Biosphere of planet Earth. Structure and properties of the biosphere Color the biosphere on a geography map

If you graduated from the Faculty of Biology, then you probably know what the biosphere is. For others who do not know what is called the biosphere, let us explain that the biosphere is the shell of the Earth inhabited by plants, animals, microorganisms, people and transformed by them. This is the area of existence of living organisms on Earth. This definition is correct if you believe the axiom that only our planet has a monopoly on life.

Accepting the hypothesis that living forms exist beyond its borders, it can be argued that the biosphere can be located not only on Earth. Considering that, according to researchers, the area of existence and activity of living organisms is present even in hidden cavities like subglacial oceans, such an assumption does not seem fantastic. For example, there is a high probability of the presence of living beings on Europa, a satellite of Jupiter.

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History of the term

For the first time in biology, the term “biosphere” was introduced by the Austrian scientist Eduard Suess in 1875. Now you know in what year the term appeared. But long before the term “biosphere” was introduced by Suess, its principles were first applied and formulated in detail by the French researcher Jean Baptiste Lamarck. True, Lamarck had a different name for the term.

Biosphere, which is translated from Greek language means “sphere of life”, was considered as a system of living organisms existing in close contact with mineral elements and subject to their influence. And only the Soviet academician and philosopher Vernadsky took into account the factors influencing the formation of the entire surrounding world.

Thanks to this, it is believed that this scientist is the author and creator of the functional doctrine of the essence of the biosphere, which is recognized today throughout the world. He was the first to introduce into science many definitions that are used by scientists all over the world, including the idea of the hierarchical structure of the biosphere. Vernadsky wrote that living matter has a noticeable influence on the process of transformation of the planet and its structure. He described in detail the composition and functions of the biosphere.

Where is the biosphere located?

Let's consider what is included in the biosphere. The limits of the biosphere deep into the Earth's surface extend for many kilometers. The entire thickness of the waters of the seas and oceans is filled with living organisms, right down to the deepest depressions. The upper limit of the existence of living organisms is approximately 45 kilometers above the surface and is limited by the ozone layer. It plays an important role in the existence of the biosphere, protecting the earth's surface from destructive cosmic radiation that kills all living things.

Science believes that the biosphere consists of three shells:

lithosphere;
hydrosphere;
atmosphere.

The lithosphere, as the densest component of the shell of the biosphere, begins at the surface of the Earth and extends several kilometers down. This is a geological shell within the biosphere. The habitat of living organisms underground is limited. As the distance from the surface increases, the temperature increases. At a certain depth, life is impossible because the temperature and pressure are too high.

The hydrosphere as a medium that occupies most of earth's surface, consists of water. The entire water mass included in the biosphere is unevenly saturated with living organisms. Most of them are found at the surface, near land and at the bottom.

When people talk about the atmosphere, they generally mean the layers from the tops of the trees to the bottom of the ozone layer. This is the shell with the lowest density. The biosphere does not include layers of the atmosphere located above the ozone layer.

Biosphere and its components

Biology believes that the biosphere includes four types of matter. Here are the species that determine the composition and structure of the biosphere:

These substances make up the biosphere. In addition to them, the biosphere includes:

substances of cosmic origin;
radioactive elements;
scattered atoms formed during the splitting of substances under the influence of cosmic radiation.

The biosphere is understood as the community of all living organisms on the planet. The earth is inhabited by about 3 million species of various living creatures. Try it and describe them! You can get confused by such variety! We can’t even imagine the existence of many of them. They live in different conditions, which makes them different from each other. Organisms interact with each other within the boundaries of individual biogeocenoses. And the structure of the biosphere is a structure organized in the form of many biogeocenoses. In other words, the biosphere includes biogeocenoses. Their condition is a necessary condition existence and development of the biosphere. Therefore, biogeocenoses are called the building blocks that make up the planet’s biosphere. The biosphere is the totality of all biogeocenoses of the planet. All components of the biosphere are important. If one of them is damaged, the entire building will become less stable. The biosphere as a whole is affected by the state of each biogeocenosis.

