Population Dynamics

• Is the study of how age structure, population

density, distribution, and numbers change in
response to changes in environmental conditions.

• Most populations live together in clumps or

patches.

• Populations can grow, shrink, or remain stable

 Population Dynamics
Age Structure – proportions of individuals at various ages

Population Density – number of individuals in a population found in a particular

area or volume.

Immigration – arrival of individuals from outside the population.

Emigration – leaving of individuals from population.

Biotic Potential - capacity for population growth under ideal conditions.

Intrinsic Rate of Increase (r) – rate at which a population of a species would

grow if it had unlimited resources.
 Population Dynamics
Populations with high intrinsic rate of increase typically
reproduce early in life, have short generation times, reproduce
many times, and have many offspring with each reproduction.

Research reveals that no population can grow indefinitely

because of limitations.

Limiting factors include, space, sunlight, water, nutrients,

exposure to predators, competitors, or infectious diseases.

There are always limits to population growth in nature

 Population Dynamics
Environmental resistance - combination of all factors
that act to limit the growth of a population.

Biotic Potential + Environmental Resistance

= Carrying Capacity (K)

Carrying Capacity – maximum population of a given

species that a particular habitat can sustain
indefinitely without being degraded.
 Population Growth
Exponential Growth or Geometric Growth – starts
slowly but then accelerates as the population
increases. Plotting the number of individuals against
time yields a J-shaped growth curve.

Logistic Growth – rapid exponential growth followed by

steady decrease in population growth until the
population levels off. Plotting the number of individuals
against time yields a sigmoid, or S-shaped curve
Identify the J-curve and S-curve on this
graph?
 Population Dynamics
r - selected species – have many, usually small, offspring and give
them little or no parental care or protection. The high numbers
of offspring help the population revive when it suffers massive
losses. Opportunist species.
(EX. roaches, rabbits, bacteria, algae)

K - selected species – reproduce later in life and have a small

number of offspring with fairly long life spans. Competitor
species.
(EX. Large mammals, elephants, birds of prey)
 Population Dynamics
Genetic Diversity can affect the size of small populations.
Founder effect – when a few individuals in a population colonize a new habitat that is geographically isolated from
other members of the population
(Limited genetic diversity or variability may threaten the survival of the colonizing population)

Demographic Bottleneck – occurs when only a few individuals in a population survive a catastrophe such as a fire or
hurricane
(Population may increase but decreased genetic diversity may increase the frequency of harmful genetic diseases)

Genetic Drift – random changes in gene frequencies in a population that can lead to unequal reproductive success
(Some individuals may breed more than others do and their genes may eventually dominate the gene pool of the
population. Founder effect is one cause for genetic drift.)

Inbreeding – when individuals in a small population mate with one another. This can occur when a population
passes through a demographic bottle neck.
(Can increase the frequency of defective genes within a population)
 Population Dynamics
Population Density can affect Population Size

Density dependent population controls include

predation, parasitism, infectious disease, and
competition for resources.

Density independent controls are mostly abiotic. Things

like a severe freeze, flood, hurricane, fire, pollution and
habitat destruction, do not depend on the density of the
population.
 Humans not exempt from nature’s
population controls
14th century the bubonic plague killed at least 25 million people in
densely populated Europe. Caused by a bacterium that lived in
rodents. Fleas that lived on the rodents bit humans and spread the
disease.

1800’s Irish potato blight killed approximately 1 million people and

another 3 million migrated away. Phytophthora infestans an
oomycete decimated the potato crops which led to mass starvation.

Currently AIDS is a global epidemic. Between 1981- and 2007 the

virus killed more than 25 million people. It claims 2.1 million lives
each year. An average of 4 deaths per minute.
 The Human Population
Population change = (births + immigration) – (deaths + emigration)

Birth Rate – number of live births per 1000 people

Death Rate – number of deaths per 1000 people

Age Structure can be used to make population and economic projections.

This graph illustrates that:

France shows an almost steady increase
India shows rapid increase
Population Pyramids