Creatures and Environment Once any creature is born, in order to complete its life process, it cannot leave its environment for even a moment. For a specific organism, all factors surrounding it are its environment. Such as light, temperature, O2, CO2 in the air, humidity, moisture, soil, various nutrients, and various other organisms, as well as human activities that affect the existence of the organism, etc.
The relationship between living things and the environment is not one-way, but two-way interactive. That is, not only does the environment provide living conditions for organisms; conversely, the existence of organisms will also produce certain changes in the environment. For example, the existence of forests can improve the climate, conserve water and soil, and protect wild animals; while deforestation and land reclamation can cause soil erosion, land desertification, harsh climate, ecological environment damage, and species loss, ultimately endangering human survival.
Different environments have different effects on organisms: a suitable environment has a good impact on organisms and promotes their healthy growth and development; a harsh environment has adverse effects and hinders their normal growth and development. The environment not only affects the performance of organisms, but also forces organisms to change their own traits, produce variation in order to adapt to the environment, and carry this variation into genes. Therefore, the form of any actually existing living thing is the result of environmental influence.
In the field of environmental impact on organisms, traditional academic views focus on the impact of surface ecological factors (light, heat, water, gas) on organisms, while ignoring geological environmental factors (such as geological processes). , geological structure, geochemistry, geophysics, etc.).
Ecology is the science that studies living things and their surroundings. Ecology puts forward the concept of ecological factors to distinguish them from environmental factors, that is: ecological factors are factors that act on organisms among environmental factors, while environmental factors refer to all factors other than organisms.
Ecological factors are extremely complex and diverse and can be summarized into five categories: 1. Climatic factors: such as temperature, humidity, light, water, wind, air pressure, lightning, etc.; 2. Soil factors: including soil, soil organic matter and the physical and chemical properties of inorganic components and soil organisms; 3. Shape factors: such as ground relief, mountain slopes, shady or sunny slopes, altitude, longitude and latitude, etc.; 4. Biological factors: predation, parasitism, competition and Mutualists, etc.; 5. Human factors: the impact of human activities on living things.
It can be seen from the above that disciplines that discuss life and the environment, including ecology, mostly focus on the impact of surface ecological factors (light, heat, water, air, etc.) in the environment on organisms, while ignoring Underground ecological factors refer to the important impact of various factors determined by the geological environment on organisms. Only by including geological environmental factors such as landforms, soils, mineral elements, and rock types can the entire relationship between organisms and the environment be completely represented.
2. Biology and Geological Environment The idea of ??studying organisms in a unified manner with the geological environment in which they live emerged in the early 20th century. In 1910, A.R. Wallace pointed out that changes in the earth's crust are the inducement and impulse of biological evolution, and changes in the content of chemical elements are the fundamental driving force. Since 1916, В. И. Vernadsky pointed out many times that there is an inseparable connection between the chemical elements of organisms and the chemical elements of the earth's crust. The emergence of living things is not an accidental phenomenon outside the earth's crust, but an inevitable product of the development of the earth's crust. Quantitative changes in minerals assimilated by organisms inevitably lead to qualitative changes in the organisms that accumulate these elements. Therefore, chemical changes in the biological environment caused by organisms will inevitably lead to qualitative changes in organisms and promote the evolution of organisms.
In 1927, В. И. Vernadsky proposed the concept of "biosphere" and compared it with the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere on the earth's surface. He believed that the biosphere refers to the sum of organisms and their environment.
Biogeochemical research believes that biological organisms (including humans) are not supernatural special substances, but the product of long-term evolution of inorganic matter in the earth's crust.
In its long evolutionary process, organisms exchange materials with the environment through metabolism, and establish a dynamic balance through processes such as mutation and inheritance.
In 1938, А. П. In his concept of "biogeochemical province", Vinogradov believed that due to the different contents of geochemical elements in different areas of the earth's crust, it caused different biological reactions of local flora and fauna. In extreme cases ( Significant deficiency or excess of certain important elements) will produce biogeochemical diseases. It is obvious that this concept should include human beings.
There are numerous local cases caused by geological environment. For example, globally, the podzol and meadow soil-podzol soil zone in the northern hemisphere extends from the US border through Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland), the Baltic countries to the outskirts of Moscow, to the Urals, and then through Siberia to the Zeitgeist. Ya, goiter, cobalt deficiency disease, brittle bone disease, anemia, etc. in animals, plants and humans due to lack of iodine, copper, cobalt and calcium. As another example, Keshan disease (myocardial failure disease), which seriously threatens people's health, is distributed diagonally in more than ten provinces and regions in my country from Heilongjiang to Yunnan.