Origin and development of life on Earth

There are many versions of where the living shell of the Earth came from. Since there is no reliable information, a great many versions are called. Some are completely confident in divine origin. Others believe that this, in general, was a rare coincidence that created a living organism from a set of inanimate elements. Still others believe that the ancestors of all life on our planet arrived from outer space.

There is even a semi-fictional version that explorers from another galaxy arrived on Earth, choosing a place to found a new colony. They decided that the planet was of little use, and when they flew away, they left behind garbage. The biological remains present in it served as the basis for the origin of life on Earth.

If you have your own version of how this process proceeded, describe and explain it. It has the same right to exist as the previous ones. This is a question of philosophy.

Let us briefly describe how life arose and developed on Earth.

The global processes that caused the emergence and spread of living organisms began in the hydrosphere. Then life from this shell of the biosphere spread to land. Further transformation was completed by the processes occurring in the biosphere. The emerging land plants began to actively transform the composition of the atmosphere and its structure, making the planet more and more suitable for the life of complex organisms. The chemical composition of the biosphere changed. Through photosynthesis, the oxygen necessary for animal respiration was produced. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, part of the oxygen was converted into ozone, which served as protection against cosmic radiation.

In the primary atmosphere of the planet, with powerful electrical discharges, as well as under the influence of morning violet radiation and high radiation, could be formed organic compounds that accumulated in the ocean

The biosphere includes humanity - the crown of nature. The role of the biosphere for the existence of people as a biological species is important. People are intelligent enough to purposefully modify the environment, making it more suitable for their habitat.

The system created by nature is perfect, but it is worth thinking about whether it is eternal?

Anthropogenic factors have an active impact on the elements of the biosphere, which do not always have a positive effect on the environment. We are destroying other representatives of the biosphere on Earth, polluting the atmosphere and the World Ocean, creating electromagnetic radiation, changing the climate. The consequences of man-made disasters occurring on the planet since the second half of the last century have to be overcome for decades. The environment has been damaged. Man-made weapons of mass destruction, if used, can destroy life on Earth.

At the moment, human activity poses a threat to the existence of not only its species, but also all living things. If measures are not taken, then humanity has no future. What is the way out of this situation?

The solution was first proposed by the same V.I. Vernadsky. He suggested that the future of the biosphere is determined by man. He will create new system, comfortable for living together, developing and reproducing living organisms. For this new environment he used the term "noosphere". A number of conditions are necessary for the formation of the noosphere:

the settlement of Homo sapiens throughout the planet and its dominant position over other biological species;
a revolution in the development of communications and the possibility of fast communication between any part of the planet;
the possibility of the emergence and active use of nuclear energy;
democratic attitudes prevail in the world community, giving the broad masses real levers of control;
An impressive part of the world's population is involved in scientific activities.

Perhaps some points sound naive, but let's not forget that these postulates were put forward many decades ago by a man who studied the global processes of human development and its environment.

Another direction in which humanity is moving is attempts to independently create the biosphere. It is known that the biosphere is an open system in ecology, which requires a constant influx of solar energy, and itself produces heat. And the biosphere, which will be created artificially, presupposes autonomous existence in an environment hostile to humans. And its structure should help solve this problem.

The importance of the biosphere for humanity is enormous. We are unable to survive without it. K. E. Tsiolkovsky introduced the idea of their creation into the scientific literature on space exploration. Such a system is an artificial biosphere. This concept was first used by Tsiolkovsky. If recreated on another planet, the thickness of the biosphere would provide conditions that would allow humans to survive. So far it has not been possible to obtain an independent biosphere, but research in this direction continues.

Artificial biosphere

Every person takes care of his home, car, and takes care of his children. The biosphere that surrounds us is also our home. We live in it and enjoy its benefits. But if it is destroyed, we will have nowhere to live, from which we conclude that we should take care of this house so that we can pass it on to our descendants. And he will be clean and beautiful.

