting diode) lighting to grow plants,” noted Wheeler. “We also have tested hybrids using both natural and artificial lighting.”
Scientists believe solar light could be captured with light concentrators that are designed to track the sun and then convey the light to the chamber employing fiber optic bundles. Although studies in working on the surface of other planets are being carried on Earth, astronauts aboard the space station have been gaining experience growing crops in space. The first project of this kind was NASA’s Veggie Plant Growth System.

So, so far I only know of one idea that would involve photons traveling through a pressurized transparency.
This is it:
http://www.marsicehouse.com/
And can you imagine how inefficient it would be at getting photons to vegetables?

This is what NASA has in mind:
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/arti … e-for-mars
Quote:

The hydroponics system allows the plants to grow without soil, while artificial light ensures the plants are able to grow efficiently.

The greenhouses will be covered with dirt.

……

OK, if you are going to make a terrarium/greenhouse, I suppose it should be built like the ISS cupola.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/st … upola.html
Alright what is the profit margin for your carrots?  I expect that cupola is very expensive.

But if you can do it, prove me foolish.  I will praise you.

But I don't believe I have ever heard tell of a greenhouse test on Earth, where a 1/10 bar much less a 1 bar pressurization has been tested.

Not enjoying being a grinch.  hopefully I will be proved a fool over time.

But even then, you would need to show what is more profitable. 
1) Pressurized greenhouse.
2) Dirt covered greenhouse with special lighting methods.
3) Hydrostatic pressurization of a greenhouse with perhaps artificial light LED's.
4) Boring company tunnels as artificial light greenhouses.

But by all means do design a greenhouse for the surface which is productive, and holds pressure long term.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2018-10-27 20:05:34)


Done.

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#6 2018-10-27 20:09:02

Void
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Registered: 2011-12-29
Posts: 6,976

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

OK, I have been a wet blanket.

Here is something I can believe in.
The new shepard capsule.  Nice windows.
https://phys.org/news/2017-03-peek-blue … psule.html
So, would the greenhouses have windows like this?
Can you put more windows and less opaque space?

Then, for the cost, will the gardens you can grow pay?

It could happen I suppose with lots of research.

I guess I would like to see an engineering plan.

Last edited by Void (2018-10-27 20:10:50)


Done.

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#7 2018-10-28 00:33:08

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

At first, I recommend a dry environment. Saving water is needed inside the colony. So, we should look for plants which are high water-use efficiency. smile


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#8 2018-10-28 02:36:33

Terraformer
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From: Ceres
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Posts: 3,800
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

I don't think the water will be going anywhere. We should be able to recycle it with very high efficiency. If we can extract a lot of water from Mars, then there's no reason to worry about thirsty crops.


"I'm gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy." - If this forum was a Mars Colony

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#9 2018-10-28 04:35:58

elderflower
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Registered: 2016-06-19
Posts: 1,262

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Regarding mangroves. they are not dependent on high rainfall. There are mangroves on the coasts of West Africa and the Red Sea that survive in really low rainfall areas.

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#10 2018-10-28 05:13:09

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Terraformer wrote:

I don't think the water will be going anywhere. We should be able to recycle it with very high efficiency. If we can extract a lot of water from Mars, then there's no reason to worry about thirsty crops.

I agree.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#11 2018-10-28 08:59:41

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

jfenciso, I should have done this the other day...

Welcome to NewMars...

Water and mars are going to be work to obtain as there will need to be a much thicker atmosphere to make it possible for it to stay without freezing and evaporating once frozen by sublimation. There is very little water in the air and what there is will be lost to space over time.

Eco systems for the gardens of mars will be important for future life and sustainability of man on mars as they will be needed in the teraforming process. Getting life that can survive on the surface unprotested will be very important to that task. Systems that survive in dry arid places will be the first to be outside of that protection system of domes, caverns and greenhouses.

The purpose of the domes, caverns and greenhouses are to create that protection from the natural mars hostile environment giving it a chance to take hold. To create the natural life support systems of earth on mars.

