Population

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A group of organisms of one species that
interbreed and live in the same place at
the same time (e.g., human population, the
population of apple trees, total population
of deer in a forest).

It is a subset of the total individuals of

a species that occupy a certain
geographic area in the world.
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Terms related to Population
Carrying capacity - refers
to the maximum number
of individuals (of that
species) that the
environment can carry and
sustain, considering its
geography or physical
features.

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Ecological Footprint- is the measures an individual or
a population’s demand for plant-based food and
fiber products, livestock and fish products, timber
and other forest products, space for urban
infrastructure, and forest to absorb its carbon
dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.

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Limiting factor- is anything that constrains a
population's size and slows or stops it from
growing.
Density-dependent – typically biotic factors that cause a
population's per capita growth rate to change—typically, to
drop—with increasing population density. (e.g. competition
with other species, predation, disease and parasite and
waste accumulation)

Density independent-typically physical or chemical in nature

(abiotic), influence the mortality of a population regardless
of its density.(flooding, wildfires and landslide)

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Population growth-a change in the number of
members of a certain plant or animal species in a
particular location during a particular time period.
Exponential growth- a population's per capita (per
individual) growth rate stays the same regardless of
population size, making the population grow faster and
faster as it gets larger. Influenced by the rate of birth and
the rate of death.

Logistic growth- a population's per capita growth rate gets

smaller and smaller as population size approaches a
maximum imposed by limited resources in the
environment, known as the carrying capacity. Influenced
by the size of the population, competition, and limited
resources. 6
The Human Population
and its Impact
The Human
Population
Over Time
The time it takes our
population to double
has decreased
sharply.

It only has taken

about 12 years to go
from 6-7 billion
people.

We are projected to
hit 9 billion near the
year 2050.

Estimates say
stabilization around
2100. (10.5 billion)
What’s your number?

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Population Clock (census)

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• Overall, the world
population is growing at
a rate of about 1.7
percent; if this rate
continues, the
population will double in
41 years.

• Population growth rate

peaked in the 1960s at
about 2%
Why our population has grown
so quickly….
 Humans have the ability to expand into all climate zones
and habitats
 Modern agriculture has allowed us to produce food very
efficiently and in large quantities
 Death rates decreased because of improved sanitation
and healthcare (biggest influence)
 Carrying Capacity
 Under ideal conditions populations will grow exponentially until
limiting factors cause growth to slow.

 Carrying Capacity: maximum number of individuals an

ecosystem can support
 Determined by limiting factors
 Carrying capacity for humans on earth is highly debated.
 Innovation and technology
 Rules other populations follow don’t apply to us

 Cultural carrying capacity: the maximum number of people who

could live in reasonable freedom and comfort indefinitely
without decreasing the ability of the earth to sustain future
generations.
 What standard of living are we willing to accept?
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Factors Affecting Growth
 When inputs into a system are larger than the outputs the
system will grow

 Births, Deaths, Immigration and Emigration

 Fertility Rates- average number of children born to women during their

reproductive years.

 Replacement level fertility represents the average number of children a

woman would need to have to reproduce herself by bearing a daughter
who survives to childbearing age.(number to replace the parents)
 Average 2.1-2.5 (babies dying before reproductive years)
 Gauges changes in population size

 Total fertility the total number of children that would be born to each
woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give
birth to children in alignment with the prevailing age-specific fertility
rates.
 What factors affect birth and fertility rates?
 Labor force
 Cost of raising and educating children
 Urbanization
 Infant deaths
 Education for women
 Marrying age
 Access to contraceptives

 What factors affect death rates?

 Access to nutrition, medical care, clean water
 Community support for elders
 Increased life expectancy
 Usually higher for women
 Decrease in infant mortality
 Infant Mortality
 Good measure of a nation’s quality of life

 Measured as number of infant deaths per 1000 births and

before the baby reach 1 year old
 World average is 46
22
http://www.povertymap.net/pub/mipwa/sections/w-global/health-sanit/infant-
mortality-2.htm
Factors:
 Inadequate prenatal care
 drug addiction
 teenage pregnancies
 socioeconomic variances
 Breastfeeding controversies

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 Factors affecting Migration (immigration and emigration)
 Net Migration Rate: difference between immigration and
emigration per 1000 people in a given year (only effects
individual countries)
 Better jobs and economic improvement
 Religious, ethnic, or political conflicts
 Lack of access to basic needs (food, water, etc.)
 Environmental refugees
Exponential Growth Calculations
 Calculating and Predicting Rates of Growth—The Rule
of 70
 With populations that are growing exponentially we can
use the rule of 70 to predict rates of growth and
population doubling times.

