So, I've been studying different subjects for weeks now and one of those is Environmental Studies. My book involves having to create new planets that can support life and later touches on the subject of terraforming. It's pretty much a large adventure broaching through different environments each with a specific environment and landmark. What I'm worried about is making it believable and wondering if there are angles I've yet to consider. My adjacent biomes are :| Desert > Grassland Steppe > Fungi Forest > Lake > "World" tree > Freshwater Swamp > Karst Fenster (sinkholes) > Mangrove > Coral Reef > Underwater Volcano > Island Network > Jungle Forest (river/waterfall) > Taiga > Mountain > Crystal Cave > Tundra The landmarks I've decided are :| Floating city, temple, moving tent city, Atlantis inspired underwater city, and then I draw a blank. I seem to be just doing variations on settlements. Bleh. My two questions :| 1) Do the biomes I listed work together adjacently? (Progression) 2) Are there any other natural or man-made landmarks I'm forgetting? I want to be able to attach something unique to each environment. Well, multiple things to be honest, though I can always work with flora & fauna.
I think they will work as long as they fall into there proper climates. Might have a canyons or valleys made naturally. Man-made maybe a spotting of small communities/towns dotting the biomes (except for the underwater one). You could have super-cities on the surface depending on your planets population. Or maybe giant mobile city structures. I mean you have an entire planet as your playgroud, so why not have some fun with it. Seems there is more planet than inhabitants. Will you be having this world inhabited strictly by Humans, or will there be other Species living there as well? Just some thoughts. Good luck and I hope this has been helpful in some capacity.
I am having some unique environmental features not present in Earth. Considering altering the time structure, Gravity, and oxygen levels. Could create unique physical anatomy (short, muscular, large, frail, etc.) or even be able to support flying giant whales with the appropriate levels. However, leaning toward waiting until further in the series so as to not overwhelm the readers. As I said, I'm working on creating unique environmental setting, development, and creatures to each biome. I'm limited by lack of proper knowledge thus research and study on certain subjects currently. My temperate deciduous forest / temperate rain forest setting is a fungi forest with incredibly tall (up to x10 larger than a redwood) tubular trees. They have a bowl upon the top to collect rain water, which due to being assisted by gravity, sends the water directly down to the tree roots. By not needing to draw moisture from the soil they can grow to immense heights. Due to this the the forest floor bed is damp and a perfect habit for fungi. Included, of course, are various flora species competing for the water in unique evolutionary traits to also obtain moisture and sunlight (considering dense "canopy" to promote lack of light for fungi). This environment effects the transitioning biomes as well. There is to be a ("world") tree ecosystem settlement called Ysil. The tree siphons water from the tubular tree network, granting it's almost unbelievable size. Plant pod guardians (seed imputed in corpse of creature), avian predators, etc. Now, the transition comes into being due to a plague. The tubular trees rot and decay, flooding the forest floor bed with polluted water. I.E. the swamp as a drainage and filter system. Ysil is steadily losing it's water sources, as well. Now, every biome has unique factors to it (Ysil / fungi forest is a single biome), including the swamp. However, that story can be told through the novel itself. The environmental transitional effect goes further by having the filtered swamp water flood, I.E. the mangrove. It will have the same tubular trees, but the floor bed will be water and the trees will be young and various of size. Thus the floating settlements (aquatic avian transportation) both on the water AND inside the bowl of the trees (unique structure, drainage aqueduct system). The book is a LitRPG, therefore has common fantasy creatures and self-created alien species. I've already created unique game mechanic systems. This includes "magic" (non traditional as most of my systems are) which functions as a form of technology (still fantasy), a unique character creation process, an improvised attribute, skill, and ability method of progression, and quite a few interesting surprises. I'm quite proud of my ability of world building, now I simply need to polish my writing and editorial skills. The KU market leans in the favor of my genre, so I'm excited. I'll have to find some good beta readers.
I think the biomes sound that they transition well, apart from one: Jungle-->Taiga. One is very warm, humid and equatorial while the other is cold, snowy and dry. Of course, it's somewhat difficult to say without having any other examples than Earth, but they are located thousands of miles away. You'd need another mountainous region perhaps, or a desert separating the two, would be one change, I think.
Taiga biomes are normally set by temperate forests. Thinking perhaps a transition into a forest-mountain turning into a taiga. Mmh, will work on that one.