The biosphere is understood as the totality of all living organisms on the planet. They inhabit every corner of the Earth: from the depths of the oceans, the bowels of the planet to the airspace, which is why many scientists call this shell the sphere of life. The human race itself lives in it.

Composition of the biosphere

The biosphere is considered the most global ecosystem on our planet. It consists of several spheres. It includes, that is, all water resources and reservoirs of the Earth. These are the World Ocean, underground and surface waters. Water is both the living space of many living creatures and a necessary substance for life. It ensures the flow of many processes.

The biosphere contains an atmosphere. There are various organisms in it, and it itself is saturated with various gases. Of particular value is oxygen, which is necessary for life for all organisms. The atmosphere also plays a vital role in nature, influencing weather and climate.

Lithosphere, namely the upper layer earth's crust, enters the biosphere. It is inhabited by living organisms. Thus, insects, rodents and other animals live in the depths of the Earth, plants grow, and people live on the surface.

The world and are the most important inhabitants of the biosphere. They occupy a huge space not only on the ground, but also shallowly in the subsoil, inhabit bodies of water and are found in the atmosphere. Plant forms vary: from mosses, lichens and herbs to shrubs and trees. As for animals, the smallest representatives are single-celled microbes and bacteria, and the largest are terrestrial and sea creatures (elephants, bears, rhinoceroses, whales). They all have a wide variety, and each species is important to our planet.

The importance of the biosphere

The biosphere has been studied by various scientists in all historical eras. V.I. paid a lot of attention to this shell. Vernadsky. He believed that the biosphere is defined by the boundaries within which living matter lives. It is worth noting that all its components are interconnected, and changes in one area will lead to changes in all shells. The biosphere plays a vital role in the distribution of energy flows on the planet.

Thus, the biosphere is the living space of people, animals and plants. It contains essential substances and Natural resources, such as water, oxygen, earth and others. People have a significant influence on her. In the biosphere there is a cycle of elements in nature, life is in full swing and the most important processes are carried out.

Human influence on the biosphere

Human influence on the biosphere is ambiguous. With each century, anthropogenic activity becomes more intense, destructive and large-scale, so people contribute to the emergence of not only local environmental problems, but also global.

One of the results of human influence on the biosphere is a reduction in the number of flora and fauna on the planet, as well as the disappearance of many species from the face of the earth. For example, plant ranges are shrinking due to agricultural activities and deforestation. Many trees, shrubs, and grasses are secondary, that is, instead of the primary vegetation cover new species were planted. In turn, animal populations are destroyed by hunters not only for food, but also for the purpose of selling valuable skins, bones, shark fins, elephant tusks, rhino horns, and various body parts on the black market.

Anthropogenic activity quite strongly influences the process of soil formation. Thus, plowing fields leads to wind and water erosion. A change in the composition of the vegetation cover leads to the fact that other species participate in the process of soil formation, and, therefore, a different type of soil is formed. Due to the use of various fertilizers in agriculture and the discharge of solid and liquid waste into the ground, the physical and chemical composition of the soil changes.

Demographic processes have an impact Negative influence to the biosphere:

the planet's population is growing, consuming more and more natural resources;
the scale of industrial production is increasing;
there is more waste;
The area of agricultural land is increasing.

It is worth noting that people contribute to the pollution of all layers of the biosphere. There are a huge variety of sources of pollution today:

vehicle exhaust gases;
particles released during fuel combustion;
radioactive substances;
petroleum products;
emissions chemical compounds into the air;
municipal solid waste;
pesticides, mineral fertilizers and agrochemicals;
dirty wastewater from both industrial and municipal enterprises;
electromagnetic devices;
nuclear fuel;
viruses, bacteria and foreign microorganisms.

All this leads not only to changes in ecosystems and a reduction in biodiversity on earth, but also to climate change. Due to the influence of the human race on the biosphere, melting of glaciers and changes in the level of oceans and seas, acid precipitation, etc. occur.

Over time, the biosphere becomes more and more unstable, which leads to the destruction of many ecosystems on the planet. Many scientists and public figures advocate reducing the impact of the human community on nature, in order to preserve the Earth's biosphere from destruction.