In 1954, А. П. Based on the chemical analysis of more than 6,000 species of animals and plants, Vinogradov obtained information on the distribution of elements in organisms. Later, in the early 1960s, he and D. П. Mariuga also published data comparing the abundance of elements in the lithosphere, soil and surface plants. In 1975, J.J. Connor and H.T. Shaklit based on the analysis results of more than 8,000 rock, soil, plant and vegetable samples in 147 landscape units in the United States, and obtained 48 elements in rocks, soil, plants and vegetables in the American continent. geochemical background value.
The above research not only provides detailed and rich information, but more valuable is that it gives people a deep impression on the geochemical connection between biology and geological environment.
The one who conducts a more comprehensive and systematic study of the relationship between biology and the geological environment is undoubtedly B. B. Borenov and A. И. Perelman et al. (1944-1946), who created "Landscape Geochemistry" believe that various natural factors (climate, geology, landforms, soil, hydrology, flora and fauna, etc.) existing in any area on the earth's surface It is a closely related and mutually restrictive unity, that is, the geochemical landscape. The most important geochemical phenomenon in the landscape is the activity of living organisms and the quantity and quality of accumulated living matter, which is determined by other natural factors other than organisms. The most important connections between all factors in a landscape are geochemical connections. Geochemical elements in the landscape are repeatedly added to the composition of living organisms (organitization) and later separated from them (mineralization). But this process is irreversible, that is, the landscape cannot repeat the past conditions, but constantly acquires certain new characteristics.
The above ideas can be summarized as follows: organisms are the inevitable product of the long-term evolution of the earth. There are inseparable links between organisms and the surface environment of the earth's crust (i.e., the geological environment) in which they live. The most important link is the geochemical link. The geological environment has an extremely profound impact on organisms, and it is necessary to conduct unified research on organisms and the natural factors in the geological environment in which they exist.
Unfortunately, these ideas are only scattered in related disciplines (such as "Geochemistry", "Biogeochemistry", "Landscape Geochemistry", etc.), each of which has its own research objects and tasks. , is not specifically designed to comprehensively and systematically discuss the impact of geological environment on organisms. After years of research and summary, scientific and technical personnel from the Yunnan Institute of Geological Sciences have launched a new edge discipline - biogeoenvironmental science. Below, a more detailed introduction to the content of this subject is given.
3. Biogeoenvironmental science Biogeoenvironmental science is a discipline that uses geological theories and methods to study the relationship between organisms and the geological environment they depend on for survival, focusing on the impact of geological environment on organisms. It is It is an edge discipline formed by the mutual penetration and integration of biology, geology and environmental science.
This discipline believes that living things (microorganisms, plants, animals, humans) are inextricably linked to the crustal surface environment (geological environment) on which they depend. Various factors in the geological environment (topography, geological movements, geological structures, soil-forming parent rocks) , soil, geochemistry, geophysics, hydrology, etc.) have an important impact on the growth, development, quality and health of organisms. Among them, the most important and essential impact is the impact of geochemical elements on the physiological and biochemical effects of organisms through their migration, change, and accumulation in the parent rock-soil-biological system.
The theoretical expression of biogeoenvironmental science is: the study of the movement, exchange and transformation of material flow, energy flow and information flow between the lithosphere (surface layer), hydrosphere, atmosphere (lower layer) and biosphere. Its impact on living things.
Biogeoenvironmental science achieves harmonious coexistence between organisms and the geological environment by understanding the relationship between organisms and the geological environment and transforming the geological environment to meet the needs of biological survival, cultivating and developing excellent biological resources, and protecting and building organisms and human beings. Excellent environment for survival. It can be seen that this subject has both innovative theoretical significance and important practical value.
The research content of biogeoenvironmental science can be divided into two major aspects: one is to study the nature and characteristics of various factors that constitute the geological environment and their specific behaviors and mechanisms that affect organisms; the other is to study selection and adjustment , methods to protect and transform the geological environment to meet the survival needs of organisms.
