height of the biosphere. Biosphere: the boundaries of the biosphere

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

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

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The 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, the name of the term in Lamarck was different.

The biosphere, which in Greek means "sphere of life", was considered as a system of living organisms that exists in close contact with mineral elements and is 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.

Due 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 used by scientists all over the world, including the concept of the hierarchical structure of the biosphere. Vernadsky wrote that living matter has a noticeable effect 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

Consider what is included in the biosphere. The limits of the biosphere in the depths of the Earth's surface extend for many kilometers. The entire thickness of the waters of the seas and oceans is filled with living organisms down to the deepest depressions. Upper bound The existence of living organisms is located at an altitude of approximately 45 kilometers from 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 the destructive cosmic radiation that kills all life.

Science believes that the biosphere consists of three shells:

1. lithosphere;
2. hydrosphere;
3. atmosphere.

The lithosphere, as the densest component of the biosphere shell, begins at the Earth's surface and extends several kilometers down. It 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 due to too high temperature and pressure.

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

When people talk about the atmosphere, they basically 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 composition of the biosphere does not include the 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 types 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 action of cosmic radiation.

The biosphere is understood as the totality of all living organisms on the planet. The earth is inhabited by about 3 million species of diverse living beings. Try it, characterize them! You can be confused by such a variety! Many of them we don't even know exist. 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 scheme of the structure of the biosphere is a structure organized in the form of many biogeocenoses. In other words, biogeocenoses are part of the biosphere. Their state is a necessary condition for the existence and development of the biosphere. Therefore, biogeocenoses are called the bricks that make up the biosphere of the planet. The biosphere is the totality of all biogeocenoses of the planet. All components of the biosphere are important. If one of them is damaged, then the whole 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 sure of the divine origin. Others believe that this, in general, was the rarest coincidence that created a living organism from a set of inanimate elements. Still others believe that the ancestors of all life on our planet came from outer space.

There is even a semi-fantastic 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, flying away, left the 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 matter 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 the land. Further transformation was completed by the processes taking place in the biosphere. The land plants that appeared 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, oxygen was produced, which is necessary for the respiration of animals. In the upper atmosphere, part of the oxygen turned into ozone, which served as a 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, organic compounds could be formed that accumulated in the ocean

The biosphere also 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 habitation.

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

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

At the moment, human activity poses a threat to the existence of not only their species, but all living things. If you do not take action, then there is no future for humanity. What is the way out of this situation?

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

1. the settlement of Homo sapiens throughout the planet and its dominant position over other biological species;
2. a revolution in the development of communications and the possibility of rapid communication between any point on the planet;
3. the possibility of the emergence and active use of nuclear energy;
4. democratic attitudes prevail in the world community, giving the broad masses of the people real levers of control;
5. 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 person who studied the global processes of development of mankind and its environment.

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

The significance 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 devoted to space exploration. Such a system is the artificial biosphere. This concept was first used by Tsiolkovsky. If recreated on another planet, the thickness of the biosphere would provide the conditions for human survival. So far, it has not been possible to obtain an independent biosphere, but research in this direction continues.

artificial biosphere

Each person takes care of his house, car, takes care of 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 this house should be protected so that we can pass it on to our descendants. And it will be pure and beautiful.

The biosphere is the habitat of living beings. The origin of life is closely connected with the development of the shells of the earth. It began its formation about 4 billion years ago, then the first signs of life appeared on our planet.

The formation of the biosphere and its gradual formation is due to the influence of a number of factors: the effect of cosmic energy on the Earth, the development of living organisms and mankind.

The term biosphere was introduced by the Austrian scientist Suess back in the 19th century, he singled out all the shells of the Earth, but made a detailed description of them in the 20th century. domestic scientist V.I. Vernadsky (first president of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences). He described the boundaries of the biosphere, developed a unified doctrine of the biosphere.

