Editing Earth (section)

== Life on Earth ==
{{Main|Biosphere|History of life}}
[[File:Mollweide Cycle.gif|thumb|upright=1.3|An animation of the changing density of [[primary production|productive]] vegetation on land (low in brown; heavy in dark green) and phytoplankton at the [[ocean surface]] (low in purple; high in yellow)]]
Earth is the only known place that has ever been [[Planetary habitability|habitable]] for life. Earth's life developed in Earth's early bodies of water some hundred million years after Earth formed. Earth's life has been shaping and inhabiting many particular [[ecosystem]]s on Earth and has eventually expanded globally forming an overarching biosphere.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biosphere/|title=Biosphere|first1=Kim|last1=Rutledge|display-authors=et al|date=24 June 2011|work=National Geographic|access-date=1 November 2020|archive-date=28 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528115549/https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biosphere/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Therefore, life has impacted Earth, significantly altering Earth's atmosphere and surface over long periods of time, causing changes like the [[Great Oxidation Event]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NASA Astrobiology Institute |url=https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/2019/3/5/clues-of-earths-early-rise-of-oxygen/index.html |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=astrobiology.nasa.gov |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117125556/https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/2019/3/5/clues-of-earths-early-rise-of-oxygen/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Earth's life has also over time greatly diversified, allowing the biosphere to have different [[biome]]s, which are inhabited by comparatively similar plants and animals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zmyj6sg/revision/3 |title=Interdependency between animal and plant species |page=3 |work=[[BBC Bitesize]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=28 June 2019 |archive-date=27 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627225057/https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zmyj6sg/revision/3 |url-status=live }}</ref> The different biomes developed at distinct elevations or [[Ocean depths|water depths]], planetary temperature [[latitude]]s and on land also with different [[humidity]]. [[Latitudinal gradients in species diversity|Earth's species diversity]] and [[Biomass (ecology)|biomass]] reaches a peak in shallow waters and with [[tropical rainforest|forests, particularly in equatorial, warm and humid conditions]]. While freezing [[Polar regions of Earth|polar regions]] and [[Alpine tundra|high altitudes]], or [[desert|extremely arid areas]] are relatively barren of plant and animal life.<ref name="amnat163_2_192" />

Earth provides liquid water—an environment where complex [[Organic compound|organic molecules]] can assemble and interact, and sufficient energy to sustain a [[metabolism]].<ref name="ab2003" /> Plants and other organisms take up [[nutrient]]s from water, soils and the atmosphere. These nutrients are constantly recycled between different species.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Singh|first1=J. S.|author-link1=Jamuna Sharan Singh|last2=Singh|first2=S. P.|author-link2=S. P. Singh (biochemist)|last3=Gupta|first3=S.R.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/896866658|title=Ecology environmental science and conservation|publisher=S. Chand & Company|year=2013|isbn=978-93-83746-00-2|edition=First|location=New Delhi|oclc=896866658|access-date=1 November 2020|archive-date=31 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331100347/https://www.worldcat.org/title/ecology-environmental-science-and-conservation/oclc/896866658|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Desert_Electric.jpg|thumb|A [[High Desert (California)|High Desert]] storm in the [[Mojave Desert|Mojave]]]]

[[Extreme weather]], such as [[tropical cyclone]]s (including [[hurricane]]s and [[typhoon]]s), occurs over most of Earth's surface and has a large impact on life in those areas. From 1980 to 2000, these events caused an average of 11,800 human deaths per year.<ref>{{cite book|title=Oceans and Human Health|first1=Sharon|last1=Smith|author-link=Sharon L. Smith|first2=Lora |last2=Fleming|first3=Helena|last3=Solo-Gabriele|first4=William H.|last4=Gerwick|publisher=Elsevier Science|year= 2011|isbn=978-0-08-087782-2|page=212}}</ref> Many places are subject to earthquakes, [[landslide]]s, [[tsunami]]s, volcanic eruptions, [[tornado]]es, [[blizzard]]s, floods, droughts, [[wildfire]]s, and other calamities and disasters.<ref>{{cite book|title=Natural Disasters|last1=Alexander|first1=David|page=3|year=1993|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wnt0DwAAQBAJ&q=Natural+Disasters&pg=PT11|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-317-93881-1|access-date=9 August 2023|archive-date=10 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230725/https://books.google.com/books?id=wnt0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT11&q=Natural+Disasters|url-status=live}}</ref> Human impact is felt in many areas due to pollution of the air and water, [[acid rain]], loss of vegetation ([[overgrazing]], [[deforestation]], [[desertification]]), loss of wildlife, species [[extinction]], [[soil degradation]], [[soil depletion]] and [[erosion]].<ref>{{cite book|pages=52, 66, 69, 137, 142, 185, 202, 355, 366|title=The Human Impact on the Natural Environment |last1=Goudie |first1=Andrew|author-link1=Andrew Goudie (geographer) |year=2000|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-57138-8}}</ref> Human activities release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which cause [[global warming]].<ref name=ConsensusOnConsensus>{{Cite journal | first1=John | last1=Cook | first2=Naomi | last2=Oreskes | author2-link=Naomi Oreskes | first3=Peter T. | last3=Doran | author3-link=Peter Doran | first4=William R. L. | last4=Anderegg | first5=Bart | last5=Verheggen | first6=Ed W | last6=Maibach | author6-link=Edward Maibach | first7=J. Stuart | last7=Carlton | first8=Stephan | last8=Lewandowsky | author8-link=Stephan Lewandowsky | first9=Andrew G. | last9=Skuce | first10=Sarah A. | last10=Green | first11=Dana | last11=Nuccitelli | first12=Peter | last12=Jacobs | first13=Mark | last13=Richardson | first14=Bärbel | last14=Winkler | first15=Rob | last15=Painting | first16=Ken | last16=Rice | date=2016 |title=Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming|journal=Environmental Research Letters |language=en |volume=11 |issue=4 |page=048002 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/048002 |bibcode=2016ERL....11d8002C |issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free| hdl=1983/34949783-dac1-4ce7-ad95-5dc0798930a6 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> This is driving [[Effects of climate change|changes]] such as the [[Retreat of glaciers since 1850|melting of glaciers and ice sheets]], a [[Sea level rise|global rise in average sea levels]], increased risk of drought and wildfires, and migration of species to colder areas.<ref name="Global Warming Effects">{{Cite web|date=14 January 2019|title=Global Warming Effects|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118014716/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 January 2017|access-date=16 September 2020|website=National Geographic|language=en}}</ref>