Understanding Population Biology and Growth Patterns
Explore characteristics of populations, growth trends, survivorship patterns, and human population dynamics. Learn about biotic potential, carrying capacity, density-dependent factors, and trade-offs in growth, reproduction, and care. Discover the impact of human activities on population growth worldwide and in prominent countries like China, India, and the U.S.
Understanding Population Biology and Growth Patterns
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Presentation Transcript
Objectives: • To define and understand: • Population biology • Characteristics of populationspopulations grow • To estimate how pop’ns grow • initially w/ unlimited resources (exponential growth) • then as resources become limited (logistic growth) • What limits growth? • What are patterns in survivorship? • Trade-offs between growth, reproduction and parental care • Human population growth
Definition of Pop’ns = What are characteristics of the pop’n?
How is growth rate determined? Measuring pop’n size (N). Census/count individuals Δ N = (Δ B - D) + (Δ I - E) survival and reproduction are key factors that determine change in N Growth of pop’n = change in # of individuals over time; G • Must calculate birth and death rates (b & d) • Find the rate of increase = r • Use r to estimate pop’n growth (G) for one time period = r N
The biotic potential of pop’n • Depends on:
Exponential growth implies unlimited resources • But, limits on pop’n growth exist • Carrying capacity (= K) • Environmental resistance • Logistic growth; G= r N [(K-N)/K] • What happens when N > K, N = K, N < K?
Density-dependent and density independent limiting factors: Pop’n may temporarily increase above carrying capacity Overshoot usually followed by a dramatic crash
Trade-off between births and density - as density increases births decrease
Size of pop’ns may fluctuate with regularity. • Usually caused by multiple factors • Snowshoe hare-lynx example:
Three types of survivorship curves Type I – Type III - Type II –
Trade-offs between: 1) frequency of reproduction, 2) # of offspring, and 3) parental care. • Big-bang reproduction • Repeatedreproduction
Human pop’n growing exponentially • Humans alter rate of increase; how? • Humans alter environmental resistance; how?
Largest countries: China, India, U.S. • Worldwide >6 b. today (r = 0.013) • In 2050 ~10 b? • Rapid growth in U.S. (1.8 % annually) • b and I • U.S. 300 m (~265 m 2003); now? • 2050, ~392 m