Implications of a Single-Biome Colony

First, the planet: close enough to Earth in mass and density, orbit and orbital period, rotation, axial tilt and average temperatures as to make no odds. Nitrogen/Oxygen atmosphere close enough to Earth's own and around 70% water coverage.

However, most of the planet's landmasses are completely lifeless. There is no native life on this planet and never has been.

Due to the climate, seasons, temperatures, gravity, breathable atmosphere and clean water, introduced Earth life can survive.

And now, the colony: For various reasons, the only land-based life on the planet is limited to one landmass about twice the area of Britain and with a similar temperate marine climate.

The other landmasses could support life but none has been introduced to them.

For related reasons, most of the flora and fauna on the colonised landmass is introduced from Britain, as are most of the human inhabitants.

Imports from Earth are rare, sporadic and random - such that they cannot be relied upon and the colonists are more or less wholly reliant on what they can produce locally.

This is going to be, in part, a deconstruction of Single-Biome Planet, so problems needn't be handwaved away - but some attempt to work around them would be expected.

Some problems I can see are: natural fibres are going to be limited - cotton and jute won't grow well enough in that climate to make them viable. Linen, hemp and wool are probably going to be the mainstays.

I'm not sure if white mulberry would grow there well enough that silk worms could be bred - perhaps someone from the UK could clarify this.

Unnatural fibres are also likely to be limited as there is are no fossil oil or coal deposits from which to manufacture petrochemicals.

I'm also thinking that since this landmass is the only part of the planet that has had life introduced, migratory birds are going to be screwed - there would be no warm southern climes to which to migrate.

Specific plants that I would like advice on, as to whether they would be able to grow naturally in that climate, are tea plants (predominently those used for black tea) and coffee plants. Would such plants, if accidentally introduced, survive well enough to be later discovered and actively cultivated.

I know they should thrive in greenhouses, but I'm specifically thinking in terms of survival in the wild.

As to aquatic life, I'm at a loss. Earth's oceans are complex interrelated ecologies, so merely dumping a few Earth specimens into the waters off the coast of the landmass is not likely to result in a stable environment.

Fresh water fish - at least those whose life-cycles do not include migrations to the ocean to breed - should be a possibility, though.

Any other ramifications of having pretty much all of the life on the planet limited to one fairly minor landmass that others can think of would me most appreciated.

Would the lack of existence of vast rainforests in other parts of the planet affect things?

Thanks in advance.

Since birds are quite important in keeping pests down, I'd make sure to give them a place to fly to for the cold season.

Certain plants do better in certain climates - the UK is not the most fertile of wine-making countries, for example, but it does have its share of beers and ales. I think the problem would be more in how many people need to eat how much, and whether there's space and manpower left over to grow anything less necessary than supergrains and soybeans.

No, the oceans will require something along the lines of a Red Dwarf style aquaforming process (why hello enormous squid). I'd pick a landmass with a large lake in it, if I had the choice, and grow/farm freshwater fish.

Depending on the climate, they'd rely on solar or wind power. If they stick to the coasts, there's also tidal, and I'd take any chance to try out geothermal.

The lack of forests or algae would bring the oxygen/nitrogen mix into question. Actually, that's the part that would make this all really unlikely.

Thanks for that.

I was thinking perhaps some form of chemical process to release oxygen or, failing that, introduction of anaerobic bacteria, as my understanding is that our oxygen atmosphere initially formed due to bacterial action.

I'm thinking that there would probably be sufficient quantities of non-migratory birds to keep insects in check, it's not like every bird migrates. With the migratory species gone, there will be niches to fill, to be sure, but those niches can be opportunities for other species to diversify.

I definitely like the idea of actively farming freshwater fish in large lakes - and possibly even artificial lakes/streams designed to maximise breeding.

Geothermal power for definite, wind, tidal, hydroelectric and solar energy are also possible.

"Current" population of the colony is less than that of Greater London, so it's not like they'd need the energy generation capabilities of the UK.

Life finds a way. Unless the life is actively contained (e.g. by putting a giant impenetrable dome over the colony), it will find its way to the other continents sooner or later. Probably sooner.

So you mean the oxygen isn't naturally occurring, but was extracted artificially by the colonists?

