Sustainability as a basic property of the phenomenon of life organized in supraorganismal systems

• Published in: E3S web of conferences 2020-01, Vol.169, p.3001
• Main Authors: Nikol’skii, Alexander, Belovezhets, Konstantin, Vanisova, Elena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2267-1242; 2267-1242
• DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202016903001

The phenomenon of life is organized in supraorganismal systems, populations and ecosystems. The main mechanisms of sustainability of these systems are: 1) the influence of limiting factors on population growth and ecosystem development; 2) the allocation of plant and animal species into ecological niches; 3) co-adaptation of plants and animals; 4) species genetic integration; 5) biocommunications. Limiting factors inhibit populations’ growth and distribution of organisms, so that populations obey the logistic growth, reaching a relatively stable climax stage. The space of limiting factors restricted by the tolerance limits of organisms forms an ecological niche of species. During long-joint evolution (co-evolution), species form co-adaptations (mutual adaptations). As a result of species genetic integrity, each new generation inherits not only adaptations for its specific ecological niche, but also a determined physical space including all the environmental factors to which the species is adapted. Consolidation of individuals with a related genotype is supported by intraspecific communication processes. Means of communication are genetically determined. Humankind is the only species on Earth that has subjugated limiting factors. As a result the population of humans shows an unlimited exponential growth, population explosion. It is a basic factor in the instability of the Nature - Society system.