The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth. From the broadest biophysiological point of view, the biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. The biosphere is postulated to have evolved, beginning through a process of biogenesis or biopoesis, at least some 3.5 billion years ago.1
Contents 1 Origin and use of the term 1.1 Gaia hypothesis 2 Extent of Earth's biosphere 3 Specific biospheres 4 See also 5 References 6 External links // Origin and use of the termThe term "biosphere" was coined by geologist Eduard Suess in 1875, which he defined as:2
biosphere ( ) n. The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life
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While this concept has a geological origin, it is an indication of the impact of both Darwin and Maury on the earth sciences. The biosphere's ecological context comes from the 1920s (see Vladimir I. Vernadsky), preceding the 1935 introduction of the term "ecosystem" by Sir Arthur Tansley (see ecology history). Vernadsky defined ecology as the science of the biosphere. It is an interdisciplinary concept for integrating astronomy, geophysics, meteorology, biogeography, evolution, geology, geochemistry, hydrology and, generally speaking, all life and earth sciences.
Gaia hypothesisThe concept that the biosphere is itself a living organism, either actually or metaphorically, is known as the Gaia hypothesis.
James Lovelock, an atmospheric scientist from the United Kingdom, proposed the Gaia hypothesis to explain how biotic and abiotic factors interact in the biosphere. This hypothesis considers Earth itself a kind of living organism. Its atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere are cooperating systems that yield a biosphere full of life. In the early 1970s, Lynn Margulis, a microbiologist from the United States, added to the hypothesis, specifically noting the ties between the biosphere and other Earth systems. For example, when carbon dioxide levels increase in the atmosphere, plants grow more quickly. As their growth continues, they remove more and more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Many scientists are now involved in new fields of study that examine interactions between biotic and abiotic factors in the biosphere, such as geobiology and geomicrobiology.
Ecosystems occur when communities and their physical environment work together as a system. The difference between this and a biosphere is simple, the biosphere is everything in general terms.
Extent of Earth's biosphere Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. Image is the Earth photographed from Apollo 17.Every part of the planet, from the polar ice caps to the Equator, supports life of some kind. Recent advances in microbiology have demonstrated that microbes live deep beneath the Earth's terrestrial surface, and that the total mass of microbial life in so-called "uninhabitable zones" may, in biomass, exceed all animal and plant life on the surface. The actual thickness of the biosphere on earth is difficult to measure. Birds typically fly at altitudes of 650 to 1,800 meters, and fish that live deep underwater can be found down to -8,372 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench.1
There are more extreme examples for life on the planet: Rüppell's Vulture has been found at altitudes of 11,300 meters; Bar-headed Geese migrate at altitudes of at least 8,300 meters (over Mount Everest); Yaks live at elevations between 3,200 to 5,400 meters above sea level; mountain goats live up to 3,050 meters. Herbivorous animals at these elevations depend on lichens, grasses, and herbs.
Microscopic organisms live at such extremes that, taking them into consideration puts the thickness of the biosphere much greater. Culturable microbes have been found in the Earth's upper atmosphere as high as 41 km (25 mi) (Wainwright et al., 2003, in FEMS Microbiology Letters). It is unlikely, however, that microbes are active at such altitudes, where temperatures and air pressure are extremely low and ultraviolet radiation very high. More likely these microbes were brought into the upper atmosphere by winds or possibly volcanic eruptions. Barophilic marine microbes have been found at more than 10 km (6 mi) depth in the Marianas Trench (Takamia et al., 1997, in FEMS Microbiology Letters). Microbes are not limited to the air, water or the Earth's surface. Culturable thermophilic microbes have been extracted from cores drilled more than 5 km (3 mi) into the Earth's crust in Sweden (Gold, 1992, and Szewzyk, 1994, both in PNAS), from rocks between 65-75 °C. Temperature increases with increasing depth into the Earth's crust. The speed at which the temperature increases depends on many factors, including type of crust (continental vs. oceanic), rock type, geographic location, etc. The upper known limit of microbial is 122 °C (Methanopyrus kandleri Strain 116), and it is likely that the limit of life in the "deep biosphere" is defined by temperature rather than absolute depth.
