Authors:
Ricard Solé
Publication Date:
2021
Abstract/Summary:
Semiarid ecosystems are threatened by global warming due to longer dehydration times and
increasing soil degradation. Mounting evidence indicates that, given the current trends,
drylands are likely to expand while crossing several aridity thresholds, including catastrophic
shifts from vegetated to desert states. Here, I present a recent suggestion based on the
concept of ecosystem terraformation, where a synthetic organism is used to counterbalance
some of the nonlinear effects causing the presence of such tipping points. Using models
incorporating facilitation and considering a simplification, we investigate how engineered
microorganisms can shape the fate of these ecosystems. We show that small modifications
enhancing cooperative loops can effectively protect drylands from experiencing critical
transitions. Additionally, we will discuss the concept of “ecological firewalls” as a communitylevel
containment phenomenon that can act as an effective limit to the spread of the synthetic
microbial strain and about future prospects for experimental implementations of this
bioengineering approach.
Resource Type:
Conference Presentation
Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program
Source:
SERE2021