North Eastern Mindanao State University

Formerly Surigao del Sur State University

Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

Lesson 6

WHAT KEEPS US AND OTHER ORGANISMS ALIVE?

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify the four major components of earth's life support system;

2. identify the three factors that sustain life on earth;
3. explain what will happen when solar energy reached the earth surface.

Introduction
One of the first scientist to push for a more integrated or holistic approach in
the understanding of the universe (and by extension the Earth) was Friedrich Wilhelm
Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt. He considered the universe as one interacting
entity.

In 1983, NASA advisory council established the Earth Systems Science

Committee. The committee, chaired by Moustafa Chahine, published a ground
breaking report Earth System Science: A Program for Global Change in 1988. For the
first time, scientist was able to how the many systems interact. Scientific studies reveal
that the earth’s life-support system consists of four main spherical systems that interact
with one another—the atmosphere (air), the hydrosphere (water), the geosphere
(rock, soil, sediment), and the biosphere (living things).

The biosphere
occupies those parts of the
atmosphere, hydrosphere,
and geosphere where life
exists. This thin layer of the
earth extends from about 9
kilometers (6 miles) above
the earth’s surface down to
the bottom of the ocean,
and it includes the lower
part of the atmosphere,
most of the hydrosphere,
and the uppermost part of
the geosphere. If the earth
were an apple, the
biosphere would be no
thicker than the apple’s
skin. The goal of ecology is
to understand the interactions in this thin layer of air, water, soil, and organisms.

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

The Earth’s Life-Support System Has Four Major Components

Scientific studies reveal that the earth’s life-support system consists of four main
spherical systems that interact with one another—the atmosphere (air), the
hydrosphere (water), the geosphere (rock, soil, sediment), and the biosphere (living
things) (Figure 1).

Image Credit: by Quora. Figure 1: Subsystems of Earth.

Miller and Spoolman (2011) mentioned that the atmosphere is a thin spherical
envelope of gases surrounding the earth’s surface. (Figure 2.19) Its inner layer, the
troposphere, extends only about 17 kilometers (11 miles) above sea level at the tropics
and about 7 kilometers (4 miles) above the earth’s north and south poles. It contains
the majority of the air that we breathe, consisting mostly of nitrogen (78% of the total
volume) and oxygen (21%). The remaining 1% of the air includes water vapor, carbon
dioxide, and methane, all of which are called greenhouse gases, because they trap
heat and thus warm the lower atmosphere. Almost all of the earth’s weather occurs
in this layer. The next layer, stretching 17– 50 kilometers (11–31 miles) above the earth’s
surface, is the stratosphere. Its lower portion contains enough ozone (O3) gas to filter
out most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. This global sunscreen allows life to
exist on land and in the surface layers of bodies of water.

The hydrosphere consists of all of the water on or near the earth’s surface. It is
found as liquid water (on the surface and underground), ice (polar ice, icebergs, and
ice in frozen soil layers called permafrost), and water vapor in the atmosphere. Most
of this water is in the oceans, which cover about 71% of the globe.

The geosphere consists of the earth’s intensely hot core, a thick mantle
composed mostly of rock, and a thin outer crust (Figure 2). Most of the geosphere is
located in the earth’s interior. Its upper portion contains nonrenewable fossil fuels and
minerals that we use, as well as renewable soil chemicals that organisms need in order
to live, grow, and reproduce.

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

The biosphere occupies those parts of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and

geosphere where life exists. This thin layer of the earth extends from about 9 kilometers
(6 miles) above the earth’s surface down to the bottom of the ocean, and it includes
the lower part of the atmosphere, most of the hydrosphere, and the uppermost part
of the geosphere. If the earth were an apple, the biosphere would be no thicker than
the apple’s skin. The goal of ecology is to understand the interactions in this thin layer
of air, water, soil, and organisms.

Figure 2: Natural Capital: General Structure of Earth

Major Biomes of the World

Figure 3: Biomes

Biologists have classified the terrestrial (land) portion of the biosphere into
biomes— large regions such as forests, deserts, and grasslands, with distinct climates
and certain species (especially vegetation) adapted to them.

Scientists divide the watery parts of the biosphere into aquatic life zones, each
containing numerous ecosystems. There are freshwater life zones (such as lakes and
streams) and ocean or marine life zones (such as coral reefs and coastal estuaries).
The earth is mostly a water planet with saltwater covering about 71% of its surface and
freshwater covering just 2% (on the surface and underground), ice (polar ice,
icebergs, and ice in frozen soil layers called permafrost), and water vapor in the
atmosphere. Most of this water is in the oceans, which cover about 71% of the globe.

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

Three Factors Sustain the Earth’s Life

Life on the earth depends on three interconnected factors:

The one-way flow of high-quality energy from the sun, through living things in their
feeding interactions, into the environment as low-quality energy (mostly heat
dispersed into air or water at a low temperature), and eventually back into space as
heat. No round-trips are allowed because high-quality energy cannot be recycled.
The first and second laws of thermodynamics govern this energy flow.

