Mars Has 38% of Earth’s Surface Gravity

Lower gravity on Mars allowed Olympus Mons to grow and become the tallest volcanic mountain in the solar system without collapsing inward or depressing the planetary crust. Mars should enable builders to construct lightweight structures with fewer height limits, and some very tall structures and wind generators powered by dust storms. Trees on Earth have a height limit because pushing the water for the plant beyond a certain height breaks the water transport veins (xylem embolism). That would not be the case on Mars, and trees might be adapted to grow twice as high as Redwoods within a suitable environment rich in carbon dioxide and sheltered from temperature extremes. Perhaps the trees can be covered with an expanding air leak-proof membrane and be the primary pillars of support in a self-bootstraping ecosystem.