Biome

May 14, 2001

Energy and nutrients were light and carbon nitrogen oxygen and water. Light was transferred through the plants to create oxygen, which was used by the animals and released as carbon dioxide, which was again absorbed by the plants and used to make oxygen and make the plant grow. Nitrogen in the air is converted to ammonia by bacteria and can be used by plants and animals to make proteins, which are broken down and excreted so they can be used again. Water combines with carbon dioxide in plants to make carbon compound and oxygen, then the animals break the carbon compounds down to make water and oxygen.

All elements in the earth and the ecosystem are basically the same. They have the same materials and cycles although one is larger than the other the basics are the same and are both with in closed systems.

Some plastics can be recycled but when not they will never decompose and can effect wildlife. Plastic is a material that cannot be broken down by simple decomposition. Some forms of plastic can be recycled while some cannot. These are called thermosetting which means they cannot be melted down again, so they cannot be reused. They must be specially made to be biodegradable meaning bacteria and other organisms can digest and therefore decompose them. Thermoplastics can be melted and used again if recycled.

It is important to recycle because certain materials are not biodegradable, such as most plastics. Because they are not biodegradable we have to try to put they into use because otherwise they will always be stay where you put them they are also harmful to wildlife. Habitats can be destroyed to create landfills, animals can also try to eat them, and they can either choke or be poisoned by them.

The organisms in our ecosystem that died were the caterpillars and the ladybugs. The caterpillars most likely died because they didnt have to right kinds of vegitation they needed to survive. The Ladybugs most likely died because they feed on small insects such as aphids, which were probably not present in our ecosystem.

If we were to set it up again we would probably make it larger with more vegitation. We would also probably make it more species diverse with a more complete food chain.