CHAPTER 3

POPULATION ECOLOGY

OVERVIEW
Populations are dynamic entities that are characterized by their
size and composition. The prompt Growth of the human population has
raised concerns about our existence as a species due to limited
resources available on Earth. Widespread environmental damage
caused by human actions may lead to a population catastrophe.
In this chapter, there are two modules prepared for you to
understand the concepts of population. The first module focused on
population structure and dynamics. Models of population growth were
given emphasis. The human population is the focus of the second
module, together with a presentation of demographic data.
Finally, links to learning videos and activities are included for an
in-depth understanding of the topic.

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Chapter Content:
 Population Dynamics
 Human Populations
Chapter 3
Module 1 Population Dynamics
Duration: 1.5 hours

INTRODUCTION
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The global population overgrew. Many factors show how quickly a population
grows. Once the population size increases, the growth rate also increases. Additionally,
having so many people certainly means having more resources to deal with. However,
resources are limited. Over time, a change in population growth rates is evident due to
this scenario. The size of the human population also aggravates many environmental
problems.
In this module, basic ecological concepts about the population will be presented.

OBJECTIVES
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Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. describe how ecologists measure population size and density; and
2. discuss how species distribute themselves in space.

LESSON PROPER
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Population refers to the group of individuals of the same species inhabiting the
same area. It is characterized by the total number of individuals and the space they
occupy per unit area.
Properties of Populations
1. Population Size is the precise number of individuals in an area. It may have a
large or small number of individuals that are distributed densely or sparingly in a
local area. A sampling method is used to make inferences about the population as
a whole. Two methods are used: (1) using a quadrat for immobile or slow-moving
organisms like plants; and (2) the mark and recapture for smaller mobile
organisms such as mammals.

A quadrat is a square structure that must be placed at random locations

within the habitat enough times and count the number of individuals within its
boundaries.

Mark and recapture is a method in which animals are captured, marked,

and released back into the environment to mix with the rest of the population. Later,
a new sample is captured and counts how many of these marked animals are in
the new sample. For example, if 50 frogs are captured, marked, and released in a
lagoon, then in a second trapping, 70 frogs are captured with 10 of them as
marked. The population size (N) can be determined using the equation:
N = (number marked first catch×total number of second catch)
number of marked second catch
= 50 frogs x 70 frogs
10 frogs
= 350 frogs in the lagoon (estimated)

2. Population Density indicates how crowded a population is. It is a measurement

of population per unit area or unit volume. Mathematically,

Dp = N (number of individuals)
S ( space/area/volume)
 For example, 10,400 mice are living in a 1000m x 1000m field. What is the
density of this population?
Dp = N = 10,400 mice = 0.0104 / m2
S 1000000 m2

3. Dispersion is the distribution of the individuals throughout their range in an area.

Individuals within a population can be distributed into different patterns.
a. Clumped Distribution occurs when individuals aggregate in patches like wolf
pack attack prey, mushroom on a rotting log, and so on.
b. Uniform Distribution occurs when individuals are evenly distributed and
usually seen in territorial animal species like penguins that maintain a
defined territory for nesting.
c. Random Distribution is a unique pattern where each individual's position is
independent of other individuals—for example, plants established by
windblown seeds in the forest.

(Photo(credit a: modification of work by Ben Tubby; credit b: modification of work by Rosendahl; credit c: modification of work by
Rebecca Wood)
 Watch the video entitled Populations Distribution at the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMsmDy-2jbA.

Populations are affected by many factors that affect the level of (increase or
decrease) within the population. The four fundamental factors are

Birth rate = births of new individuals (natality rate).

Immigration = permanent arrival of new individuals into the population
Death rate = deaths of individuals (mortality rate)
Emigration = movement of individuals out of a population

Population growth rate = (birth rate + immigration) - (death rate + emigration)

There are various methods to model population dynamics. The two simplest
models of population growth are exponential Growth and logistic Growth.

1. Exponential Growth describes populations that increase in numbers without any limits
to their resources or encounter some other limitation. The important concept of this growth
rate model is that the population size is increasing at a greater rate. When the population
size, N, is plotted over time, it forms a J-shaped growth curve. An example of this is the
reproduction of bacteria, which produces offspring every successive generation.