The research on the first aspect of environmental properties includes the following contents:
1. Research on the geographical and geomorphological characteristics of the environment: refers to the geographical location (longitude, latitude) of the study area and altitude, the ratio and configuration of the surface solid (water body) and liquid (water body) areas, the geometric form of the solid surface (gentle and open, violent undulations, bulges, depressions, steep and gentle slopes), etc. These properties first determine the microclimate of the area, the basic conditions for biological survival (soil and hydrology), as well as the weathering and pedogenesis here, as well as soil development and preservation conditions. Of course, it is also one of the conditions for the migration of geochemical elements and the generation of geophysical properties. All of these directly affect living things.
2. Research on the geological structure and geological movement characteristics of the environment: The regional geological structure characteristics determine the area’s geomorphological framework and stratigraphic rock combination layout at a macro level, thus also determining the regional distribution characteristics of geochemical elements. They generally restrict the basic conditions for biological survival and the overall pattern of large-scale agricultural production in the area. Geologically tectonic activity zones are often areas with strong geochemical movements, forming certain geochemical abnormal energy fields and material fields. These zones have a prominent impact on living things.
The nature of geological movements is diverse: some are violent, some are relatively stable and quiet; some are uplifting, some are subsidence and decline; some are folding and forming mountains, and some are forming land or sea, etc. . Geological movements determine the changes in the area's ecological environment on a large spatial and temporal scale, thereby determining biological populations and evolution, and profoundly affecting the distribution and characteristics of contemporary organisms.
3. Research on the geochemical properties of the environment: This is one of the key contents of biogeoenvironmental research. As mentioned before, the chemical substances that make up living organisms always maintain a dynamic balance with the earth's crust (ie, the geological environment). The evolution of living things has always been closely followed by the evolution of the earth's crust. The distribution of chemical elements on the surface of the earth's crust is absolutely non-uniform, that is to say, the geochemical background fields in different regions are different, and they have different effects on organisms, resulting in regional biological reactions of organisms, which may affect the yield and quality at least. , healthy, or in severe cases can cause disease, deformation or even death.
It is necessary to study the types, quantities and forms of chemical elements in the geological environment, especially those characteristic elements closely related to organisms, in the parent rock-soil-biological system, and their migration, transformation and enrichment. Conditions, mechanisms affecting organisms. Also study consonant or antagonistic relationships between elements, etc.
4. Research on the geophysical properties of the environment: There is no doubt that the completeness and solidity of the earth’s crust (complete, broken, solid, brittle) and the various physical fields generated by the earth (magnetic field, Gravity fields, electric fields, radioactive fields, etc.) have a huge impact on organisms. First, they directly affect the survival of organisms; in addition, as the environmental conditions for the existence of chemical elements, they indirectly affect organisms by affecting the existence and migration of elements. However, much of this area remains unexplored and the potential is huge.
5. Research on the hydrological properties of the environment: Water is one of the necessary conditions for biological survival, and its importance is self-evident. Whether the parent rock is weathered into parent material, the parent material is derived into soil with the participation of organisms, or the elements are activated into effective forms in the soil and absorbed by crops, all processes involve the role of water.
It is necessary to study the relationship between groundwater, surface water, soil water, biological physiological water and atmospheric water, and to study the impact of phreatic surface height, vadose zone thickness and water quality on crops. It is also necessary to study major environmental problems such as salinization, desertification, and desertification of large-area land caused by the rise and fall of groundwater levels and the advance and retreat of seawater.
6. Research on geological disasters and endemic diseases: Geological disasters are disastrous phenomena such as landslides, landslides, debris flows, and soil erosion caused by sudden changes in the environment. They cause major harm to biological survival, large-scale agricultural production, and human life. The reason for its occurrence is closely related to the nature of the geological environment. Use remote sensing methods and field surveys to predict areas where disasters may occur and propose scientific prevention and control measures.
The mechanism of endemic diseases is quite complex, but one of the important causative factors is the disorder (deficiency or excess) of certain relevant chemical elements in the geological environment. For example, Keshan disease, an endemic cardiomyopathy caused by molybdenum and selenium deficiency, is mainly distributed in Chuxiong Prefecture; geomycosis, an endemic goiter caused by iodine deficiency, is mainly distributed in Dehong Prefecture; and is mainly distributed in Zhaotong area. Fluorosis—diseases caused by fluorine deficiency or excess, can be studied and controlled using the theories, methods and means of biogeo-environmental science.
