Biosphere

Biosphere comprises the part of the terrestrial system (air, land and water from the deepest ocean depths) in which the life developed. It is essentially a collective creation of a very large variety of organisms and species which form the diversity of the ecosystem.

The term was coined by the geologist Eduard Suess in 1875. The concept of biosphere is thus from geological origin and is an indication of the impact of Darwin on Earth sciences. The ecological concept of Biosphere comes from the 1920ies (Vladimir I. Vernadsky) and precedes the concept of ecosystem introduced in 1935 by Arthur Transley. It is related with astronomy, geophysics, meteorology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, geology, geochemistry, and generally speaking all life and earth sciences.

From a geophysiology point of view, the Biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, with their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere (rocks), the hydrosphere (water), and the atmosphère (air).

However, the term is often used with more restricted meanings. For example, the geochemists also give define the biosphere as being the total sum of the living organisms (which is usually named biomass or biota by biologists and ecologists).

According to this definition, the biosphere is one of the four components of the geochemical model (with the lithosphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere).

Some consider that the semantic and conceptual confusion surrounding the term of biosphere is reflected in the current debates related to biodiversity, or sustainable development... The meaning used according to the geochemistry terminology is one of the consequences of the very specialized organization of modern science.

Many appear to prefer the word ecosphere, coined in the 60-70ies; however detractors claim this word is associated with the concepts of ecological crisis and is not to be preferred.

Vernadsky defined ecology as being the science of the biosphere.

Biosphere I, Biosphere II, Biosphere III

When the word Biosphere is followed by a number, it is usually refering to a specific biosystem.

• Biosphere I - The planet earth.
• Biosphere II - A laboratory in Arizona which contains 3.15 acres of closed ecosystem.
• Biosphere III - Some hypothesized future experiment.

See also

biome, cryosphere, Biosphere Reserve, noosphere, geosphere, eco-evolution