Materials (per lab group):
• 2-liter clear plastic bottles (5) with the labels removed completely*
• 2-liter bottle caps (3)*
• Scissors (1)
• Soil (top soil – 1 bag)
• clear packaging tape (1 roll)
• straw (1)
• sand (1 bag)
• gravel ( 1 bag)
• rocks (1 bag)
• fist-sized insoluble rock*
• seeds or viable plant cuttings*
• leaves, grass clippings, and / or fruit pieces*
• selected aquatic plants (anacharis, elodea, duckweed, hornwort, green hedge, ludwigia, etc.)*
• terrestrial fauna (pillbugs, earthworms, earwigs, fruit flies, etc.)*
• aquatic fauna (small fish, small aquatic snails, etc.)*
* Students will bring these materials to school.
Ideas for Chamber Components:
Decide what components to include in each chamber (which organisms, type of soil, etc…) See
the list of possible organisms you might want to include in your eco-column.
Terrestrial Chamber:
Soil: You will probably want a mixture of planter mix and soil. Check with a nursery and get the best soil for seed
germination or plant growth (which ever you are doing.)
Seeds/Plants: Since you have a small growing space, think small in terms of your plants. Fast growing plants like
beans are out due to their size. Bird seed works well. Read the seed packets before you choose.
Decomposition Chamber:
Organic Matter: Some mix of leaves, grass, planter mix and easily decomposed food such as fruit (no citrus, no
peels!) should constitute the material in this chamber. Large pieces of anything will take too long to decompose,
so keep it small or mushed.
Life: You should be able to support a number of insects in your decomposition chamber. Insects like dropsophila
(fruit flies) can fly back and forth between the terrestrial and decomposition chambers and help degrade the food.
Worms, pill bugs or other critters can also be helpful.
Aquatic Chamber:
Water: Not all water is the same. If you include tap water, think about the chemicals added to tap water.
Consider distilled, pond or other sources.
Solid Material: Choose gravel, sand, rocks, marbles to add to the bottom of your chamber to anchor your ecocolumn. All materials should be rinsed before adding.
Organisms: Small fish (zebra, tetras), aquatic snails can be obtained from the store. Do not get beta fish! Aquatic
plants need to be able to conduct photosynthesis and produce oxygen. Elodea is a common aquatic plant used.
Add only the consumers that you think will be able to survive.
UNIT A FINAL TASK
ECOCOLUMN: Environmental Models
BIOSHPERE IN A BOTTLE
Background:
The whole goal of ecology is to understand how organisms interact with one another and their
non-living environment—in effect it is a study of connections in nature. This lab will provide an
opportunity to explore connections in nature by creating a model of an ecosystem. You could
almost think of this as an opportunity to build “Biosphere III”. Environmental models allow
scientists to study what could happen in an ecosystem. Models help check predictions without
disrupting a large area. In this investigation you will build an ecocolumn, an ecological model
that is especially designed to cycle nutrients. You will then design and carry out an experiment
to investigate an environmental problem.
This lab will hopefully give you insight into the conditions required for sustainability and the
interconnections between various ecosystem components (column chambers). You will be
asked to observe your columns for a period of several weeks and attempt to make ecological
sense of the changes that you observe. Then, after a period of time to collect “baseline” data,
you will design and implement an experiment that mimics an environmental disturbance and
you will investigate what effects this perturbation has on the ecological dynamics of your
column.
Problem Statement:
Choose one of the following 3 ecological problem statements below to base your experiment
on :
a. How would an oil spill affect an aquatic ecosystem ?
b. How would acid rain affect an ecosystem?
c. How would rapid climate changes affect an ecosystem?
Research:
Research the problem and provide at least one page explaining the problem. This page will be
included in your final Lab Report. (www.science.nelson.com )
Hypothesis:(If…..then….because…)
Based on your knowledge predict the effect that your selected ecological problem will have on
your ecosystem.
Design
Materials (per lab group):
• 2-liter clear plastic bottles (5) with the
• seeds or viable plant cuttings*
labels removed completely*
• leaves, grass clippings, and / or fruit
• 2-liter bottle caps (3)*
pieces*
• Scissors (1)
• selected aquatic plants (anacharis, elodea,
• Soil (top soil – 1 bag)
duckweed, hornwort, green hedge,
• clear packaging tape (1 roll)
ludwigia, etc.)*
• straw (1)
• terrestrial fauna (pillbugs, earthworms,
• sand (1 bag)
earwigs, fruit flies, etc.)*
• gravel ( 1 bag)
• aquatic fauna (small fish, small aquatic
• rocks (1 bag)
snails, etc.)*
• fist-sized insoluble rock*
* Students will bring these materials to school.
