Mesocosms
A mesocosm is an experimental tool that brings a small part
of the natural environment under controlled conditions.
What is a mesocosm?
A mesocosm is an experimental tool that brings a small part of the natural environment under controlled conditions; a mesocosm is used as a model of a larger ecosystem.Ecologists are using such models in real research in many university labs today, with many studies using these controlled environments to examine ecosystem responses to factors such as nutrient addition and light limitation. Mesocosms in particular are used for this as they provide a more accurate way to observe ecosystems than in laboratory experiments. In the lab, the process that occur in a natural environment are difficult to recreate as the experimenter cannot account for all the factors of a natural environment. Mesocosms are used instead, bringing the process of an ecosystem into a small environment, of which certain aspects - such as air, temperature, heat and light distribution - can be controlled by the experimenter. The advantage of this control over the amount of exposure to different factors in mesocosms, is that the observed effects within the mesocosm can be observed and then applied to larger ecosystems, as an example of what might happen if conditions in the larger ecosystem change.
Ethical implications:
There are some ethical implications that can be applied to the biotic features present in mesocosms, as well as the implications for the incorrect disposal of organisms within a mesocosm.
To correctly model a larger ecosystem, students making a mesocosms must include both abiotic and biotic features. The biotic (living) features used in a mesocosm experiment must be handled as specified by the IB Animal Experimentation Policy. This means that when considering using animals in an experiment, a student should review the 3R's principle: "replacement of the animals by using cells, plants or computer simulations; refinement to the experiment to alleviate any harm or distress to the animal; and reduction in the numbers of animals involved", and always approach study and experimentation in an ethical way, a per the IB mission statement "The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect".
With this in mind, I decided to not use animals in my mesocosm experiment, instead using plants to represent the biotic features in an ecosystem.
However, even with the absence of animals in a mesocosm, there are still ethical implications involved, such as the correct disposal of organisms used in a mesocosm. The plants used in a mesocosm may not be native to the area that the experimenter lives in, and thus should not be disposed of or relocated to that area. Instead, plants of non-native origin should be disposed of or relocated in a way that does not impact that native environment, such as relocating them to controlled environments such as in a pot, keeping them in their sealed environment, or disposing of them without exposing them to the native environment.
To correctly model a larger ecosystem, students making a mesocosms must include both abiotic and biotic features. The biotic (living) features used in a mesocosm experiment must be handled as specified by the IB Animal Experimentation Policy. This means that when considering using animals in an experiment, a student should review the 3R's principle: "replacement of the animals by using cells, plants or computer simulations; refinement to the experiment to alleviate any harm or distress to the animal; and reduction in the numbers of animals involved", and always approach study and experimentation in an ethical way, a per the IB mission statement "The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect".
With this in mind, I decided to not use animals in my mesocosm experiment, instead using plants to represent the biotic features in an ecosystem.
However, even with the absence of animals in a mesocosm, there are still ethical implications involved, such as the correct disposal of organisms used in a mesocosm. The plants used in a mesocosm may not be native to the area that the experimenter lives in, and thus should not be disposed of or relocated to that area. Instead, plants of non-native origin should be disposed of or relocated in a way that does not impact that native environment, such as relocating them to controlled environments such as in a pot, keeping them in their sealed environment, or disposing of them without exposing them to the native environment.