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Making My Own Ecosystem in a Jar

The world around you is full of different ecosystems, which support life on the planet. An ecosystem consists of the living and nonliving things that coexist in the same location. For instance, a forest ecosystem consists of the trees, soil, plants and animals that make their homes in the forest. To better understand how an ecosystem works, create your own ecosystem in a jar. During this experiment, you can visually observe how parts of an ecosystem work together.

Things You'll Need

Large glass jar
Soil
Small plant
Gravel
Small twigs
Earthworm
Crawling bugs
Water
Plastic wrap
Rubber band

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the bottom of a large glass jar with soil in a layer 2 to 3 inches deep.
- 2
  Plant a small plant in the soil, keeping it near the edge of the jar so you have a clear view of the soil in the bottom of the jar. The bugs you will add later will crawl on the plant.
- 3
  Add a thin layer of gravel to the top of the soil.
- 4
  Arrange some small twigs into the jar, providing additional places for the crawling insects to climb onto and use.
- 5
  Add an earthworm and several crawling insects, such as potato bugs, ants, beetles or caterpillars. Include a couple of different species for variety.
- 6
  Sprinkle a couple of drops of water into the jar to provide some moisture for the bugs and worm.
- 7
  Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the mouth of the jar and secure it in place with a rubber band. Poke a few small holes in the plastic wrap with the tip of a pencil to allow air into the jar.

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