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Population Size

A population consists of organisms of the same species in a specific area and is influenced by factors such as food supply, predation, and disease, which can affect growth rates. The document outlines the Sigmoid Population Growth Curve, detailing phases including Lag, Log, Stationary, and Death/Decline, each characterized by specific growth dynamics and limiting factors. Limiting factors in natural habitats, such as competition and environmental changes, prevent populations from reaching a steady state.

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Syeda Tahreen Waqar Khan
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209 views11 pages

Population Size

A population consists of organisms of the same species in a specific area and is influenced by factors such as food supply, predation, and disease, which can affect growth rates. The document outlines the Sigmoid Population Growth Curve, detailing phases including Lag, Log, Stationary, and Death/Decline, each characterized by specific growth dynamics and limiting factors. Limiting factors in natural habitats, such as competition and environmental changes, prevent populations from reaching a steady state.

Uploaded by

Syeda Tahreen Waqar Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A population is a group of organisms of one species, living in the same area

at the same time.


Examples : a bacterial population in a fermenter.
yeast cells growing in a sugar solution
a species of fish living in a pond /lake
Factors affecting the rate of population growth for a population of an organism:

1. Food supply –
Good food supply
➢ More breeding
➢ More off spring production
Shortage of food
➢ starvation and death
➢ Force emigration, reducing the population

Shortage of food can be due to over consumption, died out or off season or
competition.
2 Predation-
• Heavy predation of a population, more than its breeding rate
,population will drop in numbers.

• As predator numbers increase, prey number drops; and as predator


numbers drop, prey numbers rise again (unless there are other
limiting factors). This gives a time lag in population size
3 Disease –
• This is a particular problem in large populations, because disease can spread
easily from one individual to another. Epidemics can reduce population sizes
very rapidly.
• Can spread globally ,pandemics – decreasing population number.
The Sigmoid Population Growth Curve for a population growing with
limited resources.

A Sigmoid growth curve showing the growth pattern of a bacterial population in a


sugar solution .
This sigmoid growth pattern can be explained

Lag Phase :

The population is small ,number increases quite slowly


• Less cells to reproduce
• Takes time to adjust to the new conditions

Log/Exponential Phase

• Enough resources ,no competition , no predator (no limiting


factor)
• Growth is rapid
• Cells divide exponentially by binary fission
• Faster rate of reproduction
Stationery Phase
• The population stops growing and becomes constant
(limits )
• Resources decline as population increases
• Competition
• Diseases may spread due to overcrowding
• Death rate is equal to the rate of reproduction

Death /Decline Phase:


• The death rate increases the rate of reproduction ;decline
the population size
• Low food supply
• Accumulation of waste may increase the spread of
diseases.
Limiting factors

The condition in the natural habitat that limits the growth of the population of an
organism.

If there is no limiting factor

In natural habitat
• Condition change
• Steady state of the graph is rarely reached becoz of limiting factors
• Competition
• Environmental factors
• Predator prey relationship
• Pathogen /diseases
HW

Fill the stages in the boxes.


Explain the factors that lead to each phase of population growth ,with reference to
the role of limiting factors . (4)

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