https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a Refer to the handout on Ecosystem Sustainability - Part II: "Garden in a Bottle". QUESTION #1: How does the "garden in a bottle" demonstrate a mesocosm? QUESTION #2: Reflect on your response for question 2 (on the handout). Summarize your response on whether the story is accurate or fabricated. Justify your opinion. Visit the link here on the skeptics of this story (you may use this to build your argument on either side - if you choose): https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/15838/can-a-plant-survive-bottled-in-its-own-ecosystem-for-50-years en-us 2017-09-11 19:19:44 UTC 2017-09-12 17:57:39 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Brightnessdown.png https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186891770 The garden in a bottle encompasses all of the characteristics that make up a mesocosm. It has both biotic and abiotic factors, is inside of a large glass bottle, and does not have any additional air flowing in or out of it. I believe that the story is possible. I'm not sure if it's completely accurate though. I close read the article and all of the processes seem possible, but I'm not sure if everything is accurate. The aspect of air and water being recycled makes sense, as does photosynthesis, but it all sounds a little too good to be true. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:05 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186891770 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892102 1. The "garden in the bottle" demonstrates a mesocosm through many elements. The ecosystem itself was sustained with a transparent glass jar, and contained the appropriate organism (an autotroph). The plant was able to reuse many of the materials and nutrients within the jar, through the consistent recycle of the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. 

2. The story is most believable. In the areas where questions may fall, information filled the spaces. Anyone could recreate the this phenomenon themselves.]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:32 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892102 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892104 1. The garden in a bottle demonstrates a mesocosm because it is an ecological environment that is closed off. 
2. I think that it could be real, because there are similar mesocosms that exist and are thriving, his is just on a larger scale. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:32 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892104 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892117 1. The garden in a bottle is a mesocosm because it's a completely closed, completely sustainable mini-ecosystem in a bottle. By processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration and nutrient cycling, the plant in the garden in the bottle survives without any outside input.
 
2. Now that I've read the skeptic's article and response, I still think that this could be possible. Like the article said, the bacteria could recycle CO2, and other processes would recycle other nutrients, making the mesocosm completely sustainable. The idea that the plant might run out of resources is impossible: nutrients can be recycled: energy is the only thing that can't be, and the plant gets that from the sun. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:34 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892117 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892135 1.The garden demonstrates a mesocosm because it is like setting up an ecological experiment by involving a sealed up community of organisms together with air and soil or water inside a container.
2.I believe in his story because he had concealed a bottle with nothing but water soil and a seedling and when the water tries to evaporate it basically recycles the water and let's the plant grow.]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:36 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892135 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892142 1. The "garden in the bottle" demonstrates a mesocosm because it is an ecosystem that has a biotic factor (plant) and abiotic factors (soil and sunlight) which is closed off in a bottle. 
2. I believe this is possible because the plant is an autotroph and has the resource of sunlight to photosynthesize and recycle inorganic materials. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:37 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892142 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892238 1. The garden in a bottle demonstrates a mesocosm because it is  in a bottle with soil, rocks the plants which would make it an closed off ecosystem that has abiotic and biotic factors inside without any outside factors (except for sun) affecting the growth of the plant. 
2. The story is accurate due to the plant being able to get energy from the sun to photosynthesize]]> 2017-09-12 17:33:48 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892238 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892359 The "garden in a bottle" demonstrates a mesocosm because it is a mini ecosystem that can live on its own. It preforms photosynthesis with the sunlight provided and it also stores sunlight and it recycles its water. There are also other living organisms that breaks things down that becomes carbon dioxide that the plant uses. 

2. I think that this is possible because there are still ways that carbon dioxide can get into the bottle and there are other living elements that help break down the dead plants into soil and that they are recycling water and air to continue with photosynthesis.]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:00 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892359 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892396 2017-09-12 17:34:04 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892396 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892401 The Garden in a bottle is a mesocosm because it is under controlled conditions in it's own ecosystem-like container. 

