Our earth consists of different substances and materials, such as air, soil or water. It is therefore divided into different spheres from heaven to the core of the earth, which can penetrate and overlap through the different substances and materials. Did you know that the space in which we and other living beings live is called the biosphere? In this article you will get to know the biosphere.
Biosphere – Definition
The biosphere describes all layers of the earth in which living beings occur.
The biosphere includes the top layer of the earth’s crust (lithosphere), the water (hydrosphere) and the bottom layer of the atmosphere, as shown in Figure 1. Dhe biosphere extends from about 5 km below the earth’s surface to 60 km above the earth’s surface.
The biosphere is part of the geosphere. The geosphere includes the entire solid part of our earth up to the gaseous atmosphere.
The geosphere is divided into:
- Atmosphere (shell of gas above the earth’s surface)
- lithosphere (top layer of the earth’s crust)
- hydrosphere (all water deposits on earth)
- cryosphere (all frozen parts of the hydrosphere)
- biosphere (all living things on earth)
- Pedosphere (separates atmosphere and lithosphere)
For more information about the individual geospheres, click on the term and you will be taken directly to the relevant article.
Biospheres have not yet been discovered on other celestial bodies, which is why it is a phenomenon unique to our solar system.
Figure 1: The Biosphere Source: dreamstime.com
structure of the biosphere
The biosphere overlaps with four other spheres: the atmosphere, the pedosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere. Living beings also occur in all these spheres, which is why they are part of the biosphere.
the atmosphere
The atmosphere can be divided into several layers. Living things can be found in the lower layers of the atmosphere, starting from the mesosphere (Figure 2).
The layers of the atmosphere can be found in the Atmosphere article. Just click on the term and you will get there directly.
mesosphere and stratosphere
The mesosphere is the top of the biosphere and is located at an altitude of 80 km. Below it is the stratosphere at an altitude of about 50 km. Cold temperatures prevail in these spheres, there is hardly any water and solar radiation is very high. Because of these difficult living conditions, only microorganisms live here. These are small creatures that can only be seen under a microscope. These include microalgae, bacteria and fungi.
troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. It extends from the ground up to 15 km in height. Warmer temperatures prevail in this sphere and the solar radiation is no longer as high as in the higher layers. For example, birds live in the troposphere.
pedosphere
The pedosphere includes the ground floor, which has various soils and bodies of water. In this sphere one finds soil creatures such as fungi, bacteria, lichens, spiders, earthworms, moles and insects. However, if there is no water and no air in deep layers of the soil, no living beings can live there.
hydrosphere
The hydrosphere includes all bodies of water, i.e. oceans, seas, lakes and rivers. In this sphere there are aquatic creatures such as fish and algae.
lithosphere
The lithosphere is the lowest layer of the biosphere. This sphere consists of a layer of rock and is located under the ground and under the water bodies. Only microorganisms can be found there. However, these microorganisms only live in the vicinity of raw materials such as oil and coal, in caves and pores in the rock.
ecosystems of the biosphere
The biosphere refers to all areas on earth where living beings can be found. It is divided into individual ecosystems.
An ecosystem is a living community of organisms of several species and their inanimate environment, which is also referred to as a habitat, habitat or biotope.
Examples of ecosystems are deserts, forests (Figure 3) or sea coasts. The ecosystem is an open system, since materials and energy can enter from the outside and leave it again. For example, ecosystems draw energy from the sun’s rays.
Figure 3: The forest ecosystemSource: wald.de
Broader terms within the biosphere are the biome and the biotope. Both terms together form an ecosystem.
biomes
A biome describes a dominant community of living beings of different species on earth. It is a large habitat with the plants, animals, organisms and inanimate parts found in it.
Biomes are also known as ecozones. A biome describes a community of living beings, such as animals and plants, in a larger area.
Examples of biomes are:
- steppes
- deserts
- Tropical rain forest
- tundra
biotopes
A biotope describes the habitat of living beings.
Biotopes are made up of several elements, such as water, air and sand.
Water and sand mix together in the sea. This creates a habitat for worms, mussels and algae.
shadow biosphere
Biologists study organisms in extreme places where no one thought life existed, and new creatures are being discovered all the time. So far, about 1.8 million subspecies of living beings have been discovered, but another 100 million undiscovered species are expected. Representatives of the shadow biosphere assume that there are other living beings that are not based on RNA and DNA like we are.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) contains the genetic material of a body. So it is a huge blueprint that contains all the information about a body and its development. It consists of a so-called double helix and is located in cells in the cell nucleus.
