Earth, Our Living Planet: The Earth System and its Co-evolution With Organisms

Earth is the only life-bearing body in the Solar System, with a habitability that dates back 4 billion years. This has been due to the co-evolution of organisms and ecosystems, which have taken over the Earth System and become major agents in its regulation and global evolution. However, human societies are now facing major challenges arising from climate change, which require them to become stewards of the Earth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 572 pages
Publication date: 22 April 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Earth is, to our knowledge, the only life-bearing body in the Solar System. This extraordinary characteristic dates back almost 4 billion years. How to explain that Earth is teeming with organisms and that this has lasted for so long? What makes Earth different from its sister planets Mars and Venus?

The habitability of a planet is its capacity to allow the emergence of organisms. What astronomical and geological conditions concurred to make Earth habitable 4 billion years ago, and how has it remained habitable since? What have been the respective roles of non-biological and biological characteristics in maintaining the habitability of Earth?

This unique book answers the above questions by considering the roles of organisms and ecosystems in the Earth System, which is made of the non-living and living components of the planet. Organisms have progressively occupied all the habitats of the planet, diversifying into countless life forms and developing enormous biomasses over the past 3.6 billion years. In this way, organisms and ecosystems took over the Earth System, and thus became major agents in its regulation and global evolution. There was co-evolution of the different components of the Earth System, leading to a number of feedback mechanisms that regulated long-term Earth conditions.

For millennia, and especially since the Industrial Revolution nearly 300 years ago, humans have gradually transformed the Earth System. Technological developments combined with the large increase in human population have led, in recent decades, to major changes in the Earth's climate, soils, biodiversity, and quality of air and water. After some successes in the 20th century at preventing internationally environmental disasters, human beings are now facing major challenges arising from the rapid pace of environmental change and the depletion of natural resources.

In conclusion, Earth's unique habitability is a result of a complex interplay of astronomical and geological factors, as well as the evolution of organisms and ecosystems. Understanding these factors is essential for preserving Earth's biodiversity and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

Weight: 884g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030677756
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021