14.

FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION GROWTH

A. POPULATION & POPULATION CHANGE

 Population is a group of organisms of the same species living together in

one geographical area at the same time.
 Population change occurs as a result of:
Births [B]
Immigration [I]
Deaths [D]
Emigration [E]
 Population Density is the number of individuals per unit area. Also called
frequency…

B. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

 Exponential growth is defined as growth in which the rate of increase is a constant

percentage of the current size.
 Each growth occurs at a constant rate per time period
 This applies to all populations
 Double…2, 4, 8, 16
 The population is quick but it is not maintained due to insufficient
resources[environmental resistance]
C. POPULATION GROWTH CURVE
 PHASE DESCRIPTION
1. Lag Phase  Period of little growth
 Few of the individuals are mature
 Rate of reproduction is low
 Organisms become familiar with the conditions
2. Exponential Growth  Conditions are ideal, organisms are well adapted to
Phase [Log Phase] environmental conditions
 Maximum reproductive rate is realized [biotic potential]
 Population grows at an ever-increasing [accelerating rate]
3. Diminishing Growth  Population growth rate slows down
Phase
4. Stationary Phase  Environmental resistance steps in as the carrying capacity is
reached
 Food supply becomes limited
 The number of individuals entering the population equals
the number leaving by death or migration
 Waste products and toxins accumulate so death rate
increases
 The growth rate of the population levels out as birth rate
and death rate approach equilibrium.
C. FACTORS THAT AFFECT POPULATION GROWTH
DENSITY DEPENDENT FACTORS
[BIOTIC]
Food availability [plants, animals,
prey]
Level of predation/predators
Ability to resist diseases
Water
Shelter/Habitat
Space within a habitat or ecosystem
FACTORS THAT INCREASE
POPULATION SIZE
Adequate food resources
Adequate water resources
Adequate habitat space
Ability to withstand diseases
Very little predation or good ability to
escape predators
High reproductive rate
Generally stable abiotic conditions
DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FACTORS
[ABIOTIC]
Weather and climatic events
Natural disasters that affect population,
landslides, wildfire, flooding
Temperature
Soil pH
Light intensity
Humidity
Carbon dioxide
Oxygen
FACTORS THAT DECREASE
POPULATION SIZE
Limited food resources
Limited water resources
Inadequate habitat space
Inability to withstand diseases
High level of predation or inability to
successfully avoid predators
Low reproductive rates
Generally unstable abiotic conditions
D. BIOTIC POTENTIAL

 Populations differ in their capacity to grow.

 The biotic potential of a population is the maximum rate at which it can increase when
resources are unlimited and when environmental conditions are ideal.
 The biotic potential of each species differ as it is due to:

Difference in fecundity
Age of reproductive maturity
The number of offspring produced at each reproductive event
Number of reproductive events that occur in an individual’s lifetime
Survival rate of the species [how many off spring survive to each
reproductive age
E. ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

 This is the total effect of all limiting factors, both biotic and abiotic, that act together to
prevent the maximum reproductive potential from being achieved.
 Simply, it is the environment setting limits that prevent organisms from reproducing
indefinitely.
 It includes:
Predation
Food supply
Heat [temperature]
Light
Space
Internal regulatory mechanisms [intraspecific competition & behavioural
adaptations]

 The decrease in the rate of a population occurs when:

 There is a decrease in the reproductive rate and the survival of offspring
 Reduction in biotic potential
 Population reaches maximum carrying capacity of a habitat.