POPULATIONS & HUMAN

ECOLOGY

Essential Questions: How do we study

populations? How is the human population
changing & affecting the world?
Population
= All members of same species living in same
area
• Pops can be studied in 3 ways:

1. Pop size = number of total individuals

2. Pop density = number of individuals per unit

area
• Example: 32 students/ 4 meters2 = 8 students/m2
3. Dispersion
• = distribution of individuals within a given
space
• Three types of dispersion:
1. Clumped – small, close groups; helps
in defense, socializing, reproduction
• Most common
2. Uniform - evenly spaced; helps reduce
competition
3. Random - seen in tropical areas, plants
Which dispersion pattern is this?
Uniform – everyone has
space to nest

Clumped – safer from

predators
Which dispersion pattern is this?

Clumped

Random
Population Growth
• New individuals are • Growth rate =
added to Pop by change in pop size
birth or immigration over time
• Can be increasing

• Pops lose • Can be decreasing

• Can be zero
individuals through
death or emigration • Growth rate =
(migrating away) (Birth + Immigration) –
(Death + Emigration)
Two Kinds of Population Growth
1. Exponential Growth
= Rapid growth
• J-shaped curve
• Occurs when there’s
plenty of resources:
• food, space, no
competition, or predators
• Seen in invasive
species, humans
 Two Kinds of Population Growth
cont.
2. Logistic growth
= Rapid growth followed by a leveling off when get around carrying capacity
• S-shaped curve
• Carrying Capacity - maximum number of individuals an ecosystem can support

Carrying capacity

Logistic growth
 So how do we know a
population’s size??
• Sampling = go out and measure population
size; usually must estimate

• Mark/Recapture method – mark individuals,

sample pop multiple times, & use math to
estimate pop size
Factors that limit population growth:
• Density-dependent factors = factors
related to population size
• Get worse as pop gets bigger
• Ex: limited resources, disease, predation
• Density-independent factors = factors
that control pop regardless of size
• Ex: natural disaster, habitat destruction
Population Growth is affected by…
• Reproductive Potential • Pops w/ high
= max # of offspring that reproductive potential
an individual can tend to show
produce exponential growth
• High reproductive • Ex: bacteria, insects,
potential = protists, rodents
• Many offspring
• Reproduce often
• Reproduce earlier in life
Characteristics of species that show
different types of population growth:
• r-selected species = organisms with high
reproductive rate to balance high death rate of
offspring
• Can show exponential pop growth
• Without predators or diseases to control pop, these species can go
past their carrying capacity & experience population crashes
r-selected organisms
•Frogs, insects, clams
•Release 100s to 500
million eggs at one time
Characteristics of species that show
different types of population growth:
• K-selected species = organisms that
have a longer generation time, late
sexual maturity, & fewer young
• Shows logistic pop growth - slows as reach
carrying capacity
K-selected organisms

• Elephants,
whales, birds
• Humans
COPY MISSING CELLS INTO PROVIDED TABLE & KEEP IN NOTES!

