ABSTRACT
NASA: At this time, a fully materially closed system of large scale and complexity has not yet been built. However, Biosphere 2--a unique "living" Earth laboratory--is an example of a large (3.15 acres) and biologically complex (several thousand terrestrial plant species) system that can be operated with minimal exchange of ambient substances (annual exchange of materials is estimated to be approximately 10%). Biosphere 2 provides a multidisciplinary platform for scientific studies related to both Earth system processes and microcosms of the Earth that may be transported into space. The scale and versatility of the facility make Biosphere 2 a unique place to support integrated research and educational activities. The Biosphere 2 Global Change Testbed world wide web server has been developed to facilitate such activities by disseminating information about the facility, as well as current research and education efforts. Currently, these efforts focus of studies on carbon and other elemental cycles, coral reef ecology and physiology, stable isotopic research, studies in biodiversity, and ecophysiological studies of plant responses to elevated CO2. The Biosphere 2 Global Change Testbed web server is briefly described, and goals for use of the server to promote research and education endeavors are outlined.^ieng