RNA (ribonucleic acid) is made from DNA, so it is a copy of DNA. It is only available as a single strand. The RNA is an important information and function carrier of a cell.
A shadow biosphere is a hypothetical life form on Earth whose existence does not rely on RNA and DNA.
So far, however, there are no scientific discoveries and evidence for such life forms.
Biosphere 1 and 2
The term biosphere also includes biosphere 1 and biosphere 2. Biosphere 1 describes our earth and is therefore related to our nature. Biosphere 2, on the other hand, is a building for an experiment (Figure 4).
Biosphere 2 is a 1991 building in Arizona (USA) that is independent from the outside world and intended to represent a self-sustaining ecosystem.
The experiment should prove that people can live in it independently of the outside world for a long time. It was also hoped that this would give a better understanding of the ecological relationships on our planet.
Here are a few side facts about Biosphere 2:
- Built for $200 million by billionaire Edward Bass
- Area: 1.6 hectares
- 6500 panes of glass
- Settlement of people and 3800 different animal and plant species
- closed ecosystem with savannah, ocean, tropical rainforest, mangrove swamp, desert, intensive agriculture and living quarters
Figure 4: Biosphere 2Source: handelsblatt.com
Course of the biosphere 2
There were two runs in the experiment. In the first run, eight people lived in the glass building for exactly two years and 20 minutes. The aim was to live completely without air and material exchange from the outside. After a while, however, problems arose:
- the built-in reinforced concrete absorbed oxygen, which is why oxygen had to be supplied from outside after two years
- Oxygen got out of the glass building faster than Co2
- parasitic microorganisms increased the levels of Co2 and nitrogen in the atmosphere
- Cockroaches and a special species of ants proliferated
However, the experiment was considered a failure because the test subject, Jane Poynter, left Biosphere 2 for a short time due to an injury and brought equipment from outside with her when she returned. This exchanged matter with the outside world.
In 1996, Columbia University took over the administration of Biosphere 2 and used it for ecological research. As a result, research results on the effects of greenhouse gases were published. The project was discontinued at the end of 2003 for cost reasons. In 2007, Biosphere 2 was purchased by CDO Ranching & Development to build 1,500 homes and a themed hotel in the area. However, this plan did not materialize and the University of Arizona expressed interest in renting the facility for global warming research. Then, in 2011, CDO Ranching & Development donated Biosphere 2 to the University of Arizona.
biosphere reserve
The term biosphere reserve is made up of the words biosphere (habitat) and reserve (Latin reservare = to preserve). There are currently 701 biosphere reserves in 122 countries. There are 16 of them in Germany (Figure 5).
Biosphere reserves are regions in which sustainable methods are developed that create a balance between the needs of humans and nature and thus preserve the natural and cultural landscapes.
Since 1976, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural and Communication Organization (UNESCO) has been honoring cultural landscapes around the world that have been developed using guidelines. According to these guidelines, biosphere reserves contribute to the preservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and diversity.
They also promote economic and human development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable. The economy in the biosphere reserve should be developed in such a way that resources are used sparingly and sustainably so that they are also available to future generations. In the long term, all living beings in the area should benefit from this development.
Figure 5: Biosphere reserves in Germany Source: wikipedia.org
Biosphere – The Most Important
- biosphere = the totality of all layers of the Earthin which living beings occur
- composed of lithos, hydros and atmosphere
- the atmosphere with living beings is divided into the mesosphere and stratosphere and the troposphere
- Hydrosphere: includes all bodies of water, aquatic creatures (fish) live there
- Lithosphere: lowest layer of the biosphere, living there microorganisms
- ecosystem (forest, desert, seashore) = a community of organisms of several species and their inanimate environment, which is also referred to as a habitat, habitat or biotope
- biome = describes a prevailing community of living beings of different species on earth, it is a large habitat with the plants, animals, organisms and inanimate parts found in it
- biotope = describes the habitat of living beings
- Biome and biotope together form an ecosystem
- Shadow Biosphere = a hypothetical life form on Earth whose existence is not based on RNA and DNA…