Population Biology Concept

Population Size and Sustainability

Mary Grace D. Antonio
Presenter
At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

■ Understand what is population, two types of population,

factors affecting population, and methods and determining
population size.
■Explain what is sustainability, what are the concepts of
sustainability.
■Learn about sustainable development, sustainable society,
global sustainability, and the relationship between growth in
population and possible scenarios for sustainable society.
 POPULATION SIZE

Definition - The actual counting of a total population.

TWO TYPES OF POPULATION

1.Absolute Population size- The actual abundance of
population or species.
2.Effective population size- The number of breeding
individuals in an idealized population that would show the
same amount of dispersion of Allele frequencies under
ramdom genetic drift.
 Four factors affecting population size

1. Birth Rate- The number of live birth per 1000 in a year.

2. Death Rate- The number of deaths per 1000 in a year.
3. Immigration- The number of people going into a country.
4. Emigration- The number of people leaving a country.
 METHODS IN DETERMINING POPULATION SIZE

1. Direct Observation- counting each individual organism. It

is useful if there are few organisms in a study area or if
the samples don’t move.
2. Indirect Observation- Observe tracks, nest or other signs
that the organisms have been there. Useful if organisms
move around a lot.
3. Sampling- Useful if population is very large or covers a
large area or is hard to remember which have been
counted. Count the number of individuals in small area
then multiply to find the number in the larger study area.
■ 4. Mark and Receptive- Animals are captured and marked
and relaxed into environment.
 SUSTAINABILITY

■ Focuses on meeting the needs of the present population

without compromising the ability of future generation to
meet their needs.
A The Concept of Sustainability

■ 1. Sustainable Development

■ 2. Sustainable Society

■ 3. General Indicators
1 Sustainable Development
■ Sustainable
• The process or the activity can be maintained without exhaustion
or collapse.

• Intra and Inter-generational issue.

• Capacity of a system to accommodate changes:

• Rates of use of renewable resources should not exceed their rates

or regeneration.
• Rates of use of non-renewable resources should not exceed at
which renewable substitutes are developed.
• Rates of pollution emissions should not exceed the assimilative
capacity of the environment.
1 Sustainable Development

■ Development
• Development is about people, not necessarily the economy.

• Development is a process.

• Improvement of the welfare of the population:

• Create an enabling environment for people.

• It is often forgotten in the immediate concern with the accumulation of

commodities and wealth.

• Finding ways to satisfy and improve human needs.

1 Sustainable Development
Outcomes
■ Conditions:
Human Capital Physical capital • Appropriate social, political, legal
and economic conditions.
■ Outcomes
• Improvement of the physical and
Development human capital.
• Human capital:
• Improved health or knowledge.
• Improved opportunities for people
-Health -Rights
-Education -Equity to use their acquired capabilities.
-Quality of life -Rule of law • Improved work or leisure
conditions.
• Physical capital:
-Employment • Improved private infrastructures.
-Surplus • Improved collective
infrastructures.
Conditions
2 Sustainable Society

Sustainable Development

Economic Environmental
Social Equity
Efficiency Responsibility

•Living conditions •Economic growth •Consumption of

•Equal opportunity
•Social cohesion
•International solidarity
•Maintenance of
human capital.
•Efficiency and resources
competitiveness •Materials and wastes
•Flexibility and stability •Risks
•Production / •Rate of change
consumption •Natural and cultural
•Employment landscape
•International trade
2 Sustainable Society

■Suggestions for Sustainable Society:

•Lessen population growth and stabilize it (preferably).