(Photo Credit: proprofs.com)

2. Logistic Growth is a more realistic model of population growth in which it introduces
limits to reproductive Growth. As the population size increases, resources will be
depleted, and the growth rate will slow down due to limited resources. Populations do not
exist in isolation and share the environment with other species, competing with them for
the same resources. For example;

(Photo Credit: bogleheads.org)

The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain is called
the carrying capacity (K). Most populations usually fluctuate around the carrying
capacity, where the death rate increases beyond the birth rate. An S-shaped curve was
produced when plotted.
 This shows that the logistic model of population growth is a simplification of real-
world population dynamics. Moreover, limiting factors in regulating the population is very
important. It is divided into two.

Density-independent factors
o This Growth is not dependent on the density of the population. The
population increases at a rate determined by its biotic potential. Many
factors influence the death rate regardless of its density and may only be
slowed down by severe environmental catastrophes such as drought,
storm, earthquakes, and the like. As a result, it reduces the population
regardless of population size.

Density-dependent factors
o This is a growth influenced by the density of the population. As the density
of the population increases, the resources become limited. Thus, it affects
the availability of specific resources to other species and can influence
population size further. Examples of this are food supply, nesting sites,
mating partners, and so on.

Watch the video entitled Population Ecology at the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Ty2Oo7MnI.
Chapter 3
Module 2 Human Population
Duration: 1.5 hours

INTRODUCTION
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The world’s human population is growing rapidly, and so is their use of resources.
Many human activities alter the ecosystem to the point of harming it. Overexploitation of
natural resources, human technology, exploitation of fossil fuels, and other factors have
caused Earth's environment unprecedented changes.
Different demographic measures are used to study the population. The scientific
study of populations is called demography. In this module, you will be equipped with
demographic data and measurements.

OBJECTIVES
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Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. identify and define the six common demographic measures; and
2. develop skills using simple demographic tools to guide planning decisions

LESSON PROPER
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What is Demography?
Demography is the statistical analysis of the human population, which
encompasses the size, distribution, structure, and changes in the population that occur
over time. Population structure is the proportion of people by age, sex, ethnicity,
education, and other parameters. Demographic processes that affect the increase or
decrease in population growth are fertility/natality, mortality, and migration.

Fertility refers to the actual production of offspring. It depends on various factors

like physical health and nutrition, sexual behavior, culture, emotions, economics, way of
life, etc. Thus, fertility rates vary among countries and cultures. The birth rate is an issue
of concern for many governments and policymakers. Some seek to increase the national
birth rate while other countries have policies to reduce the birth rate.

The mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a particular population

depending on various factors like age and gender distribution. A life table is a statistical
tool that summarizes the number of deaths of a population. It yields information about
longevity and gives a reasonable estimate of life expectancy. Life expectancy refers to
the average survival time for an individual.

Migration/Immigration is the physical movement of people from one place to

another. It is divided into two groups of factors: push and pull. The push factors are things
that an immigrant is unfavorable about the area he is coming from, while pull factors
interest the immigrant in the new place.

Demographic Data
These are important data from sources like statistics registries (Phillipine Statistics
Office/PSA) and censuses. Statistics registries track all status on births, deaths,
marriages, migrations, and the like. The national government usually conducts censuses.
Its main goal is to count every person in the country and collect information on such
variables as age, sex, marital status, education, employment status, and occupation.
We can determine the status of a population by measuring and calculating different
variables common to all populations such as size, age structure, etc. Some of these
measures are useful and provide a baseline for monitoring population health and offer
insight into the mechanisms driving population declines.
 Some factors influence population growth. One of which is the Age-Sex
Structure. It is a population parameter that refers to the number of individuals of each
sex and age group and is often represented by a bar graph called a population
pyramid. For example, the facts from the PSA Census 2015 of Central Luzon showed
that children aged 5 to 9 years have the largest age group, with 10.12 percent of the
household population. This was followed by those in the age groups 0 to 4 years and 10
to 14 years, which contributed 9.93 percent share. Moreover, males outnumbered
females in the age group 0 to 54 years, while females outnumbered their male
counterparts in the older age group (55 years old and over).

(Image credit: Philippine Statistics Authority)

The sex ratio refers to the rate of males to females in a population. Based on the
2015 Census of Population, Central Luzon had a total population of 11,218,177
persons, and Bulacan had an immense population size. Of the total population, 50.5
percent was male, while 49.5 percent was female that yields in a sex ratio of 102 males
for every 100 females.

Watch this video World Population to hit 11 Billion in 2100 at the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S570uKbdelA to learn more about the human
population increase.