This is quite difficult to do on a large scale, and the easiest way (that we know of) is simply to introduce algae and plants and let them reproduce and go to work on the CO2. This would create a local ecosystem as a side effect, so you wouldn't end up with a lifeless planet.

edited 12th Aug '14 8:42:23 PM by Meklar

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Natural oxygen would be best, presuming there's some way it could happen naturally without cyanobacteria since the planet hasn't its own life.

Failing that, via the introduction of algae and plants. The idea is that plant life, predominently from the British Isles, is introduced and then later various animals were introduced prior to the arrival of humans.

I know life would find a way but since the nearest land masses are a fair way off, it might take some time for seeds and such to spread beyond that one landmass.

I'm thinking in terms of plants being introduced about 500 years ago, fish, birds and other small-to-large animals about 150-200 years later and humans only arriving on the scene about 200 years ago.

I figure that 300 years should be ample for forests to cover that landmass - but probably not for them to have spread thousands of miles over oceans - prior to the arrival of the first human settlers.

Or is that unrealistic?

Eh. If it were me, it would go something like "they seeded the whole landmass, just to be sure. And just to really be sure, they did it two more times after that."

Atmospheric oxygen without biological processes to produce it is...unlikely, to say the least. The whole reason we use oxygen in our metabolism is that it's pretty damn reactive. And reactive compounds tend not to stick around in that form for long, so unless something is constantly resupplying the O2, eventually it'll all react away.

Reality is for those who lack imagination.

So any idea how long it'd take for introduced cyanobacteria and plants to change a reducing atmosphere, similar to Earth's ancient atmosphere, to an oxidising one?

It took ages here on Earth but "we" had to wait for the stuff to evolve.

A non-biotic terrestrial planet within its star's habitable zone would likely have a very carbon dioxide rich atmosphere, allowing for respiration of plants. The hydrological and geological processes would largely be unaffected (aside from markedly increased weathering). The oceans would also have increased acidity due to dissolution of CO 2.

Significant portions of the planet would need to be forested to allow for natural oxygenation. Prokaryotic cells alone took a few billion years to do it. Modern vascular plants would probably only need a few thousand years if placed in significant numbers. The problem is that the soils would not be very fertile, and would need to be tilled and fertilized properly. Flood plains and coastal areas would be the ideal location for planting as the soil would be very well saturated. Of course, without animal life to counterbalance it, an overabundance of oxygen would create a very volatile atmosphere. Violent lightning and fire storms would be common as they were in the Carboniferous.

Believe it or not, the upper atmosphere of Venus is actually very Earth-like. Breathable air on Venus is less dense than the rest of its atmosphere, so it rises to the top like helium does here. Self-sustaining floating cities could potentially be the more realistic option. Less pesky terrestrial issues to worry about.

edited 13th Aug '14 2:09:37 PM by Thelostcup

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Looks like a major rethink of the location is required.

Thanks.

I guess it depends on many conditions. If the oceans are wide with no islands, and windspeeds are low, it might be very unlikely for a seed to make the trip. However, in the real world, there are often islands in the ocean, and while small relative to continents, they can still act as 'stepping stones' allowing plants to spread more widely.

Also, apparently coconuts have actually evolved so that the nuts float across the ocean and wash up and grow on beaches on other islands. I'm not sure what other plants might also do this, but at any rate, these could spread very far over water.

If there's any volcanic activity on the planet, then sooner or later, pumice rafts will take pretty much everything pretty much everywhere. It's just a question of statistics.

300 years might be enough for plants to cover the area they were seeded on and establish a fairly balanced ecosystem. However, I doubt it would be long enough to convert large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere to oxygen, enough to make it breathable for humans. Especially considering that the main CO2-converting biomes on Earth are the oceans and the tropical rainforests. Northern european plants, living in their native climate, won't work as fast. Of course, converting the CO2 and methane will reduce the greenhouse effect, cooling the planet, so maybe the planet could be originally seeded with tropical plants that are then replaced with cold-weather plants as the atmosphere cools down.

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Does your story allow for the possibility of introducing certain genetically engineered organisms?

No. The idea behind it is more an "accidental" seeding - some sort of wormhole between Earth and there through which seeds, animals etc "fall".

