A Biosphere in a Bottle

Transcription

1 The BioBottle Project A Biosphere in a Bottle Mrs. Boyd

2 What is a BioBottle? A simplified ecosystem contained within a sealed, 2-3L soda bottle ( Closed Ecological System ) Can be terrestrial, aquatic or a combination A student-designed, synthesis activity illustrating an understanding of biogeochemical cycles, food webs, and energy transfer

3 Advanced Design Construction of a multi-bottle Biosphere Using multiple bottles to connect 2-3 biomes Aquatic & Terrestrial Wicks and screens Sealing issues

4 The Assignment Each group of 5 students must seal a clear container so that no matter can enter or leave it. The Goal is to include a community of organisms that is planned to balance each other in their chemical needs and waste products and to provide an energy flow from the light that enters the container to all living things inside The test period will run for 1.5 weeks A formal, written report will be produced at the end of the experience consisting of: Plan (due 10-10!) Construction Charts/Diagrams Observational Records Conclusion

5 The PLAN (due 10-10!) Required prior to construction Must include: A. Type of container and method of sealing it airtight. B. Type of physical environment -- land, freshwater, saltwater or combination. C. Non-living objects such as dirt, sand, gravel, wood, shells, etc. D. Water source (tap, bottled, drinking, purified, aquarium, ocean, synthetic ocean) E. Fertilizing agents added, if any (soil water, Miracle Grow). F. A list of the major plants and animals you plan to include and their approximate relative numbers. Be sure to plan for greater amounts of life on the lower parts of the energy pyramid! G. Give the source of each organism (where you will get it from)

6 Plan continued Biotic components must include at least one producer, consumer, and decomposer. Include numbers and source Most Important: Rationale for Success discuss WHY you think your Bottle Biosphere will survive for 1.5 weeks once sealed. Discuss the needs of each organism and how those needs will be met.

7 Construction (10-25 for p.3,4; 11-3 for p.5,6) Note the date of construction & date each organism is added. Plants may be started prior to addition of animals & sealing Include as complete a list of macroscopic organisms. Provide the source of each organism as a clue as to what other life forms may be hitching a ride. Also note if you rinsed the organisms prior to adding them to your biobottle Record the condition of all organisms in your biobottle on construction day Record the actual amount (mass, size or number) of each organism sealed into your biosphere Explain any modifications made from the original plan Describe your construction methods how did you build the thing?! Include in the construction report anything else that you think is interesting as you build your system

8 BioBottle Equipment Construction Equipment: Clear plastic bottle heavy-duty, clear box tape Screen for multi bottle projects extra balloons/caps

9 Charts & Diagrams Purpose: to illustrate how life may be able to survive in your biosphere Must have 5 charts: Food web (1) how light energy is converted to food energy and cycled through your biosphere Biogeochemical Cycle Chart (4) how materials found in living things cycle through the biotic and abiotic components of your biosphere. (carbon, hydrologic, nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur cycles) Each diagram must be on unlined paper not less than 8.5x11 inches. NOT A POSTER! All drafting and lettering should be neat and clear Labeled, carefully drawn pictures of all organisms in your biosphere should be included. Must be in color!

10 Observational Records Careful, detailed and dated observational records are essential in analyzing what is going on inside your biobottle and evaluating the success of your design Make your 1 st observation immediately after sealing! Thereafter, each member of the team will make a detailed observation every class day, or more often if you notice rapid changes within your biosphere Each group member will make 3 observations for a total of 15.

11 Sample Observation: Name, Date, Time: Each observation should include a mention of each macroscopic organism changes in their quantity, size, condition and behavior appearance of the water, soil, sediment and the sides of the biosphere

12 Conclusion (open bottles on 11-3 p.3,4; p.5,6) So what happened and what have you learned?? First Part - a survey of what organisms are still alive, in what quantities, and in what condition Second Part - an explanation of facts that you learned from keeping a record of observations Third Part improvements and changes. How would you re-design your experiment a second time? What new information would you seek to gather? Give a reason for each change. Fourth Part- Explain how your bottle is similar to a real ecosystem. Explain the limitations of your model ecosystem and how it does not completely represent a real ecosystem.

13 Common Issues, Rules, and Questions 1. Keep it simple!! 2. No mammals, birds or poisonous organisms 3. Remember the 10% rule 4. Lots of decomposers in soil, but aquatics need natural sediments or gravel from a working fish tank 5. No colonial organisms (ants, bees, termites, etc)

14 Common Issues, Rules, and Questions (cont.) 6. What do plants do at night?? 7. Be sure to leave some room in your bottle for an atmosphere 8. What will be the relative humidity in your bottle? Are your organisms adapted to that? 9. Where can you get your organisms? a) pet stores b) bait shops c) self-collected d) plant nurseries

15 Common Issues, Rules, and Questions (cont.) 10. Do I fail if my bottle crashes? 11. Do I have to open up my bottle at the end? 12. What do I do with everything when the experiment is over? 13. Other questions??

16 What works well in a Bottle Biosphere? Aquatics: anacharis/elodea Indian waterweed (Hygrophila polysperma) seed snails (often on the anacharis) zebra danios common guppies betas critical gravel from working fishtank or substrate from a natural source! Warning!! Many aquaria plants are non-native invasives. NEVER dispose of these plants (or any store-bought organisms) into the environment.

17 What works well in a Bottle Biosphere? Terrestrial: grasses other ground covers the leafier the plants, the better! isopods (roly-poly/pill bug) large variety of self-collected insects crickets worms (must have good drainage!) 10% rule(avoid 4th trophic level) Warning: 100% humidity level inside biobottle crickets mold and moths stick to the sides!

18 Report due on p.3,4 Report due on p.5,6

19 Cover page: title, date, names, period Plan that was previously graded Construction description Color diagrams (5) Observations (15- very detailed observations) Conclusion 75 pts total