Reproductive Strategies Table

r-selected K-selected
mature rapidly mature slowly
short-lived: most die before tend to live long lives (low juvenile
reproduce mortality rate)
compete well for resources
have many offspring - tend to
have few offspring at a time
overproduce
invest little in young care for their young
most endangered species are K-
most pest species are r-selected
selected
population not regulated by population stabilizes near carrying
density capacity
maintain numbers in stable
opportunistic -- invade new areas
ecosystem
 Population Trends Worksheet
• Due by end of class today
• Step 1: Graph population data over time
• Axes must be labeled and must use equal increments
(10, 20, 30, …) – don’t just plot numbers
• On Rabbits – plot # of rabbits using increments of 1,000
• Make sure to title graphs
• Step 2: based on graphs,
write & then answer questions
on own sheet of paper
• Step 3: Staple graph sheet
to answers & turn in to IN BOX
 Human Ecology
• Demography – study of human populations
• Study historical sizes, make-up of the pop, & properties that
affect pop growth
 Human Population Growth
• Pop growth is higher in Developing Countries!
• Countries are divided into:
1. Developed countries: higher incomes, diverse
economies, low birth rate  slow/ zero pop
growth
• Ex: Japan, US, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, etc.
2. Developing countries: lower income, simple Ag.
based economies, high birth rate  fast pop
growth
•Ex: China, India, Ethiopia, Haiti, etc.
• Most countries now have low death rate (exception – parts of
Africa)
• Life expectancy: 40 years in 1900 to 67 years today
What affects a country’s pop growth:
1. Type of economy: if highly agricultural
 more kids = faster growth
2. Status of women: more rights,
education, work opportunities  fewer
children
3. Cultural beliefs: importance of sons;
importance of ethnic group
4. Religious beliefs: some religions
against birth control
 Properties That Predict Future
Growth:
1. Age Structure = distribution of ages in a country
• Pop histogram/ age structure diagram = double
sided bar graph, showing age & sex distribution
• Pyramid shape = many young people = future growth
Human Population – Properties used to
predict future changes:
2. Fertility rate = number of babies
born each year per 1,000 women
• high in developing countries
• low in developed
Human Population – Properties used to
predict future changes:
3. Migration: high migration  increased pop
size
4. Doubling Time = time it takes for a pop
growing at a specific rate to double its size
• The faster the growth rate, the shorter the
doubling time
•Rule of 70: quick way to calculate doubling time
70_________ = doubling time
percentage growth rate
Example: Growth rate in 2004 was 2.0%. If that rate continues,
how many years will it take for the population to double?
Answer: 35 years
Human Ecology
• Demographic Transition = model that shows
effects of economic & social changes on pop
growth
Demographic Transition Model:

1st stage: pre-industrial/

ag economy; many kids
= HIGH birth & HIGH
death rate = small total
pop
Demographic Transition Model:

2nd stage: population

explosion due to
scientific, medical &
industrial
improvements;
= HIGH birth rate &
LOW death
Demographic Transition Model:

3rd stage:
improved
medicine & diet
= birth rate slows
 growth rate
slows
Demographic Transition Model:

4th- 5th
stages:
family
planning;
women
rights, etc.
= growth
stabilizes
or declines
Problems with Human Population
Growth
• Current population = 7.5 billion
• By 2050, estimated to be ~9-10 billion
• Earth’s carrying capacity estimated around
10-12 billion….

• Can the world support us

all, or should we do
something to slow human
growth down?
Problems with Human Population
Growth:
1. Resource Depletion! Especially
nonrenewable resources.
2. Water & air pollution
3. Loss of farmable land
4. Loss of biodiversity (extinctions)
5. Infectious disease
6. Decreased standard of living: crime,
traffic, poor or failing infrastructure
Note: many don’t believe world is
overpopulated; think pop growth is good
because stimulates economy
To reduce birth rates, governments
use:
1. Advertising
2. Family planning = educational & clinical
services to help couples choose # of children;
includes birth control & health care
• Family planning raised use of modern contraceptive by
married woman in developing countries from 10% in
1960s to 51% in 2004.
3. Economic incentives (grants, tax breaks, jobs,
etc.)
4. &/or Legal punishments
 Ways to Slow Down Human Population
Growth…
• Thailand: Success Story
• In 1971, pop growth rate was 3.2%; average family had 6.4 kids
• In 2004; pop growth rate was 0.8%; average family had 1.7 kids
• What Worked:
• Government Family Planning Program
• Increased literacy rate, education, & work among women
• Better health care for women & infants
• Religious leaders supported family planning/ birth control
• Condoms given out by gov officials at movies, festivals, traffic
jams
• Used funny commercials & jingles to promote family planning
 Ways to Slow Down Human Population
Growth…
• China: Success Story??
• In 1972, fertility rate was 5.7
• In 2004; fertility rate was 1.7
• What Government Did: One-Child Policy – Now Two-Child
Policy!
• Couples strongly encouraged to have only 1 child; if pledge,
receive extra food, more money, better housing, free medical
care, free school tuition, and preferential treatment in employment
• If break pledge, loose benefits
• Provides married couples with free sterilization, contraceptives,
and abortion
• Problem: families want males to carry on name… so what if one
child comes out a girl?
 Personal Opinion Quick Write
• States in India encourage (near force) poor citizens to become
sterilized after having 1 or 2 children & will pay them to get the
operation. Do you think this is morally right? Why or why not?
• Do you think birth control should be provided free to women in
developing countries?
• **Do you think governments have to right to limit the
number of children someone has? Why or why not?
• Write a personal opinion essay (1-2 paragraphs)
answering these questions & on the pros and cons of the
strategies that nations have used to reduce population
growth.