Our biosphere is divided into a number of biomes, inhabited by broadly similar flora and fauna. On land, biomes are separated primarily by latitude. Terrestrial biomes lying within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles are relatively barren of plant and animal life, while most of the more populous biomes lie near the equator. Terrestrial organisms in temperate and Arctic biomes have relatively small amounts of total biomass, smaller energy budgets, and display prominent adaptations to cold, including world-spanning migrations, social adaptations, homeothermy, estivation and multiple layers of insulation.
Specific biospheresWhen the word is followed by a number, it is usually referring to a specific system or number. Thus:
Biosphere 1 - The planet Earth Biosphere 2 - A laboratory in Arizona which contains 3.15 acres (13,000 m²) of closed ecosystem. BIOS-3 was a closed ecosystem at the Institute of Biophysics in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in what was then the Soviet Union. Biosphere J (CEEF, Closed Ecology Experiment Facilities) - An experiment in Japan.34 See also Environment portal Ecology portal Earth sciences portal Sustainable development portal Back-contamination Biome Biosphere reserve Cryosphere Earth's atmosphere atmosphere Geosphere Homeostasis Hydrosphere Life support system Lithosphere Noosphere Revised Simple Biosphere Model (SIB-2) Shadow biosphere Simple Biosphere model Thomas Gold Montreal Biosphère Biosphere 2 References ^ a b Campbell, Neil A.; Brad Williamson; Robin J. Heyden (2006). Biology: Exploring Life. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-250882-6. http://www.phschool.com/el_marketing.html. ^ Seuss, E. (1875) Die Entstehung Der Alpen The Origin of the Alps. Vienna: W. Braunmuller. ^ Nakano et al.(1998)"Dynamic Simulation of Pressure Control System for the Closed Ecology Experiment Facility", Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. 64:107-114. ^ Institute for Environmental Sciences External links Look up biosphere in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Article on the Biosphere at Encyclopedia of Earth GLOBIO.info, an ongoing programme to map the past, current and future impacts of human activities on the biosphere Paul Crutzen Interview Freeview video of Paul Crutzen Nobel Laureate for his work on decomposition of ozone talking to Harry Kroto Nobel Laureate by the Vega Science Trust. v • d • e Elements of nature Universe Space · Time · Matter · Energy Earth Earth science · Geology · History of the Earth · Geological history of Earth · Future of the Earth · Structure of the Earth · Plate tectonics Weather Earth's atmosphere · Climate · Meteorology Environment Ecology · Ecosystem · Wilderness Life Hierarchy of life · Origin of life · Life on Earth · Eukaryota (Plants/Flora, Animals/Fauna, Fungi, Protista) · Prokaryote (Archaea, Bacteria) · Virus · Evolutionary history of life · Biology Category · Portal v • d • e Environmental scienceChandigarh, Sep 6: The Punjab government Monday asked the union government to declare the Shivalik ranges as a 'biosphere reserve' area.
Atmospheric sciences · Ecology · Geosciences · Soil science · Hydrology
This figure is an illustration of the setting of the biosphere in the context of the overall repository system It shows the different pathways through which radiation exposure could occur
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v • d • e Sustainability Philosophy and definition Sustainable living · Environmentalism · Environmental ethics · Rio Declaration on Environment and Development · Ecological modernization · Sustainable development Population Birth control · Family planning · Overpopulation · Population control · Zero population growth Consumption Anti-consumerism · Ecological footprint · Ethical consumerism · Overconsumption · Tragedy of the commons Technology Environmental technology Resource use and conservation Food Food security · Local food · Permaculture · Sustainable agriculture · Sustainable fisheries · Urban horticulture Water Water footprint · Water crisis · Water efficiency · Water conservation Energy Biofuels · Carbon footprint · Emissions trading · Energy conservation · Energy descent · Peak oil · Renewable energy · Solar power · Wind power Materials Industrial ecology · Recycling · Waste · Zero waste Biodiversity Biosecurity · Biosphere · Conservation biology · Endangered species · Holocene extinction · Invasive species Sustainability disciplines and activities Disciplines Science · Measurement · Governance · Yield Sustainable activities Sustainable advertising / architecture / art / business / city (infrastructure / drainage) / community / design / education / fashion / gardening / landscape architecture / living / industries / packaging / procurement / reporting / tourism / transport Management Fisheries management · Planetary management · Forest management Environmental Environmental biotechnology / chemistry / design / economics / engineering / ethics / history / law / psychology / science / sociology International reports and agreements UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972) · Brundtlandt Commission Report, 1983 (Our Common Future, 1987) · Earth Summit (1992) · Agenda 21 (1992) · Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) · ICPD Programme of Action (1994) · Earth Charter · Lisbon Principles · Millennium Declaration (2000) · Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Lists and glossaries Lists Association of Environmental Professionals · Climate change topics · Conservation issues / topics · Environmental agreements / health hazards / issues / organisations / topics (sound topics / studies topics) · Global sustainability statistics Glossaries Climate change · Environmental science Category · Portal v • d • e Hierarchy of life Biosphere > Ecosystem > Community (Biocoenosis) > Population > Organism > Organ system > Organ > Tissue > Cell > Organelle > Molecule (Macromolecule · Biomolecule) > Atom
Dreaming the Biosphere University of New Mexico Press
The biosphere is the biological component of earth systems, which also include the ... The biosphere concept is common to many scientific disciplines including ...