Figure 4: Solar Energy

The cycling of matter or nutrients (the atoms, ions, and compounds needed for survival
by living organisms) through parts of the biosphere. Because the earth is closed to
significant inputs of matter from space, its essentially fixed supply of nutrients must be
continually recycled to support life. Nutrient movements in ecosystems and in the
biosphere are round-trips, which can take from seconds to centuries to complete. The
law of conservation of matter governs this nutrient cycling process.

Gravity, which allows the

planet to hold onto its
atmosphere and helps to
enable the movement and
cycling of chemicals through
the air, water, soil, and
organisms.

Figure 5. Gravity

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

What Happens to Solar Energy Reaching the Earth?

Millions of kilometers from the earth, in the immense nuclear fusion reactor that
is the sun, nuclei of hydrogen fuse together to form larger helium nuclei, releasing
tremendous amounts of energy into space. Only a very small amount of this output of
energy reaches the earth—a tiny sphere in the vastness of space. This energy reaches
the earth in the form of electromagnetic waves, mostly as visible light, ultraviolet (UV)
radiation, and heat (infrared radiation). Much of this energy is absorbed or reflected
back into space by the earth’s atmosphere, clouds, and surface. Ozone gas (O3) in
the lower stratosphere absorbs about 95% of the sun’s harmful incoming UV radiation.
Without this ozone layer, life as we know it on the land and in the upper layer of water
would not exist.

The UV, visible, and infrared energy that reaches the atmosphere lights the
earth during daytime, warms the air, and evaporates and cycles water through the
biosphere. Approximately 1% of this incoming energy generates winds. Green plants,
algae, and some types of bacteria use less than 0.1% of it to produce the nutrients
they need through photosynthesis and in turn to feed animals that eat plants and
flesh.

Of the total solar radiation intercepted by the earth, about 1% reaches the
earth’s surface, and most of it is then reflected as longer-wavelength infrared infrared
radiation. As this infrared radiation travels back up through the lower atmosphere
toward space, it encounters greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. It causes these gaseous molecules to vibrate and
release infrared radiation with even longer wavelengths. The vibrating gaseous
molecules then have higher kinetic energy, which helps to warm the lower
atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Without this natural greenhouse effect, the earth
would be too cold to support the forms of life we find here today.

Human activities add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. For example,

burning carboncontaining fuels releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into
the atmosphere. Growing crops and raising livestock release large amounts of
methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Clearing CO2-absorbing tropical rain forests
(Core Case Study) faster than they can grow back also increases the amount of CO2
in the atmosphere. There is considerable and growing evidence that these activities
are increasing the natural greenhouse effect and warming the earth’s atmosphere.
This in turn is changing the earth’s climate.

ASSESSMENT TASK

Make a slogan on how human activities affect the three factors (flow of
energy, nutrient cycling and gravity) that sustain the Earth’s life. Refer to the rubric on
the next page.

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

Rubric for Slogan

SUMMARY

Scientific studies reveal that the earth’s life-support system consists of four main
spherical systems that interact with one another—the atmosphere (air), the
hydrosphere (water), the geosphere (rock, soil, sediment), and the biosphere (living
things).

Life on the earth depends on three interconnected factors: The one-way flow
of high-quality energy from the sun through living things in their feeding interactions,
into the environment as low-quality energy (mostly heat dispersed into air or water at
a low temperature), and eventually back into space as heat. The cycling of matter or
nutrients (the atoms, ions, and compounds needed for survival by living organisms)
through parts of the biosphere. Gravity, which allows the planet to hold onto its
atmosphere.

Reflection
How will you help in solving problems with regards to the abrupt changes to the
Earth’s climate?

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob

 North Eastern Mindanao State University
Formerly Surigao del Sur State University
Bislig Campus
Maharlika, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur

Cited References:

Miller, G. T. & Spoolman, S. E. (2009). Essentials of Ecology. Brooks/Cole, Cengage

Learning.

Miller, G. T. & Spoolman, S. E. (2011). Introduction to Environmental Science, Second

Edition. Cengage learning Asia Pte. Ltd (Philippine Branch)

Postlethwait, J. H. & Hopson, J.L. (2012). The World of Biology. Cengage learning Asia
Pte. Ltd (Philippine Branch).

Jaiswal, A. (2018). Ecology and Ecosystem. Department of Anthropology, Pondicherry

University. Central University of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved from
https://www.scribd.com/document/408284209/EcologyandEcosystem-pdf
and https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328306598

Khan Academy (August 26, 2016). Retrieved from

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-
ecology/trophic-levels/v/flow-of-energy-and-matter-through-ecosystems

Bear, Robert, et.al (1999- 2020)- Principles of Biology. Supported by William Flora
Hewlett Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Michelson 20MM
Foundation, Maxfield Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Rice
University. Powered by OpenStax CNX. Retrieved from
https://cnx.org/contents/24nI-KJ8@24.18:vnAuFqQi@7/The-Scope-of-Ecology

MST-PEE (People and Earth Ecosystem) I by Rodrigo Sumuob