Science Climate

Abstract: By studying Earth systems and the ideas behind Daisyworld, it was found that the planet is a self-regulating system. Through a series of feedback loops between life and its environment, it seems that living organisms have the ability to affect the climate of the planet. Just like these organisms are able to regulate the temperature, the climate of the planet regulates the existence of life. This cycle is what maintains the stable and homeostatic environments that are established on planet Earth.

Introduction: Invented by James Lovelock and Andrew Watson in the 1970's, Daisyworld is a theoretical model of a plant that orbits around the sun just as planet Earth does. Demonstrating the principle of Gaia, Daisyworld suggests that living organisms regulate the planet, and the planet temperatures regulate life. Through this coupling between life and its environment, a self regulating system evolves. As the sun radiates down on Daisyworld, which is a barren land with black and white daisies, some light is reflected back into space and some is absorbed and transformed into heat, increasing the surface temperature of the planet. The amount of sunlight reaching Daisyworld alters the amount of energy available for the daisies to grow, and combined with the albedo of the daisies, the temperature of Daisyworld is defined.

To gain an understanding for the ways in which earth systems operate, this experiment aims to investigate:

* The relationship between life and its environment conditions

* How varying the luminosity of the sun effects the populations of the black and white daisies of Daisyworld

* The effects on the climate of Daisyworld as the albedo of the black and white daisies and the ground surface is varied

* The role of daisies in the regulation of the climate of Daisyworld.