Oh! Well that makes things easier. The wormhole works through conservation of mass - Earth and Terra have been 'trading' things for 300 years, and this includes the atmosphere.

Wait, would that even work?

I'm thinking that either the wormhole comes-and-goes/opens-and-shuts or varies in size from miniscule to large enough for a fully-grown Cape Buffalo to pass through. (Not that one is likely to pass through, but about that size).

Naturally, our atmosphere could leak through just as easy as any other matter or lifeform.

The wormhole is one-way - nothing's ever come through from there to here.

There's not much to leak over, on a dead planet, so we may just not have noticed it. Dead alien soil will look like living local soil in... hm. That's a question for someone with An Doctorate in An Science, but not more than 5 years I think.

Plus, if it's a just a mass for equivalent mass exchange, you could trade a bison-sized creature for that much CO 2. The bison would die from asphyxiation or starvation on Terra, and the CO 2 would become oxygen through photosynthesis(?) on Earth. But then! The bison came with various germs and such that... well, quickly die, for the same reasons as the bison.

Do that enough, and you won't have the necessary minerals in the soil so much as the ingredients for such when the worms get brought over.

Something with the mass of a bison would be an utterly insignificant thing to Terra or Earth, both planets with 1g gravity. This sort of exchange could go on for thousands of years without anyone being able to confirm it properly (and depending on the explanation for why Terra is so like Earth in many respects except life, the stuff being 'sent over' may even have the same 'markers' as the local stuff).

So a one-way gate/portal/wormhole wouldn't be plausible?

Part of the plot I have in mind is predicated on there being "no way back" for anyone/anything that falls through from Earth.

Pretty bad news for any humans or other animals that fall through in the "early days", until such time as plants get established and make the atmosphere breathable (as well as provide nutrition for herbivores, that would in turn provide nutrition for carnivores) but once that "happy state" is reached, it means that humans falling through will find a breathable atmosphere as well as vegetation and game on which to survive.

Since domesticated animals should also fall through in sufficient numbers to form stable, genetically diverse, populations, there should be some of those that have gone feral and could be captured and re-domesticated.

But basically, once people have wound up there, they're there for good.

Losing occasional small masses shouldn't affect Earth too much, especially not when spread across millenia.

I don't think a one-way wormhole isn't plausible, just that it's A) effectively teleportation, B) seems 'intelligent' if it can be so picky, and C) harder to use from a story perspective.

I mean, if it's two-way (equivalent exchange), that's a means for Earth to eventually discover the existence of Terra as well as a explanation for its odder aspects (especially the presence of oxygen without life to produce it). So long as the wormhole 'takes' things randomly, beyond the means of someone trapped on Terra to predict, it's a one-way ticket.

That being said, the physical matter required to cause the wormhole effect to come into existence would have to either be from the Terra side (we sure as hell don't have it here!) or from somewhere 'in the middle' as it were.

I would make it leftover tech from some long-dead advanced civilization, that's been running on its own for some reason.

It depends how closely you examine it. If it doesn't mix with terrestrial soil, then even after thousands or possibly millions of years of plants growing in it, the isotope ratios will still be off, and a close examination will reveal this. However, I daresay most parts of the Earth have not been examined that closely, and alien soil in a remote area could go unnoticed for some time. Also, in the real world, the soil will mix with what we have here, quickly disguising its unusual origin.

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I want it to be more like "teleportation" in that stuff is not "exchanged" and nothing comes back to Earth.

As to Earth discovering the existence of the other world (I'm not even sure it's actually in our universe or a neighbouring one), there's no need for that to happen - except inasmuch as individual people from Earth discover it exists when they wind up there (by which time, they're rather buggered.)

I don't know what you mean by "harder to use from a story perspective" - the world itself, the society that has arisen on it and the people who wind up there are the important parts; all the "wormhole"/portal/whatever does is ensure that things get there and no one gets back.

What kind of society arises between people who would be lucky if they could trade a few words in a common language, and have realized that they have zero hope of ever getting home?

Imagine being trapped in a cave hundreds of miles below the surface, with a bunch of other people from other countries. There's food and water and a UV generator. What government forms between you, total strangers to one another? Why do you wake up after a certain amount of sleep? What do you hope for after five years there, besides 'I want to see my homeland again' or 'I want a pistol, a bullet, and some privacy'?