Material composition of the biosphere

The composition of the biosphere can be considered from various points vision. If we talk about the material composition, then it includes seven different parts:

Living matter is the totality of living beings that inhabit our planet. They have an elementary composition, and in comparison with other shells they have a small mass, they feed on solar energy, distributing it in their environment. All organisms constitute a powerful geochemical force, distributed unevenly across the earth's surface.
Biogenic substance. These are those mineral-organic and purely organic components that were created by living beings, namely fossil fuels.
Inert substance. These are inorganic resources that are formed without the participation of living beings, on their own, that is, quartz sand, various clays, as well as water resources.
Bioinert substance obtained through the interaction of living and inert components. These are soil and rocks of sedimentary origin, the atmosphere, rivers, lakes and other surface waters.
Radioactive substances such as the elements uranium, radium, thorium.
Scattered atoms. They are formed from substances of terrestrial origin when they are influenced by cosmic radiation.
Cosmic matter. Bodies and substances formed in outer space fall onto the earth. These can be either meteorites or fragments of cosmic dust.

Layers of the biosphere

It is worth noting that all the shells of the biosphere are in constant interaction, so sometimes it is difficult to distinguish the boundaries of a particular layer. One of the most important shells is the aerosphere. It reaches a level of approximately 22 km above the ground, where there are still living beings. Overall this air space where all living organisms live. This shell contains moisture, solar energy and atmospheric gases:

oxygen;
ozone;
argon;
nitrogen;
water vapor

The number of atmospheric gases and their composition depends on the influence of living beings.

The geosphere is an integral part of the biosphere; it includes the totality of living beings that inhabit the earth's surface. This sphere includes the lithosphere, the world of flora and fauna, groundwater and the gas envelope of the earth.

A significant layer of the biosphere is the hydrosphere, that is, all bodies of water without groundwater. This shell includes the World Ocean, surface waters, atmospheric moisture and glaciers. The entire aquatic sphere is inhabited by living beings - from microorganisms to algae, fish and animals.

If we talk in more detail about the solid shell of the Earth, it consists of soil, rocks and minerals. Depending on the location environment, there are different types of soil, which differ in chemical and organic composition and depend on environmental factors (vegetation, water bodies, wildlife, anthropogenic influence). The lithosphere consists of a huge number of minerals and rocks, which are present in unequal quantities on earth. At the moment, more than 6 thousand minerals have been discovered, but only 100-150 species are most common on the planet:

quartz;
feldspar;
olivine;
apatites;
gypsum;
carnallite;
calcite;
phosphorites;
sylvinite, etc.

Depending on the number of rocks and their economic use, some of them are valuable, especially fossil fuels, metal ores and precious stones.

As for the world of flora and fauna, this is a shell that includes, according to various sources, from 7 to 10 million species. Presumably, about 2.2 million species live in the waters of the World Ocean, and about 6.5 million live on land. There are approximately 7.8 million representatives of the animal world on the planet, and about 1 million plants. Of all known species of living beings, no more than 15% have been described, so it will take humanity hundreds of years to explore and describe all existing species on the planet.

Connection of the biosphere with other shells of the Earth

All components of the biosphere are in close relationship with other shells of the Earth. This manifestation can be seen in the biological cycle, when animals and people release carbon dioxide, it is absorbed by plants, which release oxygen during photosynthesis. Thus, these two gases are constantly regulated in the atmosphere due to the interrelationships of various spheres.

One example is soil - the result of the interaction of the biosphere with other shells. Living beings (insects, rodents, reptiles, microorganisms), plants, water (groundwater, precipitation, reservoirs), air mass (wind), soil-forming rocks, solar energy, climate take part in this process. All these components slowly interact with each other, which contributes to the formation of soil at an average rate of 2 millimeters per year.

When components of the biosphere interact with living shells, rocks are formed. As a result of the influence of living beings on the lithosphere, deposits of coal, chalk, peat and limestone are formed. During the mutual influence of living beings, the hydrosphere, salts and minerals, and a certain temperature, corals are formed, and from them, in turn, coral reefs and islands appear. This also makes it possible to regulate the salt composition of the waters of the World Ocean.