Research on the second aspect of transforming the geological environment mainly refers to research on the utilization and development of certain non-metallic minerals. For example, there have been many successful examples of the development of zeolite mines, using their high-efficiency ion exchange and adsorption properties to produce new zeolite fertilizers, feed additives and sewage treatment agents, etc., with very significant results. No need to go into details here.
Biogeoenvironmental science studies the impact of various geological environmental factors on organisms from the interactive relationship between the biosphere and the three crustal layers (gas, water, and rock). The focus is on the impact of geochemical elements. Study how elements profoundly affect organisms through enzyme systems and gene expression. The research objects of biogeoenvironmental science are not limited to plants and animals produced in agriculture. It includes all organisms existing in nature (microorganisms, plants, animals and humans). Its research scope and applicable fields also go far beyond large-scale agricultural production. It covers a wide range of strategic research fields such as biodiversity, regional ecological environment, land and resources development, etc.
4. Research Examples Below we will discuss the impact of the geological environment on organisms from five aspects: geological history, geological processes, geological structures, soil, and geochemical elements.
1. The impact of geological history on biology
The earth has been formed for at least 4.5 billion years. According to geological paleontology research, the oldest evidence of life found on the earth is in The ultramicrofossils (discovered by electron microscopy) - Brevibacterium - that lived 3.2 billion years ago were discovered in South Africa, and the abundant metazoa began 600 million years ago. It can be seen that before the emergence of life, it has gone through a chemical evolution stage of 1.3 billion years, from inorganic small molecules to primitive organisms and then to life, and from prokaryotic cells to eukaryotic cells, from single cells to multi-cells and at least A long period of 2.6 billion years. This period is measured in hundreds of millions of years, while the evolution of metazoans starting from 600 million years ago has been faster and faster, and can be measured in millions of years.
By the Cenozoic Era, the era when humans appeared, evolution was so fast that it took ten thousand years as a unit.
Throughout the biological evolution process in geological history, each stage is closely related to the geological environment. In the geological history of more than 4 billion years, with the gradual changes of the geological environment, it has changed from unsuitable for biological survival to more and more suitable; from the pan-ocean to the land, it has gradually expanded; from a single environment to more and more complex, biological From simple to complex, from low-level to high-level, from ordinary creatures to primates, and finally to highly intelligent humans. The evolution of environment and organisms is completely synchronous and closely related.
When the geological environment is in a long-term stable and gradual progress, the evolution of organisms is also slow and gradual. When the environment shows a sudden and sharp turn, organisms also undergo so-called "catastrophic changes". ”—mass extinction, or explosion.
The famous Cambrian explosion and the mass extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous are typical examples of mutations in biological development. Before the Cambrian, because the geological environment had not yet evolved to a suitable stage, the emergence of organisms was only low-level and primitive. The number of individuals was small, the distribution area was not wide, and the density was not large. More importantly, there were no conditions to form hard organisms. The shell protects its remains. Therefore, the chance of preserving fossils is very small. However, the long period of 2.6 billion years before the Cambrian (from the oldest microfossils 3.2 billion years ago to the beginning of the Cambrian 600 million years ago) prepared a qualitative leap and mass reproduction for the biological explosion. condition.
In the early Cambrian period, the earth's three circles - lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere - underwent drastic changes. Free oxygen increased to 10% of the modern oxygen pressure, which was enough to support organisms in the liquid medium using their own organs to carry out gas production. cycle. At this time, the seawater is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, silicon and calcium, which provides a material basis for biological shell making. Once a living thing has a shell, it can protect its semi-formed soft body, greatly enhancing its ability to adapt to changing environments and defend against foreign enemies. As a result, shelled evolution occurred, which was a qualitative leap in the biological world, prompting two life explosions in the Meishu Village fauna and the Chengjiang fauna.
The sudden extinction of dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous is also related to the sudden change in the geological environment at this time. On the one hand, the strong crustal movement at that time caused strong changes in environmental conditions such as terrain, climate, and plants. On the other hand, some scholars have proposed the hypothesis of a "planet impact on the Earth" based on the enrichment of a large amount of iridium (Ir) in the clay layers of the Upper Cretaceous System. This is because iridium is rare on the Earth, but is highly abundant in meteorites. . According to this, it is believed that due to the collision of asteroids, large dust clouds were formed that blocked the sky and the sun for a long time, stopping plant photosynthesis and destroying the food chain, leading to the extinction of dinosaur clusters with huge appetites.
