The idea of ​​​​building a forest on Mars

The "forest bubble" will contain a 20-hectare ecosystem with trees, swamps, air currents and atmospheric pressure similar to those on Earth.

Simulation of a base on Mars with a glass dome. Photo: iStock

The Alien Nature Reserve (ETNR) will take the form of a forest inside a greenhouse-like bubble, designed to create an ecosystem on the red planet. This forest will allow people to experience the landscape back home, while also serving as a sustainable source of food and raw materials for the first settlers.

Botanist Paul Smith from the University of Bristol's department of civil engineering proposed the idea of ​​building green space on the desolate arid surface of Mars in a paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology . . In the paper, Smith describes the foundation for creating a thriving ecosystem on the red planet.

According to Smith, the challenges humans face on Mars include a harsh climate that is not conducive to life, high radiation and weak sunlight compared to Earth. Despite such challenges, some life forms on Earth can adapt to the Martian environment. He thinks that in terms of fauna, soil bacteria, fungi and invertebrates such as earthworms and spiders, all live on Mars. In terms of flora, juniper and birch trees can survive in low sunlight conditions.

Smith emphasized that we cannot create an exact replica of the forest on Earth on Mars. However, it is possible to develop a new ecosystem that behaves in an unexpected way. Smith's proposal indicates that small invertebrates are best suited to the Martian ecosystem because they are relatively small and can carry other cargo.

Currently, SpaceX is developing a fully reusable Starship spacecraft to save on flying costs and make manned missions to Mars a reality. The company recently conducted a static fire test with its Starship prototype before its maiden orbit.