POPULATION

ECOLOGY
POPULATION
SIZE

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POPULATION PARAMETERS
The following FOUR factors (parameters) have an effect on population size:

Natality – birth rate of a population. Natality causes an increase in population size.

Mortality – death rate of a population. Mortality causes a decrease in population size

Immigration - the one-way movement of organisms into an area where they become
established. Immigration causes an increase in population size

Emigration - the one – way movement of organisms out of an area. Emigration causes a
decrease in population size.
 DETERMINING
POPULATION SIZE
DIRECT TECHNIQUES

Total count of all individuals in the population:

census of human population

counting of large animals
aerial photographs of groups of animals.

INDIRECT TECHNIQUES

Counting of only a part of the population:

mark-recapture technique
quadrat technique.
 MARK - RECAPTURE TECHNIQUE
• A number of individuals are caught, counted and marked (1st sample)

• Marked individuals are released in the environment and given sufficient time to mix with the rest of the population

• Another group of individuals is caught and counted and they are known as the 2nd sample

• The number of marked individuals in the 2nd sample are counted

• Determine the estimated size of the population using the following formula:

MxS
P=
T
➢ P = estimated population size
➢ M = total number of individuals captured and marked in 1st sample
➢ S = total number of individuals captured in 2nd sample
➢ T = number of marked individuals in 2nd sample
MARK - RECAPTURE TECHNIQUE
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MARK - RECAPTURE
TECHNIQUE
Factors that need to be considered when marking the
individuals.

Visibility of the mark - The mark should be easily

visible without causing harm or interference with the
animal’s natural behaviour.

Durability of the mark - The mark should last for the

duration of the study without fading or falling off.

Non-invasiveness - The marking method should be

non-invasive and not negatively affect the health or
behaviour of the individuals.
 QUADRAT METHOD

• An area where organisms must be counted is demarcated and the surface area is determined.

• A quadrat (e.g. square frame of known size e.g. 1m2) is placed on the ground and the organisms in the quadrat are
counted

• The process is repeated a few times randomly in different areas of the demarcated area.

• The following formula is used to determine the number of organisms

surface area of the area

Population size = average number of individuals per quadrat X
surface area of the quadrat

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 POPULATION
GROWTH FORMS

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 GEOMETRIC (J-SHAPED)
GROWTH FORM
Initially the increase in population size is slow as there are a few individuals

The population size then increases rapidly because of optimum environmental

conditions.

As environmental conditions become unfavourable (environmental resistance

becomes effective) e.g. a shortage of food, oxygen etc. the increase suddenly
comes to an end.

Certain factors prevent unlimited growth in a population. These factors are

known as limiting factors:
shortage of food and water
shortage of living space
shortage of shelter
predation
diseases and parasitism
accumulation of toxins

Together these factors are called environmental resistance.

 LOGISTIC (S-SHAPED)
GROWTH FORM
• Lag phase: Population growth is slow because the population
takes time to acclimatise, to become sexually mature, seek
partners for mating and to produce new offspring.

• Accelerating /geometric/exponential growth phase: The

population grows rapidly and reaches its maximum growth rate
because there is little or no environmental resistance. Natality
is higher than mortality.

• Decelerating growth phase: Growth rate steadily

decreases because of an increase in environmental resistance.

• Equilibrium/stationary phase: The population numbers

reach the carrying capacity (the maximum number of
individuals that a specific environment can support) of the
environment and stabilize around this value. Natality is more or
less equal to mortality.
 REGULATION OF
POPULATION SIZE
 REGULATION OF POPULATION
SIZE
• Once a population reaches its maximum size the numbers will not remain constant. The numbers will fluctuate due
to changes in environmental resistance.

• The size of a population may fluctuate seasonally or annually depending on environmental factors and available
resources.
 REGULATION OF
POPULATION SIZE
Density dependent factors
Are factors that take effect when population size or density increases.
Density dependent factors include:
food supply
living space
disease
shelter etc.

An increase in population size results in a greater demand for food, water,

living space, shelter etc.

Density independent factors

extreme changes in temperature
droughts
floods
earthquakes etc.

These are factors that regulate population size regardless of the size or
density of the population. These factors result in a drastic decline in
population numbers.
INTERACTIONS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTIONS
Decomposers
The decomposers can

IN THE break down large

molecules into smaller

ENVIRONMENT
parts. They recycle the
Consumers
nutrients back into the
Consumers are ecosystem.
organisms within trophic
levels in a food chain that
Tertiary
obtain energy and
nutrients by feeding on
Species interact with each other in a other organisms.
variety of ways. These include:
Secondary
 predation
 competition
 symbiotic relationships
Primary

Producers They get their energy from an abiotic source. Most

producers get their energy directly from the sun.
 PREDATION
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• Feeding interaction where one organism, the predator

(e.g. lion), hunts, kills and eats another organism, the prey
(e.g. zebra).

• Predation helps to control the size of populations.

• The higher the prey numbers, the more predation will

occur.

• The lower the prey numbers, the fewer predators will

survive due to a shortage of food.

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 COMPETITION
• Competition takes place when two or more individuals
compete for the same limited resources e.g. food, water,
mating partners etc.

• Intraspecific competition takes place between

individuals of the same species e.g. male lions competing
for a female

• Interspecific competition takes place between

individuals of different species e.g. hyenas and vultures
competing for the same food source.

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 COMPETITIVE
EXCLUSION
• Two different species that need the same limited
resources cannot occupy the same niche in the same
habitat over a long period.

• