How is creating a virtual ecosystem similar and different from the real world?
A very good example of virtual ecosystem is an aquarium. its corresponding natural ecosystem is a pond or lake .
similarity
the facilities provided by natural ecosystem can be rendered by the artificial ecosystem as well.
differences
the species diversity a natural ecosystem can support cannot be surely supported by an artificial one.
moreover larger space prevails in the natural ecosystem. however large our aquarium may be cannot prevent interspecific competition i.e competition among species.