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The Punjab government Monday asked the union government to declare the Shivalik ranges as a 'biosphere reserve' area.
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The Union minister for environment and forest Jairam Ramesh said Centre has cleared projects worth Rs 504 crore for cleaning of Sutlej and Beas rivers in various districts of Punjab.
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The biosphere is a closed and self-regulating system (see ecology ecology, study of the relationships of organisms to their physical environment and to one another. ...
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The UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will help Vietnam to complete dossier on the 72,000-hectare Cat Tien National Park to submit to the organization for recognition as world natural heritage, said Chief of UNESCO’s Hanoi Office Katherine Muller Marin.
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On the Serengeti Plain, life can be brutally violent, and yet the ecosystem is surprisingly efficient and serene. This regional biosphere is rich with wildlife. It's been a great source of enjoyment for thousands of visitors each year, in part because the Tanzanian government has instituted strict laws that mitigate the devastation caused by the most dangerous species of all: man. The Serengeti ...
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The purpose of this unit on Biosphere 2 is to contribute to our understanding of life on Planet Earth and the potential for life beyond it. ...
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Sustenance of a life-giver:The Western Ghats, now a biodiversity hotspot, will come under increased protection if the majestic mountain ranges make it to the World Heritage List.
03 Description Illustration made for Intrinsic Nature 3
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Biosphere is historically and most commonly defined as that part of the Earth in which living organisms exist. ... Yet, another definition of biosphere includes both the living ...
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AUGUSTA -- A city woman is being lauded by statewide business magazine MaineBiz for her role as a business leader.
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Biosphere 2 - overview and short history. Biosphere 2 is a major sealed glasshouse complex near the small town of Oracle, north of Tucson in the desert of Arizona. ...
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If you look through Katter’s wishlist (the earlier thread is here) there are quite a few items that could potentially bring him into conflict with the Greens. See 5, 6, 8 and 13, for example. Take a look at this map of the wild rivers from The Wilderness Society site: Then overlay it in your [...]
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Washington, Sept 5 : A new study from Macquarie University has analyzed why global mass extinctions occur - whether they are just short-term diversions in life's preordained course, or spring up completely new paths of evolution.
P M Museum of Archeology and History Pointe à Callière Montréal Science Centre Dinner Evening IMAX movie DAY 3 A M Breakfast Space Camp Lunch P M Shopping Cruise departure dinner on the road on your own
biosphere - 11. silene (substrata) [1996]
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Legal Eagle is worried about the effect of being “outed” as a climate skeptic after appearing on the recent episode of Insight featuring a discussion between a skeptical audience and the late Professor Stephen Schneider: Why would I be scared? When someone says the words “climate sceptic”, the instant stereotype which springs to most people’s [...]
you hear the music in a new way I spoke to the lead designer behind the game programmer animator Eddy Boxerman along with musical sonic collaborator Mat Jarvis aka Gas aka High Skies Osmos music reads like a who s who of intelligent ambient music with artists like Norway s Biosphere Photo Trine Falch
biosphere - 10. sphere of no-form (substrata) [1996]