Download Biosphere as a system for guaranteeing of human existence

Biosphere as a system for
guaranteeing of human existence
Lecturer: assistant Nedoshytko Khrystyna
PLAN
1. The structure of biosphere
2. Ecosystem as a unit of
biosphere
3. Human ecology as ecology of
Homo sapiens
4. Pollution of environment
• At the first time the term
"biosphere" was coined by austrian
geologist Eduard Suess in 1875; he
defined:
The biosphere is the aggregate of
different organisms that live on
Earth's surface.
• In the 1929 the term "Biosphere"
was coined by Russian scientist
Vladimir Vernadsky as:
The biosphere is the life zone of the
Earth and consists of all living
organisms, including human beings,
and all organic matters.
The structure of biosphere
Biosphere has 3 phases of substances:
1. Liquid
2. Solid
3. Gas
The parts of hydrosphere, atmosphere and
lithosphere (where the organisms live)
belong to biosphere.
Atmospheric gas composition (average). Concentrations of gases shown in
color are rising due to human activities.
Gas
Mole fraction
Nitrogen (N2)
0.78
Oxygen (O2)
0.21
Water (H2O)
0.04 to < 5x10-3; 4x10-6 — strat
Argon (Ar)
0.0093
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
370x10-6 (date: 2000)
Neon (Ne)
18.2x10-6
Ozone (O3)
0.02x10-6 to 10x10-6
Helium (He)
5.2x10-6
Methane (CH4)
1.7x10-6
Krypton (Kr)
1.1x10-6
Hydrogen (H2)
0.55x10-6
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
0.32x10-6
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
0.03x10-6 to 0.3x10-6
Chlorofluorocarbons
3.0x10-9
Carbonyl Sulfide (COS)
0.1x10-9
Atmosphere structure
• Earth's
atmosphere
extends more than
560 kilometers
(348 miles) above
the planet's
surface and is
divided into four
layers, each of
which has distinct
thermal, chemical,
and physical
properties. Life
can exist only in
the lowest part of
atmosphere –
troposphere.
Hydrosphere
• Water is essential substance for all living organisms on
Earth and plays a key role in the evolution and
development of life on our planet.
• The biosphere as we know would not exist without
liquid water (for example, planet of Solar system Mars).
• Water is also important for living organisms to transport
the soluble nutrients (phosphates and nitrates).
Hydrosphere structure
• Oceans are divided into zones that offer a wide range of
conditions for life.
Lithosphere
• Soil is the component of
lithosphere. It contains
mineral and organic
matters. All living
organisms can use
these matters for their
nutrition and
development.
Lithosphere structure
Anthroposphere
It is that part of the
environment that is made
or modified by humans for
use for human activities
and human habitats. It is
sometimes also called
technosphere.
Human population causes
the destruction of different
parts of biosphere
(deforestation,
desertification, pollution
etc.).
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of
relationships in the natural world.
It includes relationships
-between organisms and their physical
environments (physiological ecology);
-between organisms of the same species
(population ecology);
-between organisms of different species
(community ecology);
-between organisms and the fluxes of matter
and energy through biological systems
(ecosystem ecology).
Ecosystem is the complex association of
plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms
that interact with their nonliving environment
in such way to regulate the flow of energy
through them and the cycling of
nutrients within
them. Ecosystem
consists of both
living (biotic)
and nonliving
(abiotic)
components.
Abiotic factors
They include:
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soil,
water,
light,
inorganic matters,
weather.
Biotic factors
They are the factors of the living nature. There
are 2 forms of interaction of biotic factors:
1. Predation;
2. Symbiosis.
Predation
One animal,
the predator
kills and eats
another animal,
the prey.
Symbiosis
It is a biological relationship in which two
dissimilar organisms live together in a close
association. Biologists distinguish three main
types of symbiosis:
1. parasitism,
2. commensalisms,
3. mutualism.
Parasitism
It is a relationship where one species benefits
and the other is harmed.
Commensalisms
It is a relationship where one
species benefits and the
other is not affected.
Entamoeba coli
Mutualism
It is a relationship where
both species benefit .
Escherichia coli
Living components
Producers are autotrophic organisms with the capability
of carrying on photosynthesis and making food for
themselves (green plants on land and algae in water). A
plant fixes about 1% of the solar energy that falls on its
green parts.
• Photosynthesis – a process where by chlorophyllcontaining organisms trap sunlight energy to build a
sugar from carbon dioxide and water.