The following will not be allowed:
 Saltwater/marsh sections
 Amphibians/mammals/poisonous organisms
 Fish
 One liter bottles or COLORED bottles
 Harsh chemicals like chlorine or flammables
Procedure
1. Over the next 4 weeks, you will monitor all possible abiotic and biotic factors pertaining
to your ecosystem column. Data is to be recorded regularly and observations must be
made and recorded at daily. This may involve some out of class time samplings (at
lunch, after school, free periods).All data collected and associated analysis charts /
graphs will be attached to your formal lab write-up.
See handouts for bottle assembly instructions. You will want to create a three tiered column:
terrestrial, decomposing, and aquatic (from the top down). Each will have living (biotic) and
non-living (abiotic) components.
2. As you actually construct your column in class, you will want to record, in detail,
EXACTLY what you will be adding (and in what quantities) to your column.
 This is when you will create an “EcoColumn Inventory” and it will contain the
following:
i. A drawing of your entire EcoColumn, detailing all of the parts. Specify
where you used tape, any holes that were made (and the tools used to
make these holes and the sizes of these holes).
ii. An inventory list for each of the 3 sections of your EcoColumn, detailing
how many of each organism are included in your EcoColumn, the sizes of
each of these organisms, # of plants/seeds added, the amount of soil,
gravel, pond water or fresh water included and any other information
which you believe to be of importance.
3. DO NOT ADD any testable variable (oil, vinegar etc) to the environment yet, we will let
them sit for about two weeks to adjust and collect some baseline data. Bring the
variable to class, LABELED with your names and the experiment, to be stored until
testing day.
4. Provide a light source, preferably indirect window light. A small desk lamp or plant light
will work, too. For artificial lights, provide 12 – 14 hours of light daily.
5. Add a small amount of water to the terrestrial habitat weekly or when it appears to be
drying out. A fine spray of water on the plants also maintains the unit well.
6. Measure the dissolved oxygen (D.O.), pH, etc., of the aquatic chamber, then add aquatic
plants to the aquatic chamber. Measure the D.O., pH, etc., of the aquatic chamber the
next day, and continue to regularly monitor the D.O., pH, etc., of the aquatic chamber.
7. Continue to regularly monitor the D.O., pH, and any other specified tests.
8. Perform additional tests as instructed in class (nitrates, phosphates, turbidity, etc.)
9. On the 14th day, after you have taken the data and observations, add your variable (ie.
the add oil or vinegar, change the climate etc), and make any additional observations in
the journal about any immediate reactions- if no reactions were visible, state so.
HIGHLIGHT the date on the table.
Observations:
Each week for five weeks you will make observations of your eco-column. Each observation
should include:
 Date of observation & number of days your eco-column has been running
 Quantitative Data: pH, temperature, nitrates, phosphates, dissolved oxygen in aquatic
chamber; in terrestrial chamber: nitrogen, phosphorous levels, pH
 Qualitative Data: turbidity, plant growth, decomposition rate, fish status, odor, color of
aquatic chamber
Three sample tables are attached
.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM DATA TABLE
DATE
TEST
pH
Temp.
(ºC)
D.O.
(ppm)
Phosphates
(ppm)
Nitrates
(ppm)
Turbidity
Odor
Color
Turbidity Scale
Crystal Clear = 1
Slightly Cloudy = 2
Moderately Cloudy = 3
Very Cloudy = 4
Blackish or Brownish = 5
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM DATA TABLE
DATES
TEST
Odor Scale
No Odor = 1
Slight Odor = 2
Smelly = 3
Very Smelly = 4
Devastating = 5
pH
Nitrogen
Potassium
Phosphorous
Odor
Date
Aquatic
Fauna
Biotic Components of Ecocolumn
Aquatic
Decomposition
Terrestrial
Flora
(microorganisms)
Fauna
Terrestrial
Flora
Lab Report Format
Follow this format when completing the formal report to be handed in
A. Title page (Title, name, partner name, date, course)
B. Problem Statement
C. Research
D. Hypothesis (If…..then….because…)
E. Design
Write an explanation of how your eco-column was created. This should be detailed enough that someone
unfamiliar with your experiment can take your write up and successfully repeat your experiment. You DO NOT
have to explain in detail how the bottles were constructed. You may simply say “Ecocolumn bottles were cleaned,
prepared, and cut according to the directions provided by the teacher”. This section should be in a narrative in
clear and concise English, not in recipe form (i.e., do not say first we did this, then second we did this, then third
we did this). The methods should be written in PAST tense always telling what was done not what should be done.