•Stop subsidizing reproduction.
•Access to contraception and family planning (freedom of choice).
•Basic material needs satisfied (social obligation?).
•Political and gender equity.
•Access to information and education.
2 Sustainable Society

■ Ecology
• Restore the biological base (soils, forests, atmosphere and
hydrosphere).
• Agriculture supporting ecosystems (diversity and organic
recycling).
■ Energy
• Minimize and abolish fossil fuels (market forces are likely to do
so).
• Shift to natural gas as an interim measure.
• Move to renewable energy sources (hydrogen, solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass and hydroelectric).
2 Sustainable Society

■ Economy
• Promotion of efficiency and recycling.
• Source materials mainly recycled materials.
• Reduce wastes in production, packaging and distribution.
• Economy like an ecosystem.
• Dematerialization of the economy.
■ Spatial forms
• Rational use of space (market forces).
• Dense and compact cities.
• Multifamily dwellings.
• Alternative transportation modes:
• Leaning on mass transit, cycling and walking.
2 Sustainable Society

■ Social forms
• Material sufficiency and frugality:
• Replacing consumerism and materialism (unlikely).
• Living according to one’s means.
• Self-worth and social status:
• Not measured primarily by possession (unlikely).
• Balance between individual rights and obligations:
• End of social welfare and the irresponsibility it creates?
■ Governance
• Less government and more individual initiative.
• Global governance (common policies for common causes).
• Regional autonomy (regional issues and cultural / political
differences).
• Avoid socialism and fascism (especially “world improvers”).
3 General Indicators

Water, materials and waste Energy and air quality

Global Sustainability

Land, green spaces

Transportation
and biodiversity

Livability
3 General Indicators: What the Market Can Do

Energy and air quality New sources of energy. Less energy intensity. Lower
emission levels.

Water, materials and Less water intensity. Lower material intensity (packaging)
waste Recycling system. Efficient waste disposal.

Land, green spaces Increased agricultural productivity. Manage

and biodiversity

Livability Improved health. Higher education. Global access to

information and entertainment (Internet).

Transportation Provide collective (transit) and private mobility.

B POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

■ Conventional Worlds
■ Barbarization
■ Great Transitions
1 Conventional Worlds

■ Conventional Development
scenario
• Situation left as it is.
• Solution led to market mechanisms.
• Little or no collective efforts.
• Limited success of birth control
policies.
• Generation of wealth, but unfair
distribution.
■ Consequences
• Growth of inequalities and
environmental degradation.
• Potential instability and environmental
collapse.
1 Conventional Worlds

■ Balanced Growth
• Legislation and policy intervention:
• Strengthen management systems.
• Ensure widespread use of better
technology.
• Provide greater social equity and
environment protection.
• Same patterns of production and
consumption.
• Notions of global governance.
■ Consequences
• Less demographic growth and
environmental damage.
• May not be enough to curb major global
environmental issues.
• Socialism.
2 Barbarization

■ Breakdown
• Neo-Malthusian perspective.
• Case of destructive anarchy.
• Governmental and social failures.
• “Mad Max” scenario.
■ Consequences
• Environmental and social deterioration:
• Scarcity, violence, and massive
migration.
• Unchecked population growth.
• Economic collapse:
• Drastic fall in global population levels.
• Loss of institutions, productive
capacity, and technology.
2 Barbarization

■ Fortress World
• Authoritarian “solution”.
• Conflicts between the rich and the poor:
• A minority of the elite in privileged
enclaves.
• Protect their way of life by forcibly imposing
limits and social controls on the
impoverished majority.
• Seizing control of critical natural resources
for exclusive use.
• Restricting access to information and
technology.
■ Consequences
• Unchecked demographic growth.
• Social stratification.
• Instability of a “Fortress” system may push
the world into a “Breakdown” situation.
3 Great Transitions

■ Eco-communalism
• Deep green utopian vision.
• Strong collective efforts towards
small-scale.
• Emphasis:
• Bio-regionalism.
• Localism and face-to-face
democracy.
• Small technology and economic
autarky.
■ Consequences
• Population and economic scales
diminish.
• Environmental conditions improve
dramatically.
• Socialism/communism?
3 Great Transitions

■ New Sustainability Paradigm

• Change the industrial civilization.
• Achieving sustainability at the global
level:
• Every activity most demonstrate
sustainability.
• More equitable global civilization rather
than to retreat into localism.
■ Consequences
• Dramatic decrease of per capita
material flows:
• Through behavioral changes and
technology improvements.
• High-quality environment.
• Well-distributed welfare with economic
activities oriented towards services.
 Reflection

■ . How can you personally ■ What are your own

help our society to be suggestions and
sustainable? recommendation for
sustainable society?
TO GOD BE THE GLORY….