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#12 2018-10-28 09:21:10

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
Website

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Thank you SpaceNut for the welcome. I am a new member in this forum. What I will share in this forum are my insights related to Plant Physiology aspect, but I can't share related to the engineering aspect. big_smile

We need to mimic the closed system environment similar to the Biosphere 2. But, we should create in a smaller scale. We need to start from small domes. I recommend caverns but there is no technology that could be transported in Mars. A greenhouse is good but isn't dangerous if duststorm will happen in the colony? I suggest that the growth chamber for crop is better inside the room than planting it in a dome type. As a source of light, I recommend to use LED and the light recipe is based on the study of Massa and Mickens of KSC. In planting a vine crop like potatoes and stringbean, we should follow the study of Massa and Mitchell. To make the light energy from LED will use efficiently.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#13 2020-11-22 19:14:47

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

This is information from a Mars paper SUSTAINABLE HABITAT DEVELOPMENT that talks of what we need to sustain men on mars....

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#14 2020-11-28 23:44:03

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

SpaceNut wrote:

This is information from a Mars paper SUSTAINABLE HABITAT DEVELOPMENT that talks of what we need to sustain men on mars....

Thank you for sharing this paper, SpaceNut.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#15 2020-11-29 07:59:06

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,754

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

For jfenciso re #14

It is good to see your ID active in the forum once again!

Because of your interest in plants, I am hoping you will take a look at the Mars University video recently published by the Mars Society. 

The link is available here: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 59#p174359

One of the leading members of the staff has a PhD in agriculture related disciplines.

The Mars U organization is seeking students for a summer program next year, and they are offering scholarships.

Also ... the forum has changed from open registration to by-invitation-only.

You are an "approved" member and therefore you can nominate a person to become a member.

If you know someone who you think would be willing to contribute to the forum, please post a note to SpaceNut in the Recruiting topic.

(th)

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#16 2020-11-29 17:44:08

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

You are more than welcome jfenciso hope you give a shout for what you do with your Botany knowledge as we could use such for aiding in planning mars to stay sustainable from the start.
Researchers compile world's largest inventory of known plant speciesgermanresear.jpg

Researchers at Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) have compiled the world's most comprehensive list of known plant species. It contains 1,315,562 names of vascular plants, thus extending the number by some 70,000—equivalent to about 20%. The researchers have also succeeded in clarifying 181,000 hitherto unclear species names.

So we can identify them but what are the valuable characteristics that make them what we want for Mars or for a lunar under ground colony....

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#17 2020-12-02 04:23:19

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
Website

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

tahanson43206 wrote:

For jfenciso re #14

It is good to see your ID active in the forum once again!

Because of your interest in plants, I am hoping you will take a look at the Mars University video recently published by the Mars Society. 

The link is available here: http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 59#p174359

One of the leading members of the staff has a PhD in agriculture related disciplines.

The Mars U organization is seeking students for a summer program next year, and they are offering scholarships.

Also ... the forum has changed from open registration to by-invitation-only.

You are an "approved" member and therefore you can nominate a person to become a member.

If you know someone who you think would be willing to contribute to the forum, please post a note to SpaceNut in the Recruiting topic.

(th)


Hello Tahanson, I don't know any person in my place who has an interest in either Space Farming, Astrobotany or Astroagronomy.

What do you mean I am an approved member? big_smile By the way, I don't know if I am qualified to join Mars University to study Space Farming. My M.Sc. degree has not yet finished.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#18 2020-12-02 04:26:44

jfenciso
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From: Philippines
Registered: 2018-10-27
Posts: 89
Website

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

SpaceNut wrote:

You are more than welcome jfenciso hope you give a shout for what you do with your Botany knowledge as we could use such for aiding in planning mars to stay sustainable from the start.
Researchers compile world's largest inventory of known plant specieshttps://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800/2020/germanresear.jpg

Researchers at Leipzig University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) have compiled the world's most comprehensive list of known plant species. It contains 1,315,562 names of vascular plants, thus extending the number by some 70,000—equivalent to about 20%. The researchers have also succeeded in clarifying 181,000 hitherto unclear species names.

So we can identify them but what are the valuable characteristics that make them what we want for Mars or for a lunar under ground colony....

Space Nut, is there a final update about the proposed habitat on Mars? What I mean, is it dome-designed or an underground-designed home? We need to find out which plants are suited for the room space based on the proposed design.


I'm Jayson from the Philippines. Graduate of Master of Science in Botany at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna. I am specializing in Plant Physiology, and have a minor degree in Agronomy. My research interests are Phytoremediation, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Nutrition, and Plant Stress Physiology.

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#19 2020-12-02 18:24:22

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Some favor surface glass or plastic treated for Mars conditions while most realize that underground would be the solution.

