The doctrine of the «Biosphere» by Vladimir Vernadsky

The doctrine of the «Biosphere» was coined by Russian scientist Vladimir Vernadsky in the 1926. In Vernadsky’s book “Biosfera”, first pub­lished in 1926, in accordance with dialectic principle, the process of cosmo­gonic evolution of Earth is considered, in the light of dynamics of the environ­ment, which includes the system of many different forms of matter turnover, while its highest form, the life, is determining other planetary processes.

Biosphere according to Vernadsky is a self-regulating system, including both living and non-living constituents. The work of living matter in the biosphere is manifested in two main forms: (a) chemical (biochemical) and (b) mechanical. Vernadsky made a detailed analysis of different forms of biochemical and mechanical transformations on environment activity of life and realized that there is no force on the face of the Earth more powerful in its results than the totality of living organisms. No phenomena in the biosphere are separated from life and biogeochemical cycles. To analyze these processes Vernadsky introduced the notions of “living matter” of the biosphere - the sum of its living organisms, “inert matter” - non-living substance and “bioinert matter”, which is an organic composition of living organisms with not-living substance.

Vernadsky identified the boundaries of the biosphere as well as its composition, energetics, and dynamics. He included in the biosphere the upper part of the lithosphere to a depth of 2-3 km, which contains living bacteria, the hydrosphere, and the lower part of the atmosphere. Within the biosphere he distinguished two component types of matter: minerals, which he termed “inert,” and living matter. The morphology of inert matter (its chemical composition and physical state) is preserved unchanged in the course of geological time, while living matter, both in totality and in its individual forms, undergoes continual change in the process of the biosphere’s evolution as an integrated system.

The Vernadsky’s biosphere includes:

> living matter - all living organisms;

> inanimate matter (inert or non-living matter). This is the set of those substances in the biosphere in the formation of which living organisms do not participate;

> biogeneric matter, that is, organic and mineral substances, created by living matter (for instance, coal, peat, litter, humus, etc.);

> bioinert matter, created by living organisms together with inorganic nature (water, atmosphere, sediment rocks).

Solar and chemical energy serve as the original source of the energy of life. The absorption of solar energy by photoautotrophs - the living matter that uniquely transforms solar energy into chemical energy and distributes it throughout the planet - is one of the most important functions of living matter in the biosphere.

The main functions of living matter are the following: 1) energy; 2) destructive; 3) concentration, and 4) environment-forming.

The essence of the first of these is to absorb solar energy during photosynthesis and energy transfer through the food chain. For own needs of the body is spent on average 10-12% of assimilated energy. The rest of it is redistributed within the ecosystem. Energy is partially dissipated and partly accumulates in nutrients. After moving to the state of fossil energy is preserved in the earth's crust and is the power base for the geological processes that provide the energy needs of humanity.

Destructive function of living matter is the decomposition and minerali­zation of dead material in the chemical decomposition of rocks, minerals for­med involvement in biotic circulation. A special group of organisms (decom­posers) destructors decompose dead organic matter to simple inorganic compounds: carbon dioxide, water, hydrogen sulfide, methane, ammonia, which is then re-used in the initial link of the cycle.

Concentration function is manifested in the selective accumulation in the vital activity of the atoms of substances dispersed in nature. The most active hubs of many elements are organisms.

Finally, the environmental function of living matter is to transform the physical and chemical parameters of the environment (lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere) in conditions favorable to the existence of organisms.

Life evolved on earth during its early history between 4,5 and 3,8 billion years ago and the biosphere readily distinguishes our planet from all others in the solar system. The chemical reactions of life (e.g., photosynthesis­respiration, carbonate precipitation, etc.) have also imparted a strong signal on the chemical composition of the atmosphere, transforming the atmosphere from reducing conditions to and oxidizing environment with free oxygen. The biosphere is structured into a hierarchy known as the food chain whereby all life is dependent upon the first tier (i.e. mainly the primary producers that are capable of photosynthesis).

Plants take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere for photosynthesis, but respiration and burning put carbon dioxide back. So does the decay of dead organic matter. During the carboniferous period (over 300 million years ago) large amounts of carbon accumulated as coal, peat, oils and natural gas. These are fossil fuels. It took millions of years to make these fuels, but we are burning them all up in a few hundred years.