Various types of relief are a direct result of the connection of the biosphere with other layers of the earth: the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. This or that form of relief is influenced by the water regime of the area and precipitation, the nature of air masses, solar radiation, air temperature, what types of flora grow here, what animals inhabit this territory.

The importance of the biosphere in nature

The importance of the biosphere as a global ecosystem of the planet cannot be overestimated. Based on the functions of the shell of all living things, one can understand its significance:

Energy. Plants are intermediaries between the Sun and the Earth, and, receiving energy, part of it is distributed between all elements of the biosphere, and part is used to form nutrients.
Gas. Regulates the amount of different gases in the biosphere, their distribution, transformation and migration.
Concentration. All creatures selectively extract biogenic components, so they can be both beneficial and dangerous.
Destructive. This is the destruction of minerals and rocks, organic substances, which contributes to a new turnover of elements in nature, during which new living and nonliving substances appear.
Environment-forming. It affects environmental conditions, the composition of atmospheric gases, rocks of sedimentary origin and the soil layer, the quality of the aquatic environment, as well as the balance of substances on the planet.

For a long time, the role of the biosphere was underestimated, since in comparison with other spheres the mass of living matter on the planet is very small. Despite this, living beings are a powerful force of nature, without which many processes, as well as life itself, would be impossible. In the process of activity of living beings, their relationships with each other, influence on inanimate matter, the natural world itself and the appearance of the planet are formed.

The role of Vernadsky in the study of the biosphere

The theory of the biosphere was first developed by Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky. He isolated this shell from other earthly spheres, updated its meaning and presented that it is a very active sphere that changes and influences all ecosystems. The scientist became the founder of a new discipline - biogeochemistry, on the basis of which the doctrine of the biosphere was substantiated.

Studying living matter, Vernadsky concluded that all forms of relief, climate, atmosphere, rocks of sedimentary origin are the result of the activity of all living organisms. One of the key roles in this is given to people who have a huge influence on the course of many earthly processes, being a certain element that possesses a certain force that can change the face of the planet.

Vladimir Ivanovich presented the theory of all living things in his work “Biosphere” (1926), which contributed to the emergence of a new scientific field. In his work, the academician presented the biosphere as an integral system, showed its components and their relationships, as well as the role of humans. When living matter interacts with inert matter, a number of processes are affected:

geochemical;
biological;
biogenic;
geological;
migration of atoms.

Vernadsky outlined that the boundaries of the biosphere are the field of existence of life. Its development is influenced by oxygen and air temperature, water and mineral elements, soil and solar energy. The scientist also identified the main components of the biosphere, discussed above, and identified the main one - living matter. He also formulated all the functions of the biosphere.

Among the main provisions of Vernadsky’s teaching on the living environment, the following theses can be distinguished:

the biosphere covers the entire aquatic environment to ocean depths, includes the surface layer of the earth up to 3 kilometers and airspace to the boundary of the troposphere;
showed the difference between the biosphere and other shells in its dynamism and constant activity of all living organisms;
the specificity of this shell lies in the continuous circulation of elements of living and inanimate nature;
the activity of living matter has led to significant changes throughout the planet;
the existence of the biosphere is determined by the astronomical position of the Earth (distance from the Sun, tilt of the planet’s axis), which determines the climate, flow life cycles on the planet;
Solar energy is the source of life for all creatures in the biosphere.

Perhaps this key concepts about the living environment, which Vernadsky laid down in his teaching, although his works are global and require further understanding, are still relevant to this day. They became the basis for the research of other scientists.

Conclusion

To summarize, it is worth noting that life in the biosphere is distributed differently and unevenly. A large number of living organisms live on the earth's surface, be it aquatic or land. All beings come into contact with water, minerals and the atmosphere, being in continuous communication with them. This is what provides optimal conditions for life (oxygen, water, light, heat, nutrients). The deeper into the ocean water or underground, the more monotonous life is. Living matter also spreads over an area, and it is worth noting the diversity of life forms throughout the earth's surface. To understand this life, we will need more than a dozen years, or even hundreds, but we need to value the biosphere and protect it from our harmful human influence today.

