What is a mesocosm ?
A mesocosm is a usually very small and limited ecosystem that doens't touch the rest of the world at any time. Those mesocosms are usually made in bottles or jam glasses. The special thing about them is that they recycle all the nutrients completely on their own so they don't need to be watered or feed at any time. The water can't leave the glass because the glass has to be closed airtightly. This means that the molecules that are used to form water again can't vaporize. Instead they stay in the glass or the bottle and can be used again. Plants are producing oxygen by photosynthesis as long as they get sunlight, but when it is dark they start to respire which guarantees that the plant can't die because it produces the gases that it needs at the moment and can grow without any problems. Of course, there is a limitation of the growth of the plant because firstly the size of the bottle isn't infinite and so there is a limited space and secondly there is also a limited amount of resources in form of inorganic nutrients.
How do you set up a mesocosm ?
First of all, you need a conainer for your mesocosm. As I said usually this are bottles or glasses, but the most important thing is that the container is airtight. Otherwise this mesocosm wouldn't be an independent ecosystem. Then you need some layers of soil like it appears in the nature. I first took a layer of coal, then of gravel and then a bit sand. On top you should definitely put a layer of compost to give the microcosm the important nutrients. Then you need of course a few plant seeds or a few parts of another plant. This you should put on top of the soil. Take care that the layers don't mix too much. Then put a little bit water in the container, but watch out because 10-15 ml for a jam glass should be more than enough. After this you have to close it that there is no air circulation between the environment and the mesocosm. Then put the container in the neath of a window to guarantee that the plants get enough light to grow.
Where are mesocosms used ?
Mesocosms are very good to rebuilt the natural environment of mainly autotrophs or heterotrophs that can live in a limited space. With those mesocosms it is very easy to copy the abiotic factors from the place the organism is taken from. The abiotic factors can be changed quite easily so that the behaviour of the organism due to climate chages or gas contents in the air can get studied. Plants for example which usually grow in the deepest jungle can be studied in a laboratory in England without bigger troubles. Also plants or fish which live in the deep sea can be watched and their behaviour analysed. By finding out those information we can deduce the characteristics of organisms from former times and how the environment looked in those days.
My own mesoocosm in a am glass:
A mesocosm is a usually very small and limited ecosystem that doens't touch the rest of the world at any time. Those mesocosms are usually made in bottles or jam glasses. The special thing about them is that they recycle all the nutrients completely on their own so they don't need to be watered or feed at any time. The water can't leave the glass because the glass has to be closed airtightly. This means that the molecules that are used to form water again can't vaporize. Instead they stay in the glass or the bottle and can be used again. Plants are producing oxygen by photosynthesis as long as they get sunlight, but when it is dark they start to respire which guarantees that the plant can't die because it produces the gases that it needs at the moment and can grow without any problems. Of course, there is a limitation of the growth of the plant because firstly the size of the bottle isn't infinite and so there is a limited space and secondly there is also a limited amount of resources in form of inorganic nutrients.
How do you set up a mesocosm ?
First of all, you need a conainer for your mesocosm. As I said usually this are bottles or glasses, but the most important thing is that the container is airtight. Otherwise this mesocosm wouldn't be an independent ecosystem. Then you need some layers of soil like it appears in the nature. I first took a layer of coal, then of gravel and then a bit sand. On top you should definitely put a layer of compost to give the microcosm the important nutrients. Then you need of course a few plant seeds or a few parts of another plant. This you should put on top of the soil. Take care that the layers don't mix too much. Then put a little bit water in the container, but watch out because 10-15 ml for a jam glass should be more than enough. After this you have to close it that there is no air circulation between the environment and the mesocosm. Then put the container in the neath of a window to guarantee that the plants get enough light to grow.
Where are mesocosms used ?
Mesocosms are very good to rebuilt the natural environment of mainly autotrophs or heterotrophs that can live in a limited space. With those mesocosms it is very easy to copy the abiotic factors from the place the organism is taken from. The abiotic factors can be changed quite easily so that the behaviour of the organism due to climate chages or gas contents in the air can get studied. Plants for example which usually grow in the deepest jungle can be studied in a laboratory in England without bigger troubles. Also plants or fish which live in the deep sea can be watched and their behaviour analysed. By finding out those information we can deduce the characteristics of organisms from former times and how the environment looked in those days.
My own mesoocosm in a am glass: