Morphogenesis of the Terrarium

Terrariums have decorated the shelves and counters of biology offices and classrooms for centuries. Living organisms inspire students and teachers alike. These wonderful ecosystems allow for both experimentation and observation of living systems. Here, I outline a new approach to building classroom terrariums. Historically, terrariums have been made using rocks, gravel, soil, wood, leaves, and organic props. This process often creates an immovable terrarium that weighs several hundred pounds. Although this approach will continue to produce beautiful terrariums, new technology has given us the opportunity to create more intricate terrariums that are a fraction of the weight and, therefore, mobile. The step-by-step protocol given here will allow biology professionals with little experience building terrariums an opportunity to explore this rewarding practice.