The biosphere is a unique shell of our planet. All the previous shells we considered exist to one degree or another on other planets, but, apparently, they do not exist on any of them except the Earth. It is possible that since there is life on our planet, it also exists in other corners of the Universe, it is also likely that this is a very common phenomenon, but so far scientists are still looking for life beyond our planet and the only one where life has been discovered is Earth. Who knows, maybe this is the only planet where life originated in some unknown way?

Where it came from on Earth, no one really has any idea yet. Life is too complex a phenomenon to arise by chance, and we still know nothing about the processes that can lead to its appearance. But the fact remains that life exists and thrives on Earth. Scientists have divided the entire history of the existence of our planet, which lasts 4.5 billion years, into two large parts - two eons: Cryptozoic and Phanerozoic. The Cryptozoic eon is the eon of “hidden life.” In the geological layers of this period, no traces of life on the planet are found. This cannot clearly indicate that it did not exist at all at that time, but no evidence of its presence is noted; perhaps it was too primitive for a long time - at the level of single-celled organisms that are not preserved in the form of fossils. The Phanerozoic eon began 570 million years ago, marked by the so-called “Cambrian Explosion”. During this period, the Precambrian or Archean geological era ends and the Paleozoic begins. Palaeozoic- this is the era ancient life" At this moment, almost all types of living beings appear: mollusks, brachiopods, worms, echinoderms, arthropods, chordates and others - which is why this moment was called the “explosion”. Within 100 million years, the first vertebrates appeared, and 400 million years ago, life began to make its way onto land—amphibians appeared. I would like to note that life arose in the ocean and for a long time could not get to land, since until the oxygen and ozone layers were formed, protecting all living things from deadly solar radiation, the land was unsuitable for life. During this same period, the flowering begins land plants— club mosses, horsetails, and ferns appear, followed by the plants, soil appeared. The Paleozoic era ends 251 million years ago with the largest mass extinction of living creatures in its entire history. What happened during this period remains unknown; obviously, colossal events occurred on the planet. climate change. Some paleontologists believe that a powerful period occurred on Earth that covered the entire planet. However, after the Paleozoic came the Mesozoic, and life on the planet was restored again. The Mesozoic was the era of dinosaurs, who reigned on the planet for about 200 million years. But 65 million years ago, mass extinction occurred again. All dinosaurs disappeared from the face of the planet. Presumably, a large meteorite crashed into the Earth, radically changing its climate. From this moment the Cenozoic era began, which continues to this day. The Cenozoic became the era, and about 2 million years ago man emerged among them.

Today life has penetrated into every corner Globe, it is there, in the hot springs, at the very high mountains, in volcanic vents and under ice. It has penetrated everywhere, where life disappears for some reason, it is soon restored again, adapting to increasingly new and difficult environmental conditions. The diversity of living organisms on the planet is enormous; it numbers millions of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms. The biosphere itself is essentially a continuous space in which all these species are located. They interact with each other through a huge number of biological connections, forming a single, global ecosystem. Of course, different living organisms have adapted to different natural conditions, which is why several natural areas, characterized by special natural conditions and the species that inhabit them.

) and hard ( litho-sphere) shell of the Earth (Fig. 74).

Upper limit

The upper boundary of the biosphere is located at an altitude of 15-25 km above sea level (and is different in different regions of the Earth) in the lower layer of the atmosphere - the troposphere (Fig. 75).

Within these limits of the biosphere, under the influence of the energy of solar rays, oxygen is converted into ozone and an ozone screen is formed. It does not transmit the main part of cosmic and ultraviolet rays, which have a harmful effect on living organisms, so they do not reach the earth's surface.

In the uppermost layers of the biosphere there are spores of bacteria, fungi, mosses and ferns that are very resistant to adverse conditions (they are called aeroplankton). Some birds, butterflies and spiders can rise to a height of 6-7 km.

