Populations:

Characteristics and
Issues
Introduction
• Ecologists usually define a population as a group of individuals
of a single species inhabiting a specific area.
• Characterized by the
Size -number of individuals in a population
density-the number of individuals of a species living in a
particular area of that population.

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Population Characteristics
• Natality (Birth rate)– refers to the number of individuals added to the
population through reproduction over a particular time period
• Asexual reproduction (ex. Sponges, jellyfish, worms)
• Sexual reproduction
• Mortality (Death rate) – the number of deaths in a population over a
particular time period.
• Population Growth Rate – is the birth rate minus the death rate.
• Sex Ratio – refers to the relative numbers of males and females
• Age Distribution – is the number of individuals of each age in the
population

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Distribution of Individuals on Small Scales

• Random: Equal chance of being anywhere.

• Uniform distribution of resources.
• Regular: Uniform distribution
• Organisms are evenly distributed over an area
• Exclusive use of areas.
• Individuals avoid one another.
• Clumped: Unequal chance of being anywhere.
• Mutual attraction between individuals.
• Patchy resource distribution. Organisms are concentrated in
an area

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Distribution of Individuals on Small Scales

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What is biotic potential?
• Biotic potential-is the inherent reproductive
capacity of an organism
• High reproductive rates give species the potential
to produce enormous populations very quickly
given unlimited resources and no limiting factors.
• Affected by…
• Age at reproduction
• Frequency of reproduction
• Number of offspring produced
• Reproductive life span
• Average death rate
A survivorship curve is a graph showing the number or proportion of individuals surviving to each
age for a given species or group.

Hydra; small mammals

oysters
Carrying capacity
• It is the number of individuals that
an area can support and still remain
healthy.
• Represented by “K” on graph
• Not fixed value- may vary depending
on season.
• If drought is present, the CC will likely
be lower than in year with good
rainfall.
• Shows there are limits to growth
• When CC is exceeded (overshoot),
death rate exceeds birth rate.
Population crashes or experiences
“dieback”
• Creates pattern of population explosion
followed by population crash- irruptive
or Malthusian growth.
How do populations grow?
2. Logistic Growth
• Most pop. grow exponentially then slow
as they reach the CC.
• Environmental resistance- factors that
reduce population growth rates
• Produces S-curve on graph
Environmental Resistance
Environmental Resistance – is the collection of factors that
reduce the growth rate of a population.
• Most causes appear to be environmental
• Some comes from disease, predation or competition
among organisms.
• A population density could result in a shortage of living
area and resources
Limits to Population Growth
• Environment limits population growth by altering birth and death
rates.
• Density-dependent factors – factors that usually dependent on the
density of the population
• Disease, Resource competition, availability of space and food
• Density-independent factors- are factors that influence all
population, regardless of their density
• Natural disasters (Volcanic eruptions, Typhoons, Earthquakes,
Change in weather, temperature)
 Reproductive Strategies
R adapted species K adapted species
Short life Long life
Rapid growth Slow growth
Early maturity Late maturity
Many, small offspring Few, large offspring
Little parental care or protection High parental care or protection
Little investment in individual offspring High investment in individual offspring
Adapted to unstable environment Adapted to stable environment
Pioneers, colonizers Later stages of succession
Niche generalist Niche specialists
Prey Predators
Regulated mainly by intrinsic factors Regulated mainly by extrinsic factors
Low trophic level High trophic level
Our Future?
Current Population Trends
• World population = 7.5 billion (7,515,284,153)as of February 7, 2017
7,596,947,634) as of January 24, 2018
Birth in year 2018 – 8,827,418
Death in year 2018 – 3,656,249
• Doubled since 1963 = 3.2 billion
• In 2050 could be 9 – 10.6 billion
• Amplifies all environmental problems
• Largest increase expected in developing countries (approximately 97%)
• Decreasing in some developed countries
Population
projections
For the next 20
years
 Philippines Current Population
Year Population Country's World Population Global
Share of Rank
World Pop

