ABSTRACT
Microcosms are easily controllable, small-size models of the environment. In spite of some shortcomings deriving from high surface/volume ratio and reduced diversity, microcosms provide highly realistic results, suitable for decision making. Microcosms are useful tools for learning and exploring nature, the water and soil ecosystems, for simulating natural or anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystems, for measuring toxicity by a multispecies, dynamic system and for the small-scale modeling of technologies.