('hey, you assholes - this bullet's the wrong caliber!'

'yes that is true - now get back to work!')

Terra does not have the food, the water's going to be difficult to find - but at least it has a sun.

What I mean is that, if it's one-way and there's no contact between Terra and Earth at all, there's no difference between it and an ironic Hell as far as the very first few arrivals are concerned. Particularly if they don't know the local (UK-based) vegetation they have to survive on. And especially if they have no tools or tech except what they have on their person (depending on what thsoe are, there may be no way to fix them when they break).

Getting past that point, and to an era where their basic needs are being met socially (including electricity), will require an enormous timeskip, and unless I'm greatly mistaken that's where you're planning your story; I'm thinking of what happens in year one.

I'd be very interested in how they get to the point of a London-class population, in fact. I think there might be an epic there.

(EDIT: And this may have come out more aggressively than I intended, for which I apologize.)

edited 19th Aug '14 1:57:02 PM by DeusDenuo

The Earth end of the portal mostly only varies a few hundred kilometres, so the majority of the people coming through do speak a common language and have a fairly similar culture - English and that of the UK, respectively.

As to "Day One", depends on how you define it.

If we're talking when the gateway first opens up and things "fall through" from Earth, then pretty much any animal life, including human, is dead pretty quickly, as is most plant life.

And so it goes for quite some time until cyanobacteria and plants from Earth turn the atmosphere into something breathable to animals and provide sufficient food for the animals.

Since the both the plants and animals coming through are from Britain, the animals should have little difficulty in recognising and metabolising the plants on "Terra".

If we take "Day one" as being "When humans first start arriving in a world that can actually sustain them" (a world with breathable atmosphere and a stable-enough ecology), then how things progress from there depends on what part of Earth's past it correlates to.

I'm not thinking in terms of this "only just starting to happen", this is something that's been going on for considerable time and that humans could survive there as far back as our 5th Century.

This means that the first unwilling/unwitting "colonists" are not modern city pansies who can't go five metres from a convenience store without anxiety attacks, but rather farmers, field workers (most likely mainly serfs due to the sheer number) who actually know how to feed themselves with wild plants and know how to cultivate crops, domesticate animals they've caught and various other "primitive" skills that the average modern city pansy knows nothing about.

They won't all be simple serfs, so some coming through will bring useful skills, including how to work iron, how to identify ores etc.

They will be able to communicate with one another and they'd be arriving in pretty large numbers in the early days (I'm thinking that these days the gateway is often too small to accommodate human-sized animals, reducing the number of modern humans that vanish from Earth each year) so they should have no difficulty forming a society, breeding etc.

Over the years later arrivals will turn up - bringing more-modern English, ideas, such technology happens to be on them, skills etc - adding to the population, breeding amongst themselves and with the locals, so there should be a reasonable-sized population by the time we get to "now".

Plenty of time to progress from primitive medieval society and technology, especially with people arriving who know how things work in their most basic forms.

Sure, they're not going to have television, internet etc, even if arrivals do know how to use/repair/maintain those things, but there's a lot of things that are in the scope of modern hobbyists or suitably-skilled people from days of yore.

If I found myself transported back into Shakespeare's time and met the right craftspeople, I could get what I need to build electric motors, primary batteries, generators, telegraph, point-to-point telephone - and about three days later, people who are actually employed to craft things would be improving on my crude constructions.

Ah, gotcha.

Then the only real problem is metal tools, and what you'd plow with (that is, what you've got hitched to that ox you got really lucky and found).

Finding the metal will take time, much less the means to work it.

The only problem is where the oxygen comes from. Without an open portal somewhere up in the atmosphere, I dont see how it can plausibly be done.

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history."

I was thinking in terms of the oxygen being generated by cyanobacteria and seeds that have come through from Earth at some point in the planet's past and kick-started an oxygenation event.

Bearing in mind that those things are always falling through from Earth and, statistically, in greater numbers than animals.

For a large chunk of the planet's past, any insects and larger animals falling through are going to die from lack of food and oxygen, but after the atmosphere has been oxygenated, animals should start to survive - insects at first, larger animals later.