Biological Terraforming: Astroecology, Ecological Engineering, and Sustainable Biosphere Design for Exoplanets

Biological Terraforming: Astroecology, Ecological Engineering, and Sustainable Biosphere Design for Exoplanets Could living ecosystems help make barren worlds habitable? Life shapes its environment. Microorganisms recycle nutrients, plants influence atmospheric chemistry, and ecosystems connect soil, water, climate, and geology. Understanding these relationships is central to studying planetary habitability—and imagining how sustainable habitats might function beyond Earth. Biological Terraforming explores the science behind these possibilities, bringing together astroecology, astrobiology, ecological engineering, microbiology, and planetary science. It examines how living systems develop, maintain stability, and respond to environmental change, while considering the challenges of applying Earth's ecological principles to unfamiliar worlds. From microbial communities to planetary biospheres, this book investigates the interactions that sustain life. It connects established ecological processes with questions about closed habitats, engineered ecosystems, and the potential habitability of distant planets, distinguishing current scientific understanding from future possibilities. Inside, you'll explore: - Planetary habitability, habitable zones, atmospheric conditions, and the environmental limits of life - Earth as a reference for studying Mars, ocean worlds, rocky exoplanets, and super-Earths - Energy flow, biodiversity, ecological succession, and ecosystem resilience - Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water cycles in natural and closed ecological systems - Soil microbiomes, biofilms, plant communities, and mycorrhizal relationships - Symbiosis, mutualism, and the role of biological cooperation in ecosystem stability - Climate regulation, biosphere feedbacks,…