An interdisciplinary and quantitative account of human claims on the biosphere's stores of living matter, from prehistoric hunting to modern energy production.

"Vladimir Vernadsky was a brilliant and prescient scholar-a true scientific visionary who saw the deep connections between life on Earth and the rest of the pla

Phytomass and Primary Production of the Various Vegetational Zones and of the Entire Biosphere The biosphere is that thin layer at the earth's surface in which

Describes the attributes of the biosphere, the animal and plant life that live in the biosphere, and how fragile and dynamic it is.

A comprehensive overview of Earth's biosphere, written with scientific rigor and essay-like flair. In his latest book, Vaclav Smil tells the story of the Earth'