Population Growth

SC.912.L.17.5 Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths, immigration,

emigration, and limiting factors (biotic and abiotic) that determine carrying capacity. (H)
 Life takes place in populations
• Population
• group of individuals of same species in same area at same time

 rely on same
resources
 interact
 interbreed

Population Ecology: What factors affect a population?

Population Size
• Changes to population size • If birth rate > death rate the
• adding & removing individuals from a population will _____________
• If birth rate < death rate the
population population will _____________
• Birth (increase pop size)
• Natality – rate at which individuals are born
• Death (decrease pop size)
• Mortality – rate at which individuals die
• Immigration (increase pop size)
• Movement of organisms into a population
• How can I remember this? • If immigration > emigration the
population will _____________
• Emigration (decrease pop size) • If immigration < emigration the
• Movement of organisms out of a population population will_____________
• How can I remember this?
 Survivorship Curves
• Different types of organism have a different probability of dying at
different ages.
• Type I (late loss)
• More likely to survive at young age
• Higher mortality rate at older ages
• Likelihood of dying increase with age
• Type II (constant loss)
• Equal mortality rate at all ages
• Type III (early loss)
• Higher mortality rate at young age
• Rate of survival increases with age
 Factors that affect population growth
• Limiting factors: Environmental characteristics
slow population growth and determine carrying
capacity.
The more organisms in an area the
• Density-dependent: Influence changes with more crowded it gets =
population density. competition and easier spread of
disease and parasites
• Competition for resources: food, mates, Why is severe
nesting sites, resources weather considered
a density-
Competition for nesting sites
• predators, parasites, and disease independent limiting
• Density-independent: Influence does not factor?
change with population density. The number of organisms
impacted would be the same
• Weather and Climate (temperature, whether the population is dense
sunlight, rainfall) or not.

• Natural disasters & Fires Hurricane Matthew

How Populations Grow
• Two types of population growth:
• Exponential growth
• Logistic growth
Exponential Growth Rate
• Population increases by a fixed • Rarely lasts long
percentage every year.
• J – shaped curve
• Normally occurs only when small
populations are introduced to an • Characteristic of populations without
area with ideal environmental limiting factors (unrestricted)
conditions Whooping crane African elephant
coming back from near extinction protected from hunting
Logistic Growth Rate
• Can populations continue to grow exponentially?
Of course not!
no
no natural
natural controls
controls
K=
carrying
capacity

What happens as effect

effect of
of
the population natural
natural controls
approaches carrying
capacity (K)?
 Number of breeding male
fur seals (thousands)
10

Logistic Growth Rate 8

6
4
• S-shaped curve 2

• Growth almost always slows and 0

1915 1925 1935 1945
stops due to limiting factors. Time (years)

• Limiting factors
• Slow population growth
• Determine the carrying
capacity:
• Maximum population size
that the environment can
support by an ecosystem’s
resources/limiting factors
Carrying Capacity
• Maximum population size that environment can support by an
ecosystem’s resources/limiting factors
• What happens when a populations overshoots the carrying
capacity?
 Population Growth in Nature
• Carrying Capacity is not fixed
• It varies based on resources
• As limiting factors in an environment change, so does the carrying capacity.
• Describe some reasons you think the carrying capacity of a population could
increase.
• Increase food, mates, space, decrease in predators, etc.
• More food = ↑ Carrying Capacity
• Describe some reasons you think the carrying capacity of a population could
decrease.
• Decrease in food, mates, space, prey, etc.
• Decrease habitat size = ↓ Carrying Capacity
Population Growth in Nature
• Population growth can vary: Why can’t a
• fluctuate or cycle above and below carrying
capacity
population continue to
• Rise quickly, pass carrying capacity, and then grow above the
crash carrying capacity?
Changes in Carrying Capacity
• Population cycles
• predator – prey interactions

At what
population level is the
carrying capacity?

K
K
K
K