Lower limit in the hydrosphere

Composition of the biosphere is diverse and is divided into four parts.

Living matter.
Nutrients.
Solids.
Substances of biogenic and abiogenic origin.

Living matter

The totality of all living organisms living on our planet is living matter biosphere. Despite the fact that living matter in its mass represents a very insignificant part of the biosphere, its activity during geological epochs had a huge impact on the development of the Earth.

According to V.I. Vernadsky, life originated on Earth some time after its appearance and was one of the main factors that changed the appearance of our planet.

Nutrients

Nutrients is the result of the activity of living organisms. These include oil, coal, limestone and atmospheric gases.

Solids

The total mass of living organisms in the biosphere is called biomass, 93% of which is on land, and 7% in the aquatic environment. Living organisms, through their activities, have a great influence on biosphere processes and cause changes in the biosphere.

The biosphere is constantly evolving. Its development is determined by factors such as geological and climatic changes on our planet, the impact of living organisms and human activity.

The first stage of the evolution of the biosphere is called biogenesis, and the second - noogenesis. Currently, due to the fact that the main influence on the biosphere is exerted by

Inhabited by living organisms, which actively transform it in the process of their life activity.

History of the study

The concept of the biosphere as an area of life was introduced into science by Jean Baptiste de Lamarck in the first half of the 19th century. It was he who came closest to understanding her. But the term itself was proposed by the Austrian scientist Edward Suess. He worked in the field of geology and understood the biosphere as the totality of all organisms. Now this is the meaning attached to the term “biota”. Suess outlined his hypotheses and research results in the famous scientific work“The Face of the Earth,” in which he described the geology of the Alps.

The modern concept of the biosphere was formulated by the Russian scientist geochemist, who has encyclopedic knowledge in many branches of science - Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky. As a professor of mineralogy at Moscow University, he became the author of the great work "Biosphere", published in 1926. It was in this work that he first gave a detailed definition of this term.

V.M. Vernadsky rightly believed that the biosphere is a large concentric region of the Earth, which plays the role of the main geochemical force. Thus, it is a space in which life currently exists or has ever existed, that is, the biosphere is characterized by the presence of living organisms or the products of their vital activity.

Types of substances in the biosphere

V.I. Vernadsky identified several types of substances that form the basis of the biosphere.

Actually living matter, which is formed by a collection of organisms.
A biogenic substance that is formed during and remains after the life of organisms. We are talking about atmospheric gases, coal, oil and so on.
which is formed without the intervention of organisms.
- these are compounds that are the result of the vital activity of organisms in combination with abiogenic processes.

The boundaries of the biosphere are determined in accordance with the presence of the totality of the above substances in the Earth's shells.

Living matter in the biosphere

It is obvious that the main geochemical and energy processes occur with the obligatory participation of V.I. Vernadsky formulated the concept of it this way. Living matter - all existing at the moment, constituting a single totality, which is expressed in elementary chemical composition, weight, energy.

The main property of living matter is its activity, due to its connection with environment constant biogenic flow. The flow is formed during breathing, nutrition, and reproduction. In this context, the life activity of organisms can be considered as a powerful geological process of a planetary nature.

Permanent migrations chemical elements between the organism and the environment in both directions occur continuously. This process is possible due to the proximity of the elementary chemical composition of organisms to chemical composition earth's crust.

Plants, carrying out photosynthesis, create complex organic molecules in the biosphere that have a large supply of energy. Thus, living matter accumulates and transforms the associated radiant energy of the Sun. The movement of energy becomes possible due to the constant growth and development of the body. The rate of reproduction, as V.I. Vernadsky rightly believed, is the rate at which geochemical energy is transferred in the biosphere.

Borders

The part of the biosphere that currently contains living organisms is usually called the neobiosphere. In other words, modern. And the space that was the habitat of ancient organisms is the paleobiosphere.

The total mass of the planet's geospheres is approximately 2420 billion tons. This value is 200 times the mass of the atmosphere. Thus, we can conclude that the layer of living matter in the total mass of geospheres is negligible.

