Have you ever seen an ecosystem in a jar or bottle before? Did you wonder what it is and how it works? Or even how to create your own mini ecosphere? Well, we’ve got you covered! In this article we are going to explore the ins and outs of ecosystems in jars.
An ecosystem in a jar is nothing more than a jar, bottle, or glass filled with natural elements like stones, soil, moss, and a bit of murky water. The interesting thing about these mini ecosystems is that they are closed systems, meaning that they are self-sustaining and don’t need any human intervention.
What is an Ecosystem in a Jar?
Essentially, a mini ecosystem, also referred to as biosphere or ecosystem in a jar or bottle, is a small-scale representation of our big-scale ecosystem. Usually it is nothing else than organic matter like stones, wood, soil, moss, and water placed in a glass jar with lid.
The fascinating thing about a biosphere in a container is that it is self-sustaining and doesn’t need any external input, except of sun. So after placing the natural materials in the jar and closing the lid, you can just wait and observe how your small-scale ecosystem develops. Pretty cool, right?
The use-cases for an ecosystem in a jar can vary but most of the times it is used as decoration and hardscape design, as a winter gardening activity, or as a way to educate children about ecosystem and sustainability in a practical way.
How does an Ecosystem in a Jar work?
An ecosystem in a jar works just like a “real” ecosystem. As a byproduct of photosynthesis, oxygen is produced by plants and algae. The plants require both nitrogen and oxygen, both of which the animals and other living organisms breathe out as carbon dioxide. Also, the animals’ waste (poop) contains nitrogen, which the plants need to survive. You’ll quickly notice that some of your first inhabitants will be worms. In addition to eating algae, worms also maintain a healthy ecosystem.
In addition to eating decaying plants and snail excrement, bacteria and other microbes provide plants with carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients through waste production. Finally, condensation keeps the water cycle going in the closed system. You’ill actually see the ecosystem’s water cycle in real time as the sun evaporates extra water and then condenses on the sides of the jar, only to drip back down to keep the moss hydrated.
Ultimately, these interdependencies between the plants and animals create a circular system, which can sustain itself in the long-term.
When oberving your ecosystem in a bottle in detail, you’ll notice all these things. Trust me, this can be really fascinating!
What is an Ecosystems in a Jar used for?
1. Home design
If you’ve ever seen a mini ecosystem in a jar before you know how soothing it can be to just watch the small organisms grow and change over time. But having a micro-ecosystem is not only calming for your mind but also for your interior home design.
Placing an ecosystem in a jar in your home or even integrating it in your interior design or hardscaping elements can make your home look more green, alive, as well as stylish. Nowadays it’s modern to be green and have plants in your place, so why not adding a biosphere in a jar. In fact, having a small ecosystem next to your window can green up your life considerably.
If you are using a bottle for your mini ecosystem, make sure to use one out of glass, as plastic is not nice to look at and can yellow quickly.
2. Cultivation of plants & micro-organisms
This one is quite obvious. A micro-ecosystem in a jar can be used to cultivate smaller plants and microorganisms, as they can grow in a protected and independent environment. The only thing it takes is a bit of sun and the right temperature.
In fact, you can use an ecosystem in a jar to cultivate everything from vegetables over flowers to seeds for trees. There’s really no limit! In case you would like to cultivate and raise roses, keep in mind that there are specific seasons when roses bloom best.
3. Sustainability education
Finally, most of the times ecoystems in jars or bottles are used as a way to educate about how our ecosytems work and how they sustain themselves in the long term. This is especially interesting whie discussing the topic of sustainability, whether it’s in the kindergarten, at school, or at university.
Creating an ecosystem in a jar is a great way to educate students about nature in a practical way. In fact, students are likely to remember the concepts behind ecosystems better when experiencing it first-hand, such as while identifying plants with a smartphone. Thus, if you are a teacher, consider integrating this little project in your curriculum. Not only your students will appreciate it, but nature too! There are so many reasons why sustainability education is important and securing ecosystems is definitely one of them.
Here’s how to create an ecoystem in a jar!
How to create an Ecosystem in a Jar? - A Step-By-Step Guide
Building a mini ecosystem ain’t hard and is actually pretty starightforward. But you don’t have a green thumb? No worries. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make your own ecosystem in a jar.
First things first: These are the items you’ll need to create your own mini-ecosphere:
- clean, empty jar or glass bottle with lid and the labels removed
- standing water
- soil
- small rocks
- small plants and/or flower seeds
- moss and/or algea
1. Place small rocks at the bottom of the jar
Start by placing some small rocks and maybe some gravel at the bottom of the jar. However, don’t overdo it and leave enough space for the additional items. The rocks will serve as the base for soil and plants and allows water to be stored in the “ground”.
2. Cover the rocks with a thin layer of soil
Now it’s time to cover the rocks with some soil. A hand full of earth does the job as the soil doesn’t need to be anything special. Essentially, you can take it from anywhere. Just be careful not to add soil that includes a lot of sand since this won’t help your mini-ecosystem sustain itself in the long-term. Adding some soil is important as it will serve as the “home” for the moss’ and plants’ roots, enabling them to absorb water and grow. Actually, you can also add some small pieces of old paper as paper is biodegradable and will turn to food for your plants.
3. Place moss and/or algea on top of the soil
The next step is to place moss on top of the soil so that it’s all covered. On the one hand the moss will look nice thanks to its green color, and on the other hand it will serve as a “home” for small animals and other plants. All of this makes it the most essential part for your micro-ecosystem to work properly.
4. Add small plants and/or flower seeds to moss
If you want to you can add some other plants or flower seeds to the soil so that you can watch them grow over time. These will also make your ecosystem in a jar look more alive and peaceful.
5. Sprinkle standing water over plants & moss
This is probably the most important step. Nothing survives without water, so make sure to add some standing water to the ecosytstem. How your ecosystem will develop over time strongly depends on how much water you are adding in this step so be careful not to add too much of it. Sprinkling the moss should be just fine, so that a small layer of water is created at the bottom of the jar. Also, don’t use tap water, but standing water from a natural source like a pond, stream, or puddle. This is important because standing water includes lots of bacteria and potentially also seeds as well as eggs, meaning that this way your mini-ecosystem will get some inhabitants.
6. Seal your ecosystem in a jar
Ultimately, you have to make sure that your small ecosystem is separated from the “real” world as otherwise it won’t be a closed cycle, meaning that it won’t survive. Thus, seal your ecosystem in a jar properly. You can do this either with a lid or with some plastic wrap and use a rubber band to hold it down.
7. Place the jar at a sunny location
Place your mini ecosystem in a sunny spot and watch as your moss grows over time! You will also see the ecosystem’s water cycle in real time as the sun evaporates extra water and then condenses on the sides of the jar, only to drip back down to keep the moss hydrated.
Ecosystem in a Jar: Conclusion
An ecosystem in a jar or bottle is a mixture of natural elements that co-exist in a closed environment, for example in a jar. Mostly, these mini-ecosystems are used to educate students about nature and how ecosystems work in real-life. In fact, it is very easy to build an ecosystem in a jar yourself, which is truly a great experience and can even enrich your interior design.
And in case you don’t want to build it your own, you can also simply buy a readily-built ecoystem online.