On earth we could test for both conditions with the Mars state for measuring what needs to be for controls.
For Mars lighting on earth use diffused 1/2 meter openings and power use same pcs panels with half covered to simulate the electrical conditions. Design the unit with partial atmospheric pressure starting from Mars units of input to gain knowledge for what will grow.

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#20 2021-12-13 05:08:24

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,892

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Seen a talk on youtube that might be of interest here

Constructing SAM -- A Mars Habitat at Biosphere 2. TAAA December 2021 General Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5zZcgYTY0w

'Kai Staats, Director of the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) will talk about this hermetically sealed habitat being built at the University of Arizona Biosphere 2 to simulate living conditions on Mars. The SAM pressure vessel incorporates a greenhouse and crew quarters with workshop, kitchen, common area, sleeping accommodations and airlock into the adjacent Mars yard.  The greenhouse provides hydroponic and soil-based growing environments, controlled lighting, humidity, heating and cooling. Other support systems provide clean air and water. The adjacent half acre is a replica of a Martian landscape. Pressure suits, rovers, and drones can be tested over varied terrain and obstacles. The first teams are scheduled for May 2022. Kai will describe SAM’s core science research objectives, and share photos and stories about the construction process.'

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2021-12-13 05:08:53)

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#21 2021-12-13 20:32:43

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

Seems that an early Boreal forest would be plausible as we raise the oxygen and pressure levels along with temperatures over time.

RobertDyck wrote:

Canada has several ecozones. Winnipeg is in the Prairies but very close to Boreal Shield.
terrestrial_e.gif
vignette.jpg plants.gif

Plants

  1. Jack Pine

  2. Trembling Aspen

  3. Balsam Fir

  4. Black Ash

  5. Mountain Maple

  6. High Bush-cranberry

  7. Baneberry

  8. Wild Sarsaparilla

  9. Bunchberry

  10. Moss

  11. Shield Fern

  12. Sedge

  13. White Spruce

  14. Black Spruce

  15. White Birch

  16. Goldenrod

  17. Blueberry

  18. Speckled Alder

  19. Labrador Tea

  20. Willow

  21. Water Lilies

  22. Cattails

  23. Pin Cherry

  24. Tamarack

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#22 2021-12-13 20:36:32

SpaceNut
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From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

One thing is for sure is we need a ton of energy to process enough to build any depth to mars air to make it possible.

RobertDyck wrote:

SpaceNut: Yea. I have the textbook "Terraforming: Engineering Planetary Environments" written by Martin Fogg. It was expensive when I bought it; it's even more expensive now. The author is a friend on Facebook. He tells me he won't write another. Dr. Chris McKay gave him a lecture about planetary protection. The chapter on Mars emphasized the paper written by Dr. Chris McKay et al. That paper talked about super greenhouse gasses and how to deliberately release them into the atmosphere of Mars to warm the planet. I wrote a post on NewMars somewhere to estimate how quickly we could do that. Assuming we build 10 sites on Mars to mine fluorine minerals, and assuming an output equal to ore processors in the Alberta tar sands, and assuming 4 ore processors per site, and assuming continuous operation 24/7 (or 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35.244 seconds per Mars solar day), and assuming a chemical factory produces super greenhouse gasses, then it would take 13 Earth years to produce all the greenhouse gasses needed. Then you have to wait. Those gasses act as a blanket to trap heat in. You still have to wait for the Sun to deliver heat. So the planet will gradually warm, and as it does so dry ice will undergo phase change to CO2 gas. That phase change will consume some heat. Once all dry ice on the planet, including adsorbed into deep Martian dirt, has been sublimated, then the planet will have sufficient pressure to walk on the surface without a spacesuit. It will still be a CO2 atmosphere, so you will still have to wear an oxygen mask. But that's a lot better than a spacesuit.

Once the planet has a substantial atmosphere, plants can grow. Further warming will melt water ice. This will create a water cycle with rain. Water, atmosphere, dirt and sunlight are the requirements for plants.

I also presented at a Mars Society convention about artificial bogs. My friend Bruce Mackenzie suggested calling them Dyckian bogs, named after me. The idea is to create a Manitoba peat bog, but speed up the process. Grind rocks and if necessary bedrock to create a layer of rock flour 2 metres deep. Periodically cut a pit into the bedrock, and lay a slow sand filter in each pit. The purpose is to draw water from the bottom of the bog, pump it to the surface. The slow sand filter will prevent the rock flour from clogging the pump. Plant peat, which is sphagnum moss and a variety of cyanobacteria. Sphagnum moss releases strong acid which breaks down igneous rock, releasing nutrients. Cyanobacteria fixes nitrogen from air producing nitrate in the water. Each produces nutrients the other needs. Moss also acts as a sponge to hold rain water, so this works in an area where the only water source is rain. Sphagnum moss like most plants requires a certain concentration of oxygen in the air. However, cyanobacteria does not. A plastic sheet across the surface could hold in oxygen, producing the necessary concentration for sphagnum moss. Not sealing the edges of the plastic allows rain to enter. It also means oxygen will leak out. That's Ok, we want oxygen in Mars atmosphere. Acid will convert ground rock into clay, releasing calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium.

