Bottle ecosystem

Don't let the title, DIY 2-Liter Bottle Ecosystem Project scare you. This activity is fun and intriguing for the home or a science project!

Ecosystem in a bottle

Ecosystem in a bottle.

With Fall on it's way for my friends in the northern hemisphere and spring down here I thought I would share this easy experiment any one can do any time of the year. Earlier this year Sir N and I spent a delightful day out at Barwon Waste Management Education Centre where we helped in an experiment called Compost in a Bottle. This is a wonderful experiment you can do at home and watch over the year to see what happens. You will Need Strips of news paper Blood & Bone (garden fertilizer)…

Our most recent science unit is an exploration of ecosystems. We learned there are 4 parts to an ecosystem: animals, plants, decomposers, and non-living things. These bottles contain all four parts including water, soil, grass, fish, snails, gravel, worms, and a water plant. Our bottles have been self sustaining. For two weeks we haven't had to feed the animals or water the plants, and everything is still alive. Take a look:

Make a Pop Bottle Ecosystem to show illustrate how the animals, plants, and non-living things in an environment all affect one another. Also includes a lesson on responsibility.

Ecosystems come in all sizes. Creating an ecosystem in a bottle can be a fun and affordable way to learn about species interactions and the basics of aquarium care. Fish are highly complex creatures making it hard to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that doesn't need extra food input or cleaning.