What Would Happen If We Replaced Natural Ecosystems with Artificial Ones?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the potential consequences of destroying all life forms on Earth and replacing them with selected trees, plants, and organisms necessary for human survival. There is also talk of bringing water from Mars and polluting certain areas of the Earth's oceans, as well as creating inland reservoirs for water. However, it is pointed out that eliminating all life forms, including trees, would have significant effects on the Earth's atmosphere and ecosystem. The conversation ends with the suggestion that life would eventually start over on Earth, but the specifics of when and how are uncertain.
  • #1
chound
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What would happen if we destroy all the life forms on Earth ?
Then we grow the trees and plants and some organisms(somelike dogs and cats could be replaced by robots ) which are necessary only for out survival?
We could mark the amzon forest and other tropical areas reserved for forests and remove all humas from there.

Bring water from Mars.
Pollute seas and rivers.
Or we could pollute some oceans and leave others clean?
And create inland reservoirs for water.
 
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  • #2
Some one answer it please.
 
  • #3
chound said:
What would happen if we destroy all the life forms on Earth ?
Then we grow the trees and plants and some organisms(somelike dogs and cats could be replaced by robots ) which are necessary only for out survival?
We could mark the amzon forest and other tropical areas reserved for forests and remove all humas from there.

If you destroyed all life forms, wouldn't that include us and all these plants and organisms you want to grow? Nature is a pretty delicate balancing act. Eliminating even one species can have a chain reaction on many species.

chound said:
Bring water from Mars.
What water on Mars? We have plenty of water on Earth anyway, so why try to find another planet to obtain it?

chound said:
Pollute seas and rivers.
Huh?

chound said:
Or we could pollute some oceans and leave others clean?

All the oceans are interconnected, so what you dump into one eventually gets to all of them. Why not just try to stop polluting instead of deciding to just selectively pollute?

chound said:
And create inland reservoirs for water.

We already have inland reservoirs for water.
 
  • #4
chound said:
What would happen if we destroy all the life forms on Earth ?
If all life forms on Earth were destroyed - an extraordinarily difficult thing to do by the way, there are bacteria living quite happily more than 10 km beneath the solid rock surface of ancient continental plates (e.g. Australia, Greenland) - the atmosphere would change (e.g. oxygen disappear), the average temperature would probably drop, weathering of rock would decrease (but the details would include great variation), ... and sometime before the Sun goes red giant, life would start all over again on Earth (whether from spontaneous abiogenesis or panspermia, who knows?).
 
  • #5
No
We plant trees in specific areas to give oxygen
 
  • #6
chound, you're being inconsistent. You are asking what will happen if we destroy ALL life forms, but then have trees spared for planting. Trees are a lifeform, so presumably you aren't destroying everything.

Trees also benefit from the nitrogen-producing bacteria in the soil, along with the other bacteria that break down the dead leaves back into other nutrients for the soil. Many require animals to carry their seeds (and deposit the seeds in a nice pile of fertilizer). Worms help aerate the soil. Insects and birds carry pollen the trees need for reproducing. You can't eliminate everything except the trees and expect the trees to survive.
 
  • #7
Er, the Earth would be another lifeless sphere floating in the void? Spontaneous abiogenesis would probably resume and probably on a more rapid timeline.
 
  • #8
Chronos said:
Er, the Earth would be another lifeless sphere floating in the void? Spontaneous abiogenesis would probably resume and probably on a more rapid timeline.

But the Earth now has an Oxygen bearing atmosphere, whereas the original prebiotic Earth did not. Surely that will affect the pace of biogenesis? Whether to accelerate, retard, or fully prevent, who can say?
 
  • #9
We can mechanically control all the proceses like areating theground, fixing nitrogen?
 
  • #10
chound said:
We can mechanically control all the proceses like areating theground, fixing nitrogen?

No, we don't currently have any way mechanically (or in any other way) replicate all those process. Why would we want to do that anyway when nature does a pretty good job of it already?
 

1. What is the most efficient way to destroy all lifeforms?

The most efficient way to destroy all lifeforms would likely be through the use of a biological or chemical agent that is highly contagious and lethal. This would ensure that the destruction of life would spread quickly and effectively.

2. Is it possible to completely destroy all life on Earth?

While it may be possible to significantly reduce or eliminate a large portion of life on Earth, it is highly unlikely that every single lifeform would be completely destroyed. Some resilient organisms may survive in extreme environments or underground.

3. Would destroying all life be beneficial for the Earth?

No, destroying all life would not be beneficial for the Earth. Life plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and the health of our planet. Without life, the Earth would become a barren and uninhabitable wasteland.

4. How long would it take to destroy all life on Earth?

The time it would take to destroy all life on Earth would depend on the method used and the adaptability of different organisms. It could potentially take anywhere from a few days to several years.

5. What would be the potential consequences of destroying all life on Earth?

The consequences of destroying all life on Earth would be catastrophic. It would lead to the collapse of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, and the disruption of crucial ecological processes. It would also have a significant impact on the global climate and could potentially lead to the extinction of the human race.

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