I tried an experiment in an aquarium using a bag of rock flour that I purchased from a garden centre. And a sample of live top moss from a company that makes packaged peat moss. It worked at first, but the acid released so much lime that the water quickly changed from acid to alkali. So we will have to actively remove lime from the water. That lime will have to be saved, because when we're finished the lime will have to be added back to neutralize pH of the soil. A peat bog has such strong acid that most food crops cannot grow.

Loess mixed with clay and peat makes the best soil for agriculture. Loess is rock ground by glaciers. Rock flour is basically the same. The reason for 2 metre depth is wheat requires that soil depth. Other food crops require 2 metre or less.

Once conversion is well underway, we could slow the process by reducing bog pH. Still strong acid, enough to convert rock to clay, but mild enough for black spruce. A black spruce forest can grow in a peat bog. Trees will produce a lot of oxygen. And certain berries can also grow there:  blueberry, raspberry, wild strawberry, saskatoon berry (aka Juneberry), cranberry, huckleberry, sarsaparilla (for root beer), lingonberry (aka cowberry, partridgeberry, mountain cranberry or foxberry), and cloudberry.

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#23 2022-02-24 08:42:37

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,892

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

I thought I might post this here since 'dust storms' have been discussed in this thread

Caution! Martian wind at work
https://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Cauti … k_999.html

The MFF is not only a veritable dust factory, but also remarkably extensive - it is the largest sedimentary deposit on the planet and stretches out discontinuously for more than 5000 km, covering an area about the size of India. It is named for the Greek mythological Gorgon Medusa, who was able to turn those who looked into her eyes to stone, with the suffix 'fossae' being Latin for trenches or hollows.

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#24 2022-09-03 04:28:18

Mars_B4_Moon
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Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

I had wrote this a few times before and maybe people don't like the idea but I thought many as many different alien almost toxic atmosphere Biodomes could be built. On Mars you have a little Extremophile world even Prehistoric like what came before the Dinosaurs, a man made but truly alien Atmosphere. China has launched a Rover with a little Greenhouse inside to the Moon so perhaps it is time for someone to launch a Robot with a Biosphere experiment inside to Mars? Like the launching of NASA JPL's Twin Rover you could launch multiple Dome building missions and have these backed up with multiple other Biodome with atmosphere of the same type on Mars. Perhaps people don't like the idea of an atmosphere that doesn't directly support humans but many Biopsheres created on Mars should be almost inhospitable or toxic to humans, the idea would be not to have humans but to have need of minimum maintenance and to have machine or AI robots to do the easy but dangerous work on these toxic soups, they would extract organics and mineral from these biological and chemical farms. Any warmer parts of Mars that show some geology activity could be examined or Warmth a system might be set up to exploit traces of helium (He), carbon monoxide, Methane, neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and the radioactive radon (Rn) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) or the other poisonous sulphuric gases. You might have a super cold area to make certain organics and chemistry and a super warm area to make other organics and chemistry, in parts of Mars you could have hot springs almost lethal to a human, a geothermal area, creating bubbles similar to those seen in a glass of champagne and bubbling muds and weird alien looking deep cave tube structure that becomes helpful in producing certain Extremophile organics and needed chemistry, Biothermal power and natural cooling power. Transportation of a designed Biosphere system might be difficult at first for example Artificial Gravity might be needed to move types of selected and bred Fish and Bird off world as they die in Zero-G, Bio transport ships could be used in moving types of animals their DNA specially engineered from Earth to live and go into thrive more habitable Biospheres suited to that class of animal inside its own unique artificially made ecosystem.