Living components
Concumers are heterotrophic organisms that use
preformed food. There are 4 types of consumers:
• Herbivores (primary consumers) feed directly on
green plants or plant products.
Examples are grasshoppers, mice, rabbits,
deer, beavers, moose, cows, sheep,
goats and groundhogs.
• Carnivores (secondary or tertiary, consumers)
feed on only other animals.
Examples are foxes, frogs, snakes,
lions
Living components
• Omnivores feed on both plants and animals.
Examples of omnivores are:
bears, turtles, monkeys,
squirrels. A human being
eating both leafy
green vegetables and beef
is an omnivore too.
• Decomposers feed
on detritus.
There are a bacterial
and fungal species.
Every ecosystem is characterized by
2 fundamental phenomena:
• -energy
flow
• -chemical
cycling
Chemical cycling
• water cycle
• nitrogen cycle
• carbon cycle • oxygen cycle
It occurs because
all the energy
content of
organic food is
eventually lost
to the
environment as
heat.
It begins
when
producers
absorb
solar
energy.
Energy flow
Energy and nutrient transfer through
ecosystems
The sequence of organisms through which energy
may move in a community is called a food chain.
Human ecology views human communities and human
populations as part of the ecosystem of Earth. It is the
special ecology of the species Homo sapiens.
In the world, human ecology was established as a
sociological field in the 1920's, although geographers
were using the term much earlier.
Nowadays the main
development line of
human ecology is
directed to the decision of
the problems by the
environment, ways of the
rational usage of nature ,
the optimization of human
life conditions in diverse
anthropological systems.
The object of investigation
is the system:
Environment
Human
The structure of
environment
Environment
Natural (can have
natural or changed
(anthropogenic)
condition)
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
Social
Atmo
sphere
Litho
sphere
Different
subsystems
of structure
of society
The place of human ecology in the
system of ecological sciences
Ecological sciences
Applied
Theoretical
Bioecologi
cal
Human
ecology
Animal
ecology
Geoecol
ogical
Plant
ecology
Technoecol
ogical
Fungi
ecology
Socioeco
logical
Microorga
nism
ecology
Human ecology uses many methods of
investigation:
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mathematical;
statistical;
biochemical;
physical;
bacteriological;
clinical;
physiological etc.
Human ecology is connected with many
sciences:
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immunology;
hygiene of environment;
ecotoxicology;
medical geography etc.
The main terms of human ecology:
• Hygiene standard – is the definite range of values of the
environmental factor which is optimal or is not dangerous
for human health, activity and life;
• Maximum permissible concentration – is maximum
amount of toxic substance in unit of volume or mass of
water, air or soil which does not have any influence to
human health;
• Maximum permissible level – is periodical or permanent
influence of the environmental factor to human organism
which can not cause any diseases or changes in human
health condition;
• Maximum permissible dose – is the amount of toxic
substance which penetrating in human organism does not
hurt it.
In real conditions humans feel the influence
of different environmental factors.
Chemical
Carbon (IV) oxide
Nitrogen oxides
Ozone
Medical substances
Heavy metals
environ
mental
factors
Light
Physical
Temperature
Humidity
Relations between humans
Biological
Relations between humans and plants
Relations between humans and animals
Relations between humans and microorganisms
The influence of physical factors to
human organism
• solar activity – there is the close connection
between death, birth and solar activity.
If there are spots on the sun surface, people have
bad mood, their activity is reduced, there is an
accentuation of chronic diseases, especially
diseases of cardiovascular and central nervous
systems.
• weather – it can have different influence to
human organism. It influences to human
behavior and psychological condition. Many
peoples suffer foehnic disease 1-2 days before
the beginning wind weather;
• temperature – high temperature can change
the immunological reactionary
of human organism, reduces
the attention and causes
anemia. Low temperature can
change the system of
thermoregulation of human
organism. It reduces
metabolism and
immunological reactions to
different infections.
The influence of anthropogenic
factors to human organism
• ozone hole – it can pass ultraviolet rays that effect human
cells, cause mutations.
• greenhouse effect – it is the increase of environmental
temperature (global warming) that has negative influence to
human organism.
• acid rains – they can hurt human respiratory tracts
and skin, attack fruits and vegetables.
• photochemical fogs – it is the mixture of different
gases that are wastes from the plants of chemical
industry and transport. It hurts human respiratory
tracts and causes poisoning.
