Living matter and biospherology

Abstract

Without question biospherology is primarily a Russian discipline, as its appearance is closely related to Russian scientists such as V.V. Dokuchaev, V.I. Vernandsky, and N.V. Timoffeev-Ressovsky. The role of V.I. Vernadsky, the student of the founder of genetic pedology, V.V. Dokuchayev, in its creation is especially great, for he discovered the phenomenon of living matter which forms the biosphere. With his theory of living matter he was also the first in the history of science to place life in its proper position in the general picture of the universe and discovered fundamental laws which control geochemical acitivities of living matter in the biosphere. In the first half of the previous century V.I. Vernadsky founded a vitally important science for the future of mankind that we have named biospherology. N.W. Timoffeef-Ressovsky, even as a young scientist, correctly assessed the importance of V. Vernadsky's ideas on biospherology. Timoffeev- Ressovsky was the first scientist to re-establish Vernandski's forgotten discipline of the biosphere. He left us a short but very persuasive program with his report called "The Biosphere and mankind." It is now possible to include this program in any national or international program for "Sustainable Development." © 2006 Springer.