Perhaps radical news tv political people do not understand that Mars was already contaminated by early American and Soviet probes when we didn't fully appreciate sterilization of instruments, Mars rocks have probably been blasted into orbit from impacts or ancient volcano and those rocks with possible Mars life inside perhaps made it all the way to Earth, Israel has also put tardigrades on the Moon.
Mars on the surface is a dead world if however we do find some slime or worm or some simple life inside some Tunnel or Cave or Volcanic shaft and if some kind of Protection Treaty is signed then a nearby by Created Biospehere can always be 'sterilized' so it does not damage the ancient alien ecosystem that survived so long or maybe Mars could have a Jurassic Park if alien life is found the ancient alien eco-system can be preserved and kept inside a 'zoo' so future people that visit Mars can see what the early human explorer had to endure.

However I expect Mars will be exploited, parts of its landscape and air formed into something new to suit industrial and habitation needs. At some of the poles you could even have Extreme Glaciation spheres. Global cooling or Anti-Greenhouse cases could be added to another biosphere, for example Titan has a cooling effect sending away 90% of the solar radiation you don't want things to get so cold that a biological and chemical process stops existing but you could keep a Biodome cool enough for things like natural refrigeration, you might have a series of Biospheres that are slightly cool , you might have a Biosphere that is medium warm. at the equator you could make a Biopshere that is extra warm but not warm enough to make life impossible, you want to create the extremes that we have within our own Earth, our hot springs for example and also have a Biosphere that is very hot humid and dangerous for humans but great for production of other biology and chemicals, a great system for production of crystal structures for example, inside each set of unique Extremeophile Biospheres their man-made but alien Dinosaur atmosphere worlds the robots inside they might easily process chemicals like Acetic  or Ethanoic acid, Carbon tetrachloride, Acetone, Bromobenzene, Diethyl Ethers, Pentane, Dichloromethane, Chloroform, because the strange almost toxic alien atmospheres inside these Dinosaur era Biospheres will be more suited gathering and production and storage of certain chemicals, they can be used as chemical production facility as they will be also near the boiling point or freezing point of certain Chemical Compounds. Mars might have Biospheres that produce more greenhouse gasses or Mars might have artificially made Domes that try to re-create the Great Oxygenation Event that happened in the history of our own Planet Earth. At the Poles you could have a Dome getting cooler making Global Cooling or Greenhouse gas while at the Equator you might have a Biosphere facility building the Global Warming Green House chemistry of GHG, N2O, Carbon dioxide, Hexafluoroethane, O3, Perfluorocarbons SF6, and NF3 and Methane. Even if it was decided not to Terraform Mars yet these Greenhouse Gas Biospheres would produce useful supply of gas for other Domes and Colony. These Biospheer organic and chemical production areas would maybe require simple Robot AI machine to work inside, the Robots would do simple work that would be of risk to humans where  concentrations of gas can cause asphyxiation or other dangers / deaths Robots instead would do the work.  Parts of Mars might be like parts of ancient Earth an alien looking Earth before Dinosaurs that had a dimmer, dryer, both hotter and colder world with conditions that made unique ancient biology and chemistry and life on Earth. Mars might have thin stripes of Biospheres that were once seen on our own planet Earth, water and sea meeting land, land and waters mixing in swamps, anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require molecular oxygen for growth. A Biodome might have a foul Putrid Swamp but this Swamp might be good for production of a type of Mars Sea-life or insects that would be later used to feed other Livestock on Mars. The Ponds the Artificially made Seas inside Biopsphere and Lakes on Mars would have different properties to one on Mars, the planet Mars gets less Sunlight so Photosynthesis will occur differently at Depths, Algae, Moss, Shrub, Grass, Bushes, Trees, Plankton could be grown inside some domes to make Air, at the bottom of artificially made seas Bottom dweller creatures engineered to eat food,  inside a cold area of a Biosphere that gathers waters you might have a natural warm facility that helps create melts, a giant shaft can fill in hours – not days, a flow of waters is processed or easily gathered and then using Robots transported to other regions, Deep within Biospheres you might have water-filled caves that are unsafe for humans. You may have a Bio dome that is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 C zero Degree Celsius, another Biosphere might be left uninhabited by humans but filled with life such as centipedes, fish, plants and bees and maintained by Robot.

Once the multiple system of Biospheres are set up, Organics and Chemistry could be transported from one Biopshere to another and give extra back up and support to the future human villages and other future colonies.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-09-03 12:40:10)

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#25 2023-09-13 09:27:39

Mars_B4_Moon
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Registered: 2006-03-23
Posts: 8,892

Re: What Biome's are needed on Mars

What would it take to build a self-sustaining astronaut ecosystem on Mars?

https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09 … m-on-mars/

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