NUTRIENT CYCLES IN A TERRARIUM A closed terrarium serves as a wonderful model of the Earth and the biosphere in that it is a ​closed system​ just like the Earth is. No significant amounts of matter enter or leave, but energy is absorbed and radiated freely. All the materials needed by life in the bottle must be there at the time the lid is snapped on. Biological processes recycle most of the matter in the bottle, just like on planet Earth. The terrarium has its own climate, water cycle, carbon and nitrogen cycles, and other ecological systems that achieve a balance over time. The terrarium also has its own unique biodiversity, which includes the plants you introduce, as well as the soil organisms. Like the Earth, the terrarium responds to changes imposed on it. If you deprive the bottle of light, the green plants may die, and fungi, followed by bacteria will likely take over. Similarly, exposing the bottle to direct sunlight even for short periods of time will induce a kind of global warming in the bottle, making conditions inside unfavorable for green plants. YOUR TASKS: 1. Build your terrarium. ● Put your names on it. ● Place it somewhere it will get indirect light. ● Monitor your terrarium to observe the cycles that occur. In the first few days we will know if you need to release some water or add more. 2. Create a pictorial representation of your “bottle” and the cycles occurring inside it. ● Your pictorial representation should show how the WATER, NITROGEN & CARBON cycles are working in the system. DO NOT just copy the cycles from the POGIL or internet. I want to know exactly how the cycles are working in YOUR TERRARIUM. These will probably be much simpler than the ones we have studied so far. ● Turn your pictorial representation(s) in for points.