How Do You Build A Plastic Bottle Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is the combination of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) component in an environment. The biotic components include all of the living organisms such as the plants, animals, fungi and even bacteria. The abiotic components include the nutrients in the soil, water, light and other non-living factors that affect the ecosystem. Ecosystems do not have a minimum size requirement. In fact, the inside of your mouth is an ecosystem with complex interactions between the microbial communities that reside there and their surrounding environment. A simple ecosystem may be constructed using a plastic bottle, top soil and some seeds. Cut a hole into the side of the plastic bottle three to four inches above the base of the bottle. The hole should be large enough to access the inside of the bottle. Do not discard the removed section of plastic, as this will be replaced when the ecosystem is completed. Add soil to the bottom of the plastic bottle until the bottom of the bottle is fille
