Small artificial ecosystems: response to variation of environmental factors (CO2 enrichment)

Response of "wheat plants--rhizospheric microorganisms--artificial soil"--a simple terrestrial ecosystem--to carbon dioxide increased in its atmosphere to 0.06% has been studied. It has been experimentally demonstrated that a simple ecosystem develops and functions different from its individual elements (components), in this case "plants-artificial soil" without microorganisms. With mineral nutrition unlimited and CO2 enrichment the system is capable of binding (involving into turnover) 40% more carbon than the system without microorganisms. With material balance as the basis, this article evaluates the contribution of a system's elements into its development, namely, the contribution of the photosynthesizing component and the contribution of microorganisms.