Properties of the biosphere necessary for the emergence and continuation of life

• The presence of CO 2 and oxygen;
• water is the source of life on earth, the presence of both fresh water and salt water;
• temperature regulation: no sudden changes, ultra-high and low rates;
• providing all living things with food;

There is still no single definition. There are three versions of what the biosphere is:

1. The total mass of all living beings that live in the shells of the earth is the biosphere.
2. Organisms and their habitats together make up the biosphere.
3. This is a consequence of the long life of creatures that lived long before our days.

Scientists-geologists consider the first point of view correct, since the others have no theoretical support.

The biosphere extends over the entire surface of the Earth (mountains, fields, rivers, seas, oceans) and creates conditions for the life of all organisms. Man is also a component.

Borders

What determines the boundaries of the biosphere?

Since the Living is the main component of the biosphere, its boundaries are determined by the ability of individual individuals to survive in conditions environment. In the upper layers, ultraviolet radiation does not allow living organisms to develop - this determines the upper boundary of the biosphere. High temperatures in the depths of the earth they establish the lower limit of life.

Atmosphere- the air layer of the globe, consists of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc. It protects the Earth from overheating, the effects of cosmic radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and meteorites. The atmosphere is divided into: troposphere, stratosphere, ionosphere.

Troposphere(the ozone layer of the earth) is the upper boundary of the biosphere, located at an altitude of 20 km.

Stratosphere- located at an altitude of 50 km above sea level, the air liquefies, heats up, the concentration of ozone increases, the conditions become unsuitable for life.

Ionosphere- the surface layer of the atmosphere, susceptible to cosmic radiation, therefore highly ionized.

Lithosphere- the earth's crust, a solid layer that goes to a depth of 200 km. The biosphere includes the upper sphere inhabited by living organisms. The lower boundary along the lithosphere reaches 4 km, the depth where bacteria were found. Falling lower, the temperature rises, reaching 100 degrees, which is incompatible with the existence of living organisms, protein denaturation occurs, all living things die.

Hydrosphere- the totality of surface and groundwater. This is one of the shells of our planet, which surrounds the continents and islands, makes up 70% of the surface of the globe. The lower boundary of the biosphere is located at a depth of about 11 km. (in the Pacific).

Layers of the biosphere

Eubiosphere- the main layer of the biosphere. 99.9% of living beings permanently inhabit this layer. The width of the eubiosphere is 12-17 km.

Parabiosphere, Metabiosphere- respectively, the upper and lower layers of the bisosphere, where life gets by chance, is brought in from the eubiosphere.

Apobiosphere And abiosphere- the uppermost and lowest layers, where life cannot get even by accident.

Depending on the habitat of living organisms, there are:

• Aerobiosphere(life is carried out due to atmospheric moisture and solar energy, from the tops of trees to the stratosphere);
• geobiosphere(organisms inhabit the soil, land surface, trees);
• hydrobiosphere(all water structures inhabited by hydrobionts, excluding groundwater).

The structure of the biosphere and its composition

Living matter Vernadsky described as the total number of all living organisms inhabiting the planet in a given period of time.

Basic properties:

• It contains a huge amount of energy;
• the rate of reactions in a living organism is faster than in artificially created conditions;
• the components of living matter are stable only in a viable organism;
• the ability to exist in different conditions, filling the entire space. Vernadsky called this phenomenon "the ubiquity of life";
• individuals are always part of an ecosystem;
• living matter evolves, acquires new properties, adapts to the variability of the external environment.

Nutrient are the products of the vital activity of living things. In the process of life, organisms repeatedly pass through themselves all the components of the biosphere, thus deposits of oil, gas, coal, peat, etc. are formed.

inert substance- is formed without the participation of living matter (non-biogenic rocks, minerals).

Bio-inert substance- is created by the interaction of living and non-living things (water, surface atmosphere, soil).

Living matter is not evenly distributed over the expanses of the earth, its concentration increases near the equatorial plane, there is little life at the poles of the planet.

The accumulation of living organisms is located at the boundaries of the layers of the biosphere: at the bottom of the ocean - the boundary between the lithosphere and the hydrosphere passes, in the surface waters of the World Ocean - the boundary between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere, at the boundary of the lithosphere and the atmosphere is the soil - the habitat of microorganisms, insects, and other animals. In these places, favorable conditions for existence are created: a high concentration of oxygen, access to sunlight, moisture, nutrients.