 **Assumes growth rate is constant. Estimate only.**

 Doubling time (dt) = 70/ % growth rate

 or
 % growth rate = 70/dt
 Population Pyramids
 Graph (histogram) that allows us to see the population
growth within a country broken down by age groups and
gender

 horizontal axis: gender

 male: left-hand female: right-hand
 absolute number of people or %

 vertical axis: age

 5-year or 10-year age groups

 Ages categorized as…

 Pre-reproductive: ages 0-14
 Reproductive: ages 15-44
 Post-reproductive: ages 44+
Population Pyramids
 We classify our pyramids based on the shape they
take.
 Rapidly Growing: large amounts of people in the pre-
reproductive and reproductive years
 Very large bottom of the pyramid
 Growing Slowly: more individuals in the pre-
reproductive and reproductive years
 Bottom of pyramid is slightly larger than the rest
 Stable (zero population growth): population is evenly
distributed throughout age groups
 Pyramid is relatively even top to bottom
 Declining (negative growth): more individuals in the
post-reproductive age groups
 Bottom of pyramid is smaller than the top
Rapid Growth
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Expanding Slowly
Stable—Zero Population Growth
Declining
Population Pyramids
 We also see differences based on economics. Is the
country developed or developing?
 Allows us to project future growth based on age
structure.
Demographic Transition
 Movement of a nation from high population growth to low
population as it develops economically (from subsistence
economy to affluence).
 Traced through graphs of a population change over time (birth
rates and death rates)

 Illustrates how countries will influence the environment as they

transition

 most countries will go through this transition in the next few

decades due to technological and economic development

 Transition as a result of five stages

 Stage 1—Birth and death rates are both high
 Stage 2—Death rates fall; birth rates remain high; growth rate
rises
 Stage 3—Birth rates fall as standard of living rises; growth rate
falls
 Stage 4 and 5—Growth rate continues to fall to zero or to a
negative rate
 Stage 1
 high birth rates, high
(at time erratic) death
rates, low growth
rates, low total
population

 stage for much of

human history,
traditional societies

 practically no country
today
 Stage 2
 high birth rates,
declining death rates,
rising growth rates

 improvements in
sanitation (water) and
medicine

 “developing countries”

 much of Africa today,

some countries of Asia
(Afghanistan, Nepal,
etc.)
Population Pyramid and Demographic
Transition
 Stage 2: wide base
 stage 3: wide middle
 stage 4: slender
 stage 5: narrow base
 Stage 3
 continued decline of
death rates, declining
birth rates, growth
rates decline from high
to lower levels

 “moderately developed
countries”

 economic change:
urbanization (incentive
to have fewer children)

 Mexico today
Population Pyramid and Demographic
Transition
 Stage 2: wide base

stage 3: wide middle

 stage 4: slender
 stage 5: narrow base
Stage 4 & 5
 Stage 4: low birth
rates, low death rates,
low growth rates
 United States today

 Stage 5: low birth

rates, rising death
rates, declining growth
rates (if birth rates
drop below death
rates: negative growth
rates)
 several countries of
Europe today (Austria)
Population Pyramid and Demographic Transition
 Stage 2: wide base
 stage 3: wide middle
 stage 4: slender
 stage 5: narrow base
Population Pyramid and Demographic
Transition
 Stage 2: wide base
 stage 3: wide middle
 stage 4: slender
 stage 5: narrow base
 by comparing age structure diagrams between
countries it is possible to infer social changes that
occurred within the country and predict future
population changes

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Impacts
 Developed and Developing countries have different
impacts
 most of the world lives in developing countries, but
developed countries consume more resources
 ecological footprints and wealth gap
 Affluence

 Measure Impact using IPAT equation

 Impact= population x affluence x technology

 As a population grows resources need to be available to

meet the needs of the people
 land use (housing and agriculture)
 Sanitation and health care
 Access to clean water
Solutions for slowing population
growth
 economic development
 reduction of poverty
 Education

 family planning
 reproductive health care

 empowering women
economic solutions—get people
out of poverty.
 “failing states”- rapid population growth, extreme
poverty and environmental degradation leads to the
government no longer ensuring the personal security
of their people and they can’t provide basic services.
Leads to people perpetually trapped in poverty.
 civil war and terrorism are common
 low income, less developed
 lack of skilled workers, financial capital
 stuck in stage 2 of transition

 ex. Somalia, Haiti

empowering women
 women will have fewer children if they are educated, can
control their own fertility, and earn an income of their own
 Microloans for skilled trades (weaving, sewing, etc.) to earn
income

 in many societies women have fewer rights and

educational and economic opportunities
 patriarchal societies (sons valued)--India

 women account for 66% of all hours worked but only 10% of
income earned (worldwide)
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family planning
 helps couples choose how many children to have and when to
have them
 educating men and women

 birth spacing, birth control, health care for women and infants
 the older a women is when she has her first child will decrease the
total number of children

 reduces number of pregnancies and abortions (major decrease

in TFR)

 lack of access to services hinders efforts

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