2017 103,796,832 1.38 % 7,515,284,153 13

2016 102,250,133 1.38 % 7,432,663,275 12
2015 100,699,395 1.37% 7,349,472,099 12
2010 93,038,902 1.34% 6,929,725,043 12

Source: Worldometers (www.Worldometers.info)

 Philippines Population Forecast
Year Population Country's World Population Global
Share of Rank
World Pop

2020 108,435,788 1.40 % 7,758,156,792 13

2025 116,151,399 1.43 % 8,141,661,007 13
2030 123,575,484 1.45 % 8,500,766,052 12
2035 130,555,573 1.48 % 8,838,907,877 13

Source: Worldometers (www.Worldometers.info)

Factors that influence human
population growth
1.Biological Factors
2.Social Factors
3.Economic Factors
4.Political Factors
1. Biological Factors
Population change equation
 Population change = (Births + Immigration) – (Deaths + Emigration)
 Crude birth rate = births per 1000 people in population per year
 Crude death rate = deaths per 1000 people in population per year
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR) - Number of children
born per woman in her lifetime.
• same as biotic potential (r)
• Replacement Level Fertility - Number of children
needed to replace everyone in the population.
• Varies between regions
• 2.1 with low infant mortality
• 2.5 with high infant mortality
• Zero Population Growth - Birth rate equals death
rate.
Sex Ratio - Age Distribution

• Sex Ratio- Relative number of males and

females in a population
• Age Distribution - Number of individuals of
each age in a population
• Together they tell how a population will grow
2. Social Factors
Developed countries
Low fertility rates and low rates of population growth
Less-developed countries
High fertility rate and high population growth rates
Culture and Traditions
Traditional role of women is to marry and raise
children
Early marriage is encouraged.
Major social factor determining family size is the role of women in society.
• Early marriages foster high fertility rates.
• Lack of education opportunities for women reduces their options.
• When level of education increases, fertility rates fall.
• The most important factor is the ability of women to control the size of
their family.
• Access to birth control is key.
3. Economic Factors
• In less developed countries, the economic benefits of children are
extremely important. Children can be given jobs that contribute to
the family economy. (gather firewood, cook, carry water)

• In developed countries, children are prevented by law from

working, they must be sent to school.
4. Political Factors
Government Population policy
• In economically developed countries, they encourage people to have
children.
• Hungary, Sweden and other European countries provide paid maternity leave for
mothers during the early months of a child’s life and guarantee of a job when the
mother returns to work.
• Many countries provide childcare facilities and other services that make it possible
for both parents to work.
• In developing countries, they have programs that provide information on
maternal and child health and on birth control. Provision of free or low
cost access to contraceptives
• China
• India
Human Population Issue
• Several factors determine the impact of a society on the natural
resources of its country.
• Natural resources available
• Population size
• The amount of resources consumed per person
• Environmental damage caused by using resources
• Degree of technological development
• Demography - Study of populations and their characteristics.
Environmental Impact of a Population
• Famine in areas where food production cannot keep pace with
increasing numbers of people;
• Political unrest in areas with great disparities in the availability of
resources (jobs, goods, foods);
• Environmental degradation (erosion, desertification, oil spills);
• Water pollution caused by human and industrial waste;
• Air pollution caused by the human need to use energy for personal
and industrial applications;
• Extinctions caused by people converting natural ecosystem to
managed agricultural ecosystems.
Environmental Impact
Undesirable Impacts of Urban Sprawl
Loss of crop land, forest land, and wetlands
Increased impervious surfaces means more flooding
And soil erosion
And a larger ecological footprint
Cutting Global Population Growth
• Family planning
• Improve health care
• Elevate the status of women
• Increase education
• Involve men in parenting
• Reduce poverty
• Sustainability
Sources
• Enger, Eldon D. and Smith, Bradley F.
Environmental Science: A Study of
Interrelationships. McGraw-Hill.4th edition.
2016.
Adopted BooK
• Unday, Joel et. al. Introduction to
Environmental Science. 2012