Instead of saying: “Then I took the pH probe and stuck it my column”, you should say “A pH probe was used to
measure pH in the eco-column.”
Some important details to include (in no particular order): The date the column was set up/broken down,
Precise descriptions of what/how much/ etc was added to each of the three components (terrestrial, aquatic,
decomposition), The number of days the eco-column system has been functioning (i.e., what was the duration of
the experiment?), The total number of times you recorded data, What quantitative variables were measured and
how? What qualitative variables were measured and how? The dates of any physical changes you made to the
column (i.e., when you added Variable, new fish, plants, water, rocks to the caps, etc.)
F. Data
Include Data tables, diagrams, inventory etc in this section
G. Analysis and Evaluation
Answer the following questions in full sentences. There is no need to write out the question.
1. Identify two Food Chains or Food Webs in each of your habitats (chambers). Use arrows to
illustrate these food chains and food webs; complete sentences are not required for question 2
a, b, or c.
a. Aquatic Chamber
b. Decomposition Chamber (top soil chamber)
c. Terrestrial Chamber
2. Identify and briefly discuss the biogeochemical cycles which are taking place/which are
present in your EcoColumns. Do not merely state that “they are all present”; instead, provide
more specific information.
3. Compare your lab group’s somewhat “contrived” or “manufactured” ecosystems with
ecosystems found outside the classroom. Describe
(i) three similarities and (ii) three differences.
4. Is your ecosystem column a closed or open system? --- or is it something in between a closed
or open system? Explain how this (closed, open or other) influences the ecosystem column
overall. Brain storm how you could make it more “closed”.
5. Why did you use a clear bottle, rather than an opaque bottle, for your model biosphere?
6. Discuss how the three ecosystems (terrestrial, aquatic, decomposing) are interrelated to
each other (what are the links?). How is matter being cycled and energy flowing in the column?
7. Discuss how you simulated the environmental change and the results you had when you did
so.
8. Did any of the measurements alter significantly? If so what were they and give a possible
explanation for each change
9. Discuss your hypotheses. Was your hypothesis for each ecosystem chamber supported by
your data and results?
10.Address any sources of error in this lab. This should be narrated in a “cause and effect”
manner and talk about specific problems. A good example would be “water did not drain from
the terrestrial chamber so …” while a bad example would be “we messed the measuring one
day.”
I.Synthesis
1. Biosphere 2 was a sealed experimental ecosystem in the Arizona desert. It was a failure.
What advice would you give to future ecocolumn builders?
2. List at least three different ecological problems (local, regional, national, or global) that
your research would be applicable to in terms of providing basic research or useful
scientific information.
3. List two potential business or industrial applications you can think of where your
research from the EcoColum experiment could be applied.
J. Conclusion
This should be a very short statement which repeats the hypothesis but with what you believe
is the “answer”. Do not give explanations or reasons, etc.—those should be in the analysis.
After all your analysis, this is the final answer- just answer the problem stated. If you believe
there is not enough data to support a conclusion, then that should have been addressed in the
analysis and here you simply state that that No conclusion can be reached. Address what did
you learn that you did not know prior to the experiment? What were the most important
findings of the project and why?
ECOCOLUMN LAB GRADING RUBRIC
LAB REPORT SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIONS
POINTS AVAILABLE
OVERALL FORMAT; TITLE AND PROPER FORMAT
5
ABSTRACT: Was the abstract a clear and accurate synopsis of the
entire lab report?
5
RESEARCH: Was there a wide variety of background information
from several different sources? Did the background information
lay a solid foundation for further research and investigation?
HYPOTHESIS: Was a legitimate hypothesis presented for the
ecocolumn’s three environments?
DESIGN: Was there a clear description of what was done so that
other investigators could repeat and verify your work?
DATA COLLECTION: Was there a thorough presentation of the data
that was collected during the investigation? Were there drawings,
charts, and graphs that helped with the understanding and
interpretation of the data and the overall investigation?
ANALYSIS/EVALUATION: Was the team able to identify
biogeochemical cycles, food chains, food webs, ecosystem roles,
and limiting factors? Was the team able to make cause and effect,
and correlational connections between abiotic factors such as
dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, and pH, and the living
organisms in the ecocolumn?
SYNTHESIS: Was there insightful ideas about how to use this
information in the real world?
CONCLUSION: Was the team able to make meaningful overall
conclusions based on their analysis? Did their data and analysis
support their hypotheses?
10
5
5
15
25
10
15
SOURCES OF ERROR: Did the lab report include a comprehensive
discussion of possible errors?
5
SUBTOTAL OF POINTS EARNED
100
POINTS
EARNED