Closed Ecological Systems

Download or read book Man-Made Closed Ecological Systems written by J.I. Gitelson and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2002-12-26 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing a broad historical perspective, this book explores the interactions between humans, microorganisms, and plants in a closed habitat, and the life support systems necessary to maintain habitability over long periods of time. Topics include the cultivation of bacteria, microalgae and higher plants; the use of biotechnology to support life outside the Earth's biosphere; methods for recycling air, water and food for human consumption; interactions between humans and other organisms in CMESs; and methods for intensifying the level of photosynthesis. In addition to space the authors investigate problems associated with living conditions in dangerous or difficult environmental areas on Earth such as the Arctic and Antarctica, deserts and mountains.

Download or read book Towards a Thermodynamic Theory for Ecological Systems written by S.E. Jorgensen and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2004-07-06 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book presents a consistent and complete ecosystem theory based on thermodynamic concepts. The first chapters are devoted to an interpretation of the first and second law of thermodynamics in ecosystem context. Then Prigogine's use of far from equilibrium thermodynamic is used on ecosystems to explain their reactions to perturbations. The introduction of the concept exergy makes it possible to give a more profound and comprehensive explanation of the ecosystem's reactions and growth-patterns. A tentative fourth law of thermodynamic is formulated and applied to facilitate these explanations. The trophic chain, the global energy and radiation balance and pattern and the reactions of ecological networks are all explained by the use of exergy. Finally, it is discussed how the presented theory can be applied more widely to explain ecological observations and rules, to assess ecosystem health and to develop ecological models.

Download or read book Life Under Glass written by Abigail Alling and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is a revised second edition of the first edition. Second ed. includes foreword, introduction, and afterword materials provided by authors. The story itself is that of a two year experiment in the 1990s, the first fully closed system experiment in the world. The authors share the story of "living inside": from their fully self-sufficient diet, daily maintenance of the experiment, and the ways they kept themselves nourished, and entertained for their two years away from the world on the outside. The added edition will also include some highlights, lightly detailing a few of the findings of their experiment"--

Download or read book Ecological Microcosms written by Robert J. Beyers and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecological Microcosms is a seminal work which reviews the expanding field of enclosed ecosystem research, and relates the results and models of microcosm studies to general concepts in ecology. Microcosms are miniaturized pieces of our biosphere, ranging from streams and lakes to terraria, agroecosystems, and waste systems. The study of these simplified ecosystems is providing provocative insights into ecological principles as well as issues of environmental management and global stability. The authors have used the well-known thermodynamic approach of H.T. Odum and numerous computer simulations. The book also includes an evaluation of alternative mesocosm approaches for the support of humans in space, as well as appendices to aid in the teaching of environmental concepts using student-created microcosms. Ecological Microcosms will be of interest to ecologists, environmental engineers, policy makers and environmental managers, space scientists, and educators. Robert J. Beyers is a Professor of Biology at the University of South Alabama. Howard T. Odum is Graduate Research Professor of Environmental Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida, and was awarded, with Eugene Odum, the 1987 Crafoord Prize in the Biosciences.

Download or read book Open Ecosystems written by William J. Bond and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the geography, ecology, and antiquity of 'open ecosystems' which include grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.

Download or read book The Architecture of Closed Worlds written by Lydia Kallipoliti and published by Lars Muller Publishers/Storefront for Art and Architecture. This book was released on 2018-09 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do outer space capsules, submarines, and office buildings have in common? Each is conceived as a closed system: a self-sustaining physical environment demarcated from its surroundings by a boundary that does not allow for the transfer of matter or energy. Contemporary discussions about global warming, recycling, and sustainability have emerged as direct conceptual constructs related to the study and analysis of closed systems. From the space program to countercultural architectural groups experimenting with autonomous living, this publication documents a disciplinary transformation and the rise of a new environmental consensus in the form of a synthetic naturalism. It presents an archive of 39 historical living prototypes from 1928 to the present that put forth an unexplored genealogy of closed resource regeneration systems. Prototypes are presented through unique discursive narratives with historical images, and each includes new analysis in the form of a feedback drawing that problematizes the language of environmental representation by illustrating loss, derailment, and the production of new substances and atmospheres.

Download or read book The Human Experiment written by Jane Poynter and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2006-08-18 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It's a story that has never been told … until now. Imagine being sealed into a closed environment for two years — cut off from the outside world with only seven other people — enduring never-ending hunger, severely low levels of oxygen, and extremely difficult relationships. Crew members struggled to survive in Biosphere 2, where they swore nothing would go in or out — no food or water, not even air — all in the name of science. For the first time, biospherian Jane Poynter — who lived and loved in the Biosphere — is ready to share what really happened in there. She takes readers on a riveting, fast-paced trip through shattered lives, scientific discovery, cults, love, fears of insanity, and inspiring human endurance. The eight biospherians who closed themselves into the Biosphere emerged 730 days later… much wiser, thinner, and having done what many had said was impossible.