When the environment suddenly changes, a large number of sunset species become extinct, but a considerable number of new species survive. Since their competitors are eliminated, these surviving new species continue to develop in the new environment. Evolution, forming a new, more advanced biological world after mutation. After the extinction of the dinosaurs, mammals replaced reptiles.
There are many examples of organisms changing gradually with the environment. For example, in the Paleozoic Era, a fish called lobe fish gradually evolved into amphibians. At that time, due to the strong movement of the earth's crust and the changeable environment, the shallow sea on the continental margin retreated and formed lakes, swamps and wetlands. The local lobe-finned fish have hard fins and powerful lungs. They can barely breathe in the air when they encounter drought and water depletion; they use their fins to crawl in the swamp. As time passed, the environment became a real land, and the descendants of the lobe fish also evolved into amphibians that could adapt to land life. By the end of the Paleozoic, the land continued to expand, the terrain differentiation intensified, and dry climate zones gradually replaced humid climate zones, forming vast inland river and lake basins. At this time, amphibians had to adapt to living environments far away from water, and one of them evolved into primitive reptiles.
It can be seen that the so-called "landing of plants" or "landing of animals" that appeared in geological history was not really about organisms actively landing on land, but because the environment gradually changed from the ocean to the land-sea interaction zone. , and finally turned into land, forcing the species living in it to mutate to adapt to the changed environment. In such a pair of interactive factors between environment and biology, environment plays a leading role.
2. The impact of geological processes on organisms
Research by the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences found that China’s endemic seed plant genera have two major biodiversity centers in Yunnan, one in northwest Yunnan , and the other is located in southeastern Yunnan. According to preliminary statistics, the former has about 48 genera, belonging to 27 families respectively, including 21 monotypic genera, 21 oligotypic genera and 6 polytypic genera. They are mainly temperate in nature; the latter has about 47 genera. They belong to 35 families respectively, including 32 monotypic genera, 13 oligotypic genera and 2 polytypic genera. They are mainly tropical and subtropical in nature. The genera in the two centers are very different in origin. In the former, ecological origin is dominant and historical origin is secondary, while in the latter, historical origin is dominant and ecological origin is secondary. Therefore, the former are mainly new centers of endemism, while the latter are mainly ancient centers of endemism.
The fundamental reason for this difference in characteristics is the different nature of geological processes in the two areas. Northwest Yunnan belongs to the Qinghai-Tibet Sichuan-Yunnan fold system, with high mountains and ridges juxtaposed, with an altitude generally above 4000m. It is a famous wonderland of Three Parallel Rivers. The Nu River, Lancang River, and Jinsha River flow closely together in a north-south direction. The terrain is extremely fragmented with high mountains and narrow valleys. The typical "V" shaped valley is deep and narrow. From the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, there are various types of vegetation from tropical, subtropical, temperate to frigid zones. The alpine flora is extremely rich.
Due to the sharp and strong uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the westward retreat of the ancient Mediterranean caused by the Himalayan orogeny that began in the Miocene of the Tertiary Period, many new endemic genera appeared in this area, and they are in the rising stage. As for some ancient endemic genera still retained in the center, they only appear in refuges and are scattered.
Southeast Yunnan belongs to the South China fold system. There are no majestic mountains and ridges like northwest Yunnan, and it is in the form of a gentle mountain plain. The elevation of the planation surface is generally 1200-1400m, which is much lower than that in northwest Yunnan. Due to being cut by the Nanpanjiang River and the Red River water system, the altitude of the valley bottom is even lower. The altitude of the mouth of the lower reaches of the Red River is only 76.4m, which is the lowest point in Yunnan. It forms a huge gap with the main peak of Meili Snow Mountain, the highest peak in northwest Yunnan, which is 6740m, reaching 6664m. The karst landform within the territory Relatively developed, it often forms a mosaic of earth mountains and limestone mountains, creating a unique landscape. There is tropical to subtropical vegetation from the river valley to the top of the mountain.
Since the Paleogene, the geological processes in this area have been much more stable and quiet than those in northwestern Yunnan, so it is possible that many ancient endemic genera have been preserved, while a small number of new endemic genera have been preserved. This is due to the fact that this area is in the transition zone from tropical to subtropical flora, coupled with the diversity of rock substrates.