The ratio of species of living organisms shows the predominance of vegetation, it occupies 99% of all living things, animals - 1%, people - 0.0002%.

Functions of the biosphere

Energy- accumulation of solar radiation in the process of photosynthesis (transition of the energy of sunlight with the help of plant pigments into organic bonds) and its transformation, followed by distribution among all living organisms.

Gas generating– maintaining a stable gas composition of the atmosphere (release of oxygen, absorption of carbon dioxide).

concentration- concentrate chemicals in the body, subsequently forming minerals.

The cycle of matter in the biosphere

Plants in the process of growth and development use minerals from the soil, adsorb water with the help of the root, process the energy of the Sun, form organic substances from inorganic substances, carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmospheric air by the leaves and oxygen is released through photosynthesis.

Animals and humans breathe oxygen, use organic matter formed by plants. After death, the accumulation of organic substances of plants and animals decompose under the action of microorganisms, and pass into an inorganic state.

The process of transformation of energy and matter starts from the beginning - this is the life cycle.

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

History of 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 such a meaning is embedded in 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 exists at the moment or has ever existed, that is, the biosphere is characterized by the presence of living organisms or their metabolic products.

Types of substances in the biosphere

VI Vernadsky singled out several types of substances that form the basis of the biosphere.

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

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

Living matter in the biosphere

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

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

Constant migrations of chemical elements between the organism and the environment in both directions occur continuously. The implementation of this process is possible due to the proximity of the elemental chemical composition of organisms to chemical composition earth's crust.

Plants, carrying out photosynthesis, create in the biosphere complex organic molecules with a large supply of energy. Thus, living matter accumulates and transforms the bound radiant energy of the Sun. The movement of energy becomes possible due to the constant growth and development of the organism. 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 in which there are currently living organisms is commonly 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 the geospheres is negligible.

The range of potential possibilities and the scale of adaptability of organisms determine the "ubiquity of life". Living beings gradually settled in the seas and oceans, then settled on land. According to Vernadsky, the composition and boundaries of the biosphere are still changing.

It should be noted that, unlike other earthly shells, only the biosphere can be considered complex. It also performs the function of a “cover” from a living entity 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 because of 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. Real is the existence of organisms, for example, under the constant influence of ionizing radiation. Studies show that some living beings are so hardy that, according to certain criteria, their capabilities are even outside the biosphere.

In addition to the main listed conditions, the life of organisms is due to the constancy of the biogenic current of atoms.

Upper limit of the biosphere

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

The physical limit of the propagation of life in the atmosphere is at the lower boundary

Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is formed by oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and ice sheets. There is life in every depth. 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 basin of the World Ocean (Mariinsky), there are inhabitants. The neobiosphere also includes bottom sediments that were once the habitat of 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 concerns, first of all, deep cracks and caves.

Organisms that inhabit 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 connected with any other living beings. For this they require sunlight or the energy of chemical bonds of 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 first are able to exist only in the area of ​​penetration of sunlight. But the latter, due to the use of chemical compounds of organic nature 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 man, as a resident of the biosphere, are heterotrophic organisms.

"Films 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. On the whole, the distribution of life in the biosphere is sharply uneven. V. I. Vernadsky introduced the term "Films of Life", describing with its help the most densely populated areas of the biosphere. The soil-air contact boundary is the first of such films, its thickness is from 2 to 3 cm. The second one 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, which transforms the "face of the Earth", is inextricably linked with the concept of "biosphere". The boundaries of the biosphere are the boundaries of life.

Spatial-functional organization is a mechanism that ensures the "geological eternity of all living things." Man, as a resident of the biosphere, along with other heterotrophic organisms, is a direct participant in the energy cycle that ensures life on Earth.

