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Eden Project Facts

 

The facts about the construction of the biomes, the visitor centre and landscaping of the old disused china clay pit in which it is located are amazing.  This is why 500,000 people came to visit during the year 2000, before the Eden project was even open.  Now it has been opened Eden has averaged 1.8million visitors per year.  The giant lean-to conservatories have been filled with 4,500 different species of plants from the humid rainforest and warm temperate regions of the world.  The giant amphitheatre has been landscaped and planted 

The facts about the construction of the biomes, (which are the largest geodesic lean-to conservatories in the world) and the site are breathtaking.

EDEN LINKS
The Eden Project Homepage   |   Eden Picture Gallery   
 

CORNISH HORIZONS ACCOMMODATION LINKS
If you would like to visit the Eden Project, why not stay in one of our cottages, houses, apartments etc. 
Use the Property search button at the top of this page to find a holiday property for you.


How are the Biomes constructed?
The Biomes are made up of hexagons that are approximately 9m across. The frame is galvanised tubular steel glazed with a triple layer of ETFE (Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene Co-Polymer) foil. ETFE is a transparent, recyclable foil and should last for at least 30 years. It is self cleaning as it is anti static. It is very strong, transparent to UV light, and is not degraded by sunlight. The whole structure is guaranteed maintenance free for at least 25 years.

How big are the Biomes?
The Humid Tropics Biome is 55 metres high, 100 metres wide,  200 metres long and covers an area of
15,590 square metres (1.55 hectares)
The Warm Temperate Biome is 35 metres high, 65 metres wide, 135 metres long and covers an area of
6,540 metre square (0.65 hectares)


Maintaining the climate in the covered Biomes.
The Climatic control is run by a sophisticated computerised systems for automatic ventilation and heating. This is assisted by:

1. having good insulation to conserve heat, and therefore energy. The three layers of ETFE foil within the hexagons are blown apart by air forming an insulating pillow

2.he conservatories are designed as 'lean-to greenhouses'. The back wall acts as a heat sink - absorbing heat in the day and releasing it at night

3.the plants. They themselves help to control the climate (eg when it gets hotter they give off more water and cool the air). The more plants there are, the easier it is to control the climate

4. heating is provided by a combined heat and power unit. Renewable sources will replace fossil fuels when the Eden Project can afford to implement the sustainable systems

 

Water collection and humidity
Water collected from  the roofs of the Biomes is used to water the plants and create the humidity in the Humid Tropics Biome. The biomes have an automatic watering system. In the tropics biome overhead sprays of water will simulate rainstorms  and the waterfall will help to create high humidity.

The Eden Project site.
The Total Site has an Area of 502,022 metres square (50 hectares). Of this 97,843 metres square (10 hectares) is  landscaped, 1,231 metres square is formed into a Lake and the Amphitheatre has an Area of  2,282 metres square (stage 700 mtr sq) and seats 2109 people

The plants
There are about 135,000 plants of 4,500 species in the biomes.  The Plants are raised in the nearby Eden Project nursery.  These are grown from seed and cuttings and brought in from nurseries, research stations, and botanic gardens all over the world.  They will take many years to mature and the  ecosystems will go through a series of developments that end in a climax vegetation. Pioneer vegetation will be steadily replaced by a climax vegetation (just as would occur in nature) within 15 years. Pioneer species in the tropics may grow 3 or 4 metres a year in height. (the tropical bamboo, Bambusa gigantica can grow up to 45 cm a day!) Trees are introduced into the Biomes at about 6m in height. 

Animals in the Biomes?
Certain species of birds (that fit in with the Biome environment), insects and reptiles, eg geckos are being introduced into the biomes, mainly to act as biological controls to control the pests.


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