3. The impact of geological structures on living things
The effect of geological structural patterns on living things is very obvious. This is because the geological structural patterns generated by geological movements transform a large The territory is divided into landscape units with different properties, each of which has different surface morphology, altitude, geochemical properties, hydrological conditions and other characteristics, thus controlling and determining the basis for their respective large-scale agricultural biological production and development. As a large agricultural province in mountainous areas with complex geological structures, Yunnan’s pattern is even more obvious.
According to research by Ye Huimin of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Wang Wenfu of the Yunnan Soil and Fertilizer Station, the entire province of Yunnan can be divided into three different landscape units:
1) Western fold belt: the Hengduan Mountains The area is formed by the three major water systems of the Nujiang River, Lancang River, and Jinsha River, and the Gaoligong Mountains, Wuliang Mountains, and Ailao Mountains.
This zone can be divided into two sections: north and south, with high mountains and deep valleys in the north, and mid-mountain and wide valleys in belt-like mountains in the south. Mountains drop from over 3000m to 1300m, and valleys drop from 1000m to over 500m. The horizontal and vertical spectrum of the soil in the Hengduan Mountains is very obvious. From high to low, and from north to south, they are brown soil, yellow-brown soil, mountain red soil, red red soil, and brick red soil. The large agricultural production structure is: forestry - dry valley - tea, sugar cane, indica and japonica rice - rubber hot cropping, indica rice, etc.
2) East hilly plateau: It is the birthplace of the South and North Panjiang and Red River water systems. The middle and low mountains are short and unclear, and the hilly terrain is gently undulating. There are a large number of basins distributed in flying geese pattern. It includes three parts: the East Yunnan Karst Plateau, the East Yunnan Lake Basin Plateau and the Central Yunnan Red Plateau. The soil horizontal band spectrum in this area is more obvious but the vertical band spectrum is not very prominent. From north to south, they are brown soil, red brown soil, mountain red soil, red red soil and brick red soil. The layout of large-scale agricultural production is as follows: forestry-corn-flue-cured tobacco, japonica rice-sugar cane, indica-japonica rice-rubber hot cropping, and indica rice.
3) North divided plateau: the middle reaches of the Jinsha River. The terrain of the whole area is undulating. From west to east there are Yunling, Yulong Snow Mountain, Baicaoling, Santai Mountain, Wulian Peak, and Dayao Mountain. There are tall mountains rising above 4000m above sea level. The Jinsha River passes through the mountain from west to east, and the valley bottom cuts to about 1000m. The vertical band spectrum of the soil is extremely obvious, but the horizontal band spectrum is not obvious. From high to low, they are: subalpine cold desert soil, subalpine meadow soil-dark brown soil, brown soil, yellow brown soil-yellow soil, mountain red soil-dry red soil, and the large-scale agricultural production layout is animal husbandry-forestry-corn. —Subtropical fruits, winter vegetables, and indica rice.
The cause of the above three large-scale agricultural production landscape units is the tectonic action of the earth. Starting from the Himalayan Movement in the middle of the Tertiary Period, the Indian Plate in the west collided with the Eurasian Plate in the east, leading to active faulting and crustal uplift, especially in northwestern Yunnan related to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Yunnan is divided into the western Yunnan fold belt and the eastern Yunnan peneplain. By the end of the Pliocene, the crust continued to rise, forming a pattern of high in the north and low in the south, further dividing the eastern Yunnan peneplain into a divided plateau in the north and a hilly plateau in the east. The former is connected with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is connected by the Jinsha River water system. As a result, the above three large landscapes were formed, which restricted the layout of large-scale agricultural production in Yunnan.
4. The influence of geological environment on organisms through soil
Soil is the bridge between the geological environment and organisms. Many traits in the geological environment are transmitted to plants through soil. It is then passed from plants to animals and humans through the food chain. As the famous soil scientist Williams said, soil connects the inorganic world with the organic world, and the abiotic world with the biotic world.
Geochemical data confirm that there is a close relationship between soil and organisms in chemical composition. Felsman pointed out that the average chemical composition of the biosphere corresponds to a small extent to the average composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere; and most closely and truly corresponds to the average chemical composition of the soil. In other words, the chemical composition of the soil predetermines to some extent the chemical composition of the organisms growing on it.
Soil scientist H. Jenny believes that, except for nitrogen, the original storage of other nutrients in the soil is inherited from the parent rock. The leaching of ions ultimately reduces differences and promotes similarities between various soils and their vegetation. However, in certain climate and terrain locations, soil fertility and biomass production still indicate its original state.
