How have the earth systems and life co-evolved over time?

Through evolution. The mechanism by which organism adapt and be able to survive in an environment however limited is because of evolution. Primitive life is different from the current ones because the early Earth was different from the ones that exists today. Further, as life thrived, Earth was able to supply the necessary materials for life to survive and continuous be complex as it is today.  

explanation:

for  example, forests have higher evapotranspiration than other ecosystems,  such  as grasslands, because of their deeper roots and greater leaf area. thus forests have a net moistening effect on the atmosphere and become a moisture source for downwind ecosystems.