Smil V. The Earth's Biosphere. Evolution, Dynamics, and Change

Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England: The MIT Press, 2002. — 351 p. — ISBN: 9780262692984,0262692988.В книге сжато изложены основные особенности и процессы земной биосферы, охарактеризовано их влияние на человечество.
"One of the principal reasons for the rejuvenation of scientific syntheses (which used to make up such a large part of nineteenth century science) is the growing realization that the very survival of modern civilization is inextricably tied to the fate of our environment, to changes in the Earth's biosphere. And anybody with even the most basic understanding of the environment realizes that in order to minimize the impact on the biosphere modern societies need integrated, multidisciplinary studies that inform by the breadth of their syntheses. I wrote The Earth's Biosphere to further this fundamental understanding."Smil, in a presentation marked by balance and clarity, synthesizes the field of science dealing with the biosphere. It is an interdisciplinary one, combining organic chemistry, geology, solar physics, microbiology, zoology, and more. Whatever characteristics the biosphere displays on a global scale depend on living matter's fundamental chemistry, so Smil diagrams the structural backbone of cells - molecules such as cellulose or DNA. Moving next through types of metabolism, such as the ATP cycle, Smil explains the resultant chemical products and how they become fixed or cycled through the ground, water, or atmosphere. Addressing concerns about human influences on the biosphere, Smil describes them, but he is a scientist to the core (at the University of Manitoba) and is hesitant to proclaim doom as the certain outcome. That scientific humility only enhances Smil's work. A superior, comprehensive survey.Preface;
Evolution of the Idea. From Vernadsky to a Science of the Global Environment;
Life in the Universe. Attributes, Constraints, and Probabilities;
Life's Diversity and Resilience. Metabolisms, Species, Catastrophes;
Energizing the Biosphere. Solar Radiation and the Earth's Heat;
Water and Material Flows. Biospheric Cycles;
The Biosphere's Extent. The Moveable Boundaries;
The Biosphere's Mass and Productivity. Quantifying Life's Presence and Performance;
The Biosphere's Dynamics and Organization. Fundamental Rules and Grand Patterns;
Civilization and the Biosphere. The Earth Transformed by Human Action;
Epilogue;
Appendixes;
References;
Indices