We believe that in the same climate zone, seemingly identical soils developed on different parent rocks will always carry the "innate imprint" of the parent rock and have more or less differences, thus giving crops Growth has different effects, which is one of the key issues in studying the impact of the environment on organisms.
For example, in the large area of ??Upper Paleozoic carbonate rock red soil in Mile County in southeastern Yunnan, tobacco growth and quality will also show certain differences.
When the parent rock is relatively pure limestone of the Lower Carboniferous Datang Formation (Mile Five Mountains), tobacco leaves generally suffer from magnesium deficiency and yellow-white symptoms. The leaf tips and green leaves turn pale yellow or even white. In severe cases, it affects the first half of the leaf and even the entire leaf. Seriously affect the intrinsic quality of tobacco leaves. This phenomenon basically does not exist in other carbonate red soil areas dominated by dolomite. The reason is that the former parent rock is mainly composed of CaCO3 and very little MgCO3. The magnesium ions from the parent rock are originally few. In addition, during the process of red soil, basic ions such as calcium and magnesium are strongly leached, which further intensifies the magnesium ions. The degree of ion deficiency endangers tobacco leaves. When magnesium fertilizer was added, the situation improved significantly.
The impact of geological environment on soil is manifested in at least two aspects, namely the impact on soil physical and chemical properties and macroscopic distribution.
The geological environment provides all mineral elements to the soil and determines the type of clay minerals in the soil. Of the 16 essential elements for higher plants, 11 (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper, molybdenum) come from the parent rock. Further research shows that there are many trace elements that have an important impact on biology, such as rare earths, selenium, germanium, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, etc., all of which come from the parent rock. Clay minerals affect the soil's ability to retain fertilizer. Among the three main clay minerals, montmorillonite has the greatest fertilizer retention capacity, followed by illite and kaolinite. Soil clay minerals can be divided into two types according to their origin: clastic type and neoplastic type. The former comes from the parent rock intact, while the latter is formed by silicate minerals in the parent rock under the action of supergene geology (weathering). Therefore, no matter what type of clay minerals they are, they are controlled by the properties of the parent rock and supergene geological processes.
The particle size of weathering-resistant minerals in the parent rock, their content in the rock, and weathering conditions largely determine soil texture. For example, coarse-grained quartz sandstone forms coarse sandy soil, granite mostly forms gravelly sandy loam, dolomitic siltstone or silty mudstone forms various silty loams, and highly weathered carbonate rock often forms heavy clay.
The properties of the parent rock, weathering conditions and groundwater properties determine the reaction conditions of the soil (mainly pH value). For example, primary lime soil formed in limestone areas has an obvious alkaline reaction, red soil also formed from limestone but strongly leached has an acid reaction, and soil in sandstone and granite areas also often has an acid reaction.
Whether it is rock weathering into parent material, which is further derived into soil under biological action; or mineral nutrients are converted into available forms and absorbed by crops; or groundwater directly brings certain nutrients to the soil and supplies them to crops. of water, every process has a contribution of water. The groundwater conditions provided by the geological environment fundamentally affect the soil-biological system.
In terms of the impact on the macroscopic distribution of soil, Lu Jinggang of Zhejiang Agricultural University has studied the impact of neotectonic movements on soil for many years. He found that the soil in a certain period of time is often incompatible with the space where it is located. for example. Typical red soil should only form in low hills. However, in many mountainous areas in South China that rise strongly, red soil appears at high altitudes, such as around 2500m in Kunming, Yunnan, around 4000m in Ganzi, Sichuan, and even higher than 4900m in the Mount Everest area of ??Tibet. .This is obviously due to the rise of neotectonic movements, which raised the originally lower red soil to the height seen today. Some high-altitude red soils have been used as parent materials to develop into mountain yellow soils or mountain meadow soils.
On the contrary, as the neotectonic movement sinks, the red soil can also be buried under sedimentary layers of different depths. This phenomenon often occurs in sinking lowlands of rivers and lakes, such as the lakeside areas of Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, and near the estuaries of major rivers such as the Qiantang River, Minjiang River, and Pearl River on the southeast coast. After sinking, they are buried under their sedimentary layers. The red soil under the soil generally turns yellow in color and becomes less acidic.
Looking at the global latitudinal horizontal soil belt, it is often very uneven. This