Santiago/Chile/Winter 2003
• heavy metals – lead, mercury, manganese, zinc,
chromium etc. – they are poisons that hurt all organs
and central nervous system in human organism,
cause pathological changes in them.
Effects on
humans
Some of these elements are
actually necessary for humans
in minute amounts (cobalt,
copper, chromium,
manganese, nickel) while
others are carcinogenic or
toxic, affecting central
nervous system (manganese,
mercury, lead, arsenic),
kidneys or liver (mercury, lead,
cadmium, copper) or skin,
bones, teeth (nickel, cadmium,
copper, chromium).
Water pollution
Water is the most spread nonorganic substance in whole world. It is the basis of all
processes in alive organisms and it is the unique source of oxygen in the process of
photosynthesis. The biosphere would not exist without liquid water.
Hydrosphere is polluted with human help. Industrial wastes
can include heavy metals and organic chlorides, such as
pesticides. These materials are not destroyed under natural
conditions. So they accumulate in the bottom mud of deltas
of highly polluted rivers and cause environmental problems.
Water pollution
Mineral
Biological
(bacterial)
Organic
Sand,
mineral
salts, acid
and alkali
solutions
Causative
agents of
cholera,
dysentery,
typhus etc.
plant and
animal
remains,
animal and
human feces
Every year 5 million peoples die in the result of poisoning by polluted water.
Nowadays new diseases appear that are connected with chemical water
pollution.
• Itay-itay – it is the disease caused by water with
high concentration of cadmium;
• Minomata – it is the disease caused by water with
high concentration of mercury;
• Molybdenum podagra – it is the disease caused by
water with high concentration of molybdenum;
• Fluorosis - it is the disease caused by water with
high concentration of fluor.
land pollution
The geosphere and biosphere are intimately connected
through soils, which consist of a mixture of air, mineral
matters, organic matters, and water. Soils can accumulate
almost all toxic substances.
The main sources of soil pollution are:
• Industry;
• Transport;
• Agriculture.
Pesticides
Land
pollution
Nitrates
Bacterial
In agriculture people use pesticides and nitrates.
These substances are very dangerous and toxic.
They can cause mutations, cancer, pathological
processes in central nervous system, respiratory
and alimentary tracts, skin.
Teratogen is any
agent that can disturb
the development of an
embryo or fetus.
Teratogens may
cause a birth defect in
the child. The classes
of teratogens include
-radiation,
-maternal infections,
-chemicals,
-drugs.
air pollution
Air pollution is
the introduction
of chemicals,
particulate matters
or biological
materials that
cause harm or
discomfort to
humans or other living organisms, into the
atmosphere.
The results of air pollution:
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Photochemical smog;
Acid deposition;
Global warming;
Destruction of the ozone shield.
Human population
DEFORESTATION
poses a threat to
the biosphere by
habitat destruction,
especially by the
destruction of
tropical rainforests
(deforestation).
This process is driving thousands of species to
extinction each year and reducing biological
diversity.
SOUND POllution
It is excessive, displeasing human,
animal or machine-created
environmental noise that disrupts
the activity or balance of human or
animal life.
The source of most outdoor noise
worldwide is mainly construction
and transportation systems,
including motor vehicle noise,
aircraft noise and rail noise.
Noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression,
hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep
disturbances, and other harmful effects. Furthermore, stress
and hypertension are the leading causes to health problems,
whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression
and at times panic attacks.
High noise can contribute to cardiovascular effects. It can
increase or decrease blood pressure that lead to coronary
artery disease.
RADIATION POllution
The Chernobyl disaster
• The Chernobyl disaster
was a nuclear accident
that occurred on 26 of April
in 1986 at the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant in the
Ukrainian SSR (now
Ukraine). It is considered
the worst nuclear power
plant accident in history,
and it is the only one
classified as a level 7
event on the International
Nuclear Event Scale.
Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) also known as
radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation
toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur
within several months of exposure to high amounts of
ionizing radiation.
The onset and type of symptoms that develop depends on
the dose of radiation exposure.
Relatively smaller doses result in
gastrointestinal effects such as
nausea and vomiting and symptoms
related to falling blood counts such
as infection and bleeding.
Relatively larger doses can result
in neurological effects and rapid
death. Treatment of acute radiation
syndrome is generally supportive with
blood transfusions and antibiotics.
It Is Not Too Late
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Love your planet!
don’t harm it!
Thank you
for
attention !