The range of potential capabilities and the scale of adaptability of organisms determine the “everywhereness of life.” Living creatures gradually settled in the seas and oceans, then settled on land. According to Vernadsky, the composition and boundaries of the biosphere are changing even now.

It should be noted that, unlike other earthly shells, only the biosphere can be considered complex. It also performs the function of a “cover” of living essence and is the habitat of many organisms, including humans.

The boundaries of the biosphere are defined as follows. It includes the lower zone of the atmosphere, the upper zone of the lithosphere and the entire hydrosphere. And the heights of the atmosphere, characterized by cold, low pressure, and the depths of the ocean, the pressure in which can reach 12,000 atmospheres - all this is the biosphere. The boundaries of the biosphere are so wide due to the very wide limits of temperature tolerance of organisms.

It should be noted that there are also bacteria that can exist in a vacuum. The limits of adaptation to chemical conditions are also very wide. It is real that organisms exist, for example, under the constant influence of ionizing radiation. Research shows that some living beings are so hardy that, according to certain criteria, their capabilities are even outside the biosphere.

In addition to the basic conditions listed, the life of organisms is determined by the constancy of the biogenic current of atoms.

Upper limit of the biosphere

IN different parts On the planet, life in the atmosphere exists at different altitudes. In the Southern and North poles this value is 8-10 km, near the equator - 17-18 km, above all other territories - 20-25 km. Thus, only the troposphere - the lower part of the atmosphere - is filled with life.

The physical limit for the spread of life in the atmosphere is at the lower limit

Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is formed by oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and ice sheets. There is life at all depths. The vast majority of living organisms occupied the surface layers and coastal areas. But even at a depth of 11,022 m, in the deepest depression of the World Ocean (Mariinskaya), there are inhabitants. The neobiosphere also includes sediments that were once home to ancient creatures.

Lower limit of the biosphere

If we talk about the lithosphere, then the soil is, of course, its most densely populated layer, but the existence of life has been noticed much deeper - about 6-7 kilometers underground. This applies primarily to deep cracks and caves.

Organisms inhabiting the biosphere

Living organisms are divided into two groups depending on the method of obtaining the energy necessary for life: autotrophic and heterotrophic. The habitat of representatives of both groups is the biosphere. The boundaries of the biosphere are determined by their distribution.

Representatives in their diet are not associated with any other living beings. For this they need sunlight or energy chemical bonds compounds of inorganic origin. Both can be used as a source of energy, while they receive nutrition from minerals.

Autotrophs are divided into two subgroups. These are phototrophs (green) and chemotrophs (bacteria). The former are able to exist only in the area of penetration of sunlight. But the latter, due to the use of organic chemical compounds as an energy source, are much more widespread.

Heterotrophs, on the contrary, require organic substances produced by other organisms as sources of energy and nutrition. That is, without the preliminary work of autotrophs, their existence would be impossible. Animals and humans, as inhabitants of the biosphere, belong to heterotrophic organisms.

"Tapes of Life"

The uneven distribution of life is one of the important features that characterizes the biosphere. The boundaries of the biosphere have the lowest density of life. The greatest is observed at the junctions of habitats. In general, the distribution of life in the biosphere is sharply uneven. V.I. Vernadsky introduced the term “Films of Life,” using it to describe the most densely populated areas of the biosphere. The soil-air contact boundary is the first of these films, its thickness is from 2 to 3 cm. The second is represented by the air-soil contact zone - the coastal strip and the upwelling zone. The third is represented by the euphotic zone of the ocean (up to 200 m), i.e., the area of free penetration of the sun's ray.

Thus, life, transforming the “face of the Earth”, is inextricably linked with the concept of “biosphere”. The boundaries of the biosphere are the boundaries of life.

The spatial-functional organization is a mechanism that ensures the “geological eternity of all living things.” Man, as an inhabitant of the biosphere, along with other heterotrophic organisms, is a direct participant in the energy cycle that ensures life on Earth.