It's possible for the plant to survive for that long because they have everything they need to survive in their environment.]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:04 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892401 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892414 1. The garden in the bottle demonstrates a mesocosm because it contains a sustainably growing terrarium inside a sealed container. 
2. I believe that this is quite possible because plants are able to sustain itself, with the right conditions and it didn't seem to lack any of the basic elements it required to survive.]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:06 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892414 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892430 1. The "garden in a bottle" demonstrates a mesocosm through its presence of an isolated environment which is encased with a glass jar that allows sunlight to enter. The garden in the bottle sustains itself with the plants use of perspiration and evaporation to create rain for both the soil and itself. The plants roots gain minerals through the soil and the steady decomposition of rocks through water corrosion.
2. To me, a plant isolated in an mesocosm on its own seems to have all that it needs to stay alive, that being sunlight, water and nutrients, but the only thing that might be a problem would be lack of carbon dioxide. There are no animals to supply the carbon dioxide.  ]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:08 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892430 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892507 (1) It demonstrates a mesocosm because it is a large clear (transparent) jar. It contains plants, which our autotrophic organisms. It has a sufficient oxygen supply, and the plants are able to continue photosynthesizing. (2)I feel that the story is fabricated because although it has all the elements it need to survive in the mesocosm the plants seem overcrowded. The overcrowding of the plants gives them a higher chance of dying because of limited airflow. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:16 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892507 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892615 1. It demonstrates a mesocosm because it is a contained sustainable ecosystem which includes both organisms and abiotic factors.
2.  I said that the story was probably accurate. It has been contained without water for over forty years, not impacted by any outside source except for a light. 
The light lets some energy be stored as ATP and also allows for photosynthesis, which can recycle oxygen. Cellular respiration breaks down waste from the plant which gives CO2 back to the plant. Water is recycled from soaking up in the plant's roots to transpiring back into the air and condensing back into the soil.

This sounds suspicious at first glance, but the explanations provided in the article make it seem  possible. Within a contained ecosystem, the recycling of abiotic factors allows for sustainable life.]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:26 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892615 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892802 1. The "garden in the bottle" is a mesocosm due to the  fact that it is a monitored ecosystem in a closed off space. 

2. I believe that the story is not entirely accurate because the possibility that plants and other life has survived that long without any outside factors is questionable. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:46 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892802 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892925 1. The garden in a bottle demonstrates a mesocosm because it contains all of the organisms and resources needed for it to survive independently of outside help. It received some water, which, because of the water cycle, was reused and able to sustain the plant for 50 years. The plant performed photosynthesis using sunlight, and when the plant matter died, the bacteria in the soil decomposed it and released carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. The mesocosm also shows a cooperation between the abiotic and living environment.

2. I think this story is possible. Theoretically, the plant had everything it needed to sustain itself: sunlight, water, and CO2. The water cycle helps it conserve water. In addition, the story was reported in the Daily Mail and also The Times, meaning it is likely to be true because those are reliable sources.]]> 2017-09-12 17:34:59 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186892925 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186893477 2017-09-12 17:35:55 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186893477 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186894011 #1) Because Latimer's bottled garden is a closed spaced ecosystem under controlled conditions, it enables it to contain both abiotic and biotic factors that interact with each other via processes (such as photosynthesis,respiration, etc.). Thus, we can safely assume that it demonstrates a mesocosm.
#2) In my opinion, both are possible. The bottle can survive due to the stated reasons above. However, it is also realistically possible for the plants to ROT and fungi to spread...if the conditions were unfavorable. In other words, the plant hasn't been used to the new mini ecosystem's abiotic factors and such, therefore, it dies. 
But, one can also argue that due to adaptation, the plant can find a way to survive. 
Thus, in conclusion, I think that the stated plant does have a chance in that stuffy bottle.]]> 2017-09-12 17:36:53 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186894011 https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186894499 1. The garden in a bottle demonstrates  a mesocosm because it has an ecosystem of  plants that are sustained through a closed bottle which creates its nutrients from photosynthesis. 
2. I believe that the bottle garden could be true because he gave it an environment where the organism could survive like oxygen, sunlight and the recycling of water due to the closed container. ]]> 2017-09-12 17:37:46 UTC https://padlet.com/dhouse22/mesocosm3a/wish/186894499