The boundaries of the biosphere. The biosphere is located at the intersection of the upper part of the lithosphere, the lower part of the atmosphere and occupies the entire hydrosphere. Upper limit (atmosphere): 15–20 km. Lower boundary (lithosphere): 3.5?7.5 km. Lower boundary (hydrosphere): 10?11 km. Atmosphere (from the Greek ????? - steam and ?????? - sphere) - the gaseous shell of a celestial body, held around it by gravity. The lithosphere (from the Greek ????? - stone and ?????? - sphere) is the solid shell of the Earth. Hydrosphere (from the Greek Y??? - water and ?????? - ball) - the totality of all the water reserves of the Earth.

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Biosphere

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"Ecosystem concepts" - Mesoecosystem: lake, grove, swamp, farm, field. In the process of nutrition, organisms are interconnected in a certain sequence. The community of living organisms and the abiotic environment influence each other. An ecosystem is an integral self-reproducing system. Food webs within each ecosystem have a well-defined structure.

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The biosphere is understood as the totality of all living organisms on the planet. They inhabit any corner of the Earth: from the depths of the oceans, the bowels of the planet to the airspace, so many scientists call this shell the sphere of life. It is also inhabited by the human race itself.

The composition of the biosphere

The biosphere is considered the most global ecosystem of our planet. It consists of several areas. 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 beings and a necessary substance for life. It ensures the flow of many processes.

The biosphere contains the atmosphere. Various organisms exist in it, and it itself is saturated with various gases. Of particular value is oxygen, which is necessary for the life of all organisms. The atmosphere also plays an important role in nature, affecting the weather and climate.

The lithosphere, namely the upper layer of the earth's crust, is included in the biosphere. It is inhabited by living organisms. So, insects, rodents and other animals live in the thickness 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 earth, but also shallow in the bowels, inhabit water bodies and are found in the atmosphere. Plant forms vary from mosses, lichens and grasses to shrubs and trees. As for animals, the smallest representatives are unicellular microbes and bacteria, and the largest are land and sea creatures (elephants, bears, rhinos, whales). All of them have a wide variety, and each species is important for our planet.

The value of the biosphere

The biosphere has been studied by various scientists in all historical eras. Much attention was paid to this shell by V.I. Vernadsky. He believed that the biosphere is determined by the boundaries in 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 crucial role in the distribution of the energy flows of 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. It is greatly influenced by people. In the biosphere, the cycle of elements of nature takes place, 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 issues but also global.

One of the results of human influence on the biosphere is the 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, grasses are secondary, that is, new species have been planted instead of the primary vegetation cover. In turn, animal populations are destroyed by hunters not only for the sake of obtaining food, but also for the purpose of selling valuable skins, bones, shark fins, elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, and various body parts on the black market.

Quite strongly anthropogenic activity influences the process of soil formation. So, the plowing of fields leads to wind and water erosion. A change in the composition of the vegetation cover leads to the fact that other species are involved in the process of soil formation, which means that a different type of soil is formed. Due to the use of various fertilizers in agriculture, the discharge of solid and liquid waste into the ground, the physical and chemical composition of the soil changes.

Demographic processes have a negative impact on the biosphere:

• the population of the planet is growing, which is increasingly consuming natural resources;
• the scale of industrial production is increasing;
• there is more waste;
• the area of ​​agricultural land is increasing.

It should be noted that people contribute to the pollution of all layers of the biosphere. Sources of pollution today there is a huge variety:

• vehicle exhaust gases;
• particles released during the combustion of fuel;
• radioactive substances;
• oil products;
• emissions of chemical compounds into the air;
• municipal solid waste;
• pesticides, mineral fertilizers and agrochemistry;
• dirty drains 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 the reduction of biodiversity on earth, but also to climate change. Due to the influence of the human race on the biosphere, there is also a melting of glaciers and a change in the level of oceans and seas, acid precipitation, etc.

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 are in favor of reducing the impact of the human community on nature in order to save the Earth's biosphere from destruction.

The material composition of the biosphere

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

• Living matter is the totality of living beings inhabiting 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 habitat. All organisms constitute a powerful geochemical force, spreading unevenly over the earth's surface.
• biogenic substance. These are those mineral-organic and purely organic components that were created by living beings, namely, combustible minerals.
• 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, atmosphere, rivers, lakes and other surface water areas.
• Radioactive substances such as the elements uranium, radium, thorium.
• scattered atoms. They are formed from substances of terrestrial origin when they are affected by cosmic radiation.
• space substance. Bodies and substances formed in outer space fall on the earth. It can be both meteorites and fragments with cosmic dust.

Layers of the biosphere

It should be noted that all 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 about 22 km above the ground, where there are still living beings. In general, this is the airspace 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 firmament. 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 water bodies without groundwater. This shell includes the World Ocean, surface water, atmospheric moisture and glaciers. The entire water 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, then it consists of soil, rocks and minerals. Depending on the location environment, there are various types of soil that differ in chemical and organic composition, depend on environmental factors (vegetation, water bodies, wildlife, anthropogenic influence). The lithosphere consists of a huge number of minerals and rocks, which are presented 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;
• apatite;
• gypsum;
• carnallite;
• calcite;
• phosphorites;
• sylvinite, etc.

Depending on the amount 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 oceans, 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 the known species of living beings, no more than 15% have been described, so it will take humanity hundreds of years to explore and describe everything existing species on the planet.

The 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 emit 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 interrelations of various spheres.

One example is the 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 the 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. In the course of mutual influence of living beings, hydrosphere, salts and minerals, at a certain temperature, corals are formed, and from them, in turn, coral reefs and islands appear. It also allows you to regulate the salt composition of the waters of the oceans.

Various types of relief are a direct result of the connection of the biosphere with other shells 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 value of the biosphere in nature

The importance of the biosphere as a global ecosystem of the planet can hardly be overestimated. Based on the functions of the shell of all living things, one can realize 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 biogenic matter.
• 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 circulation of elements in nature, during which new living and inanimate substances appear.
• Environment-forming. It affects the environmental conditions, the composition of atmospheric gases, rocks of sedimentary origin and the land 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 would be impossible, as well as life itself. In the course of the activity of living beings, their interrelationships, influence on inanimate matter, the very world of nature and the appearance of the planet are formed.

The role of Vernadsky in the study of the biosphere

For the first time the doctrine of the biosphere was developed by Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky. He isolated this shell from other terrestrial spheres, updated its meaning and imagined that this is a very active sphere that changes and affects 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 landforms, climate, atmosphere, rocks of sedimentary origin are the result of the activity of all living organisms. One of the key roles in this is assigned to people who have a huge impact on the course of many earthly processes, being a certain element that owns a certain force that can change the face of the planet.

Vladimir Ivanovich presented the theory about all living things in his work "Biosphere" (1926), which contributed to the emergence of a new scientific branch. The academician in his work presented the biosphere as an integral system, showed its components and their interrelations, as well as the role of man. When living matter interacts with inert matter, a number of processes are influenced:

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

Vernadsky indicated 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 singled out the main components of the biosphere discussed above, and singled out 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 the ocean depths, includes the surface layer of the earth up to 3 kilometers and air space up to the troposphere;
• showed the difference between the biosphere and other shells by its dynamism and constant activity of all living organisms;
• the specificity of this shell lies in the continuous turnover of elements of animate and inanimate nature;
• the activity of living matter has led to significant changes on the entire planet;
• the existence of the biosphere is due to the astronomical position of the Earth (distance from the Sun, inclination 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 of the biosphere.

Perhaps these are the key concepts about the living environment that Vernadsky laid down in his teaching, although his works are global and need further reflection, they are relevant to this day. They became the basis for the research of other scientists.

Conclusion

Summing up, it is worth noting that life in the biosphere is located in different and uneven ways. A large number of living organisms live on the earth's surface, whether it is aquatic environment or land. All beings come into contact with water, minerals and the atmosphere, being in continuous connection with them. This is what provides optimal conditions for life (oxygen, water, light, heat, nutrients). The deeper into the ocean water column or underground, the life is more monotonous. Living matter also spreads over the 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 appreciate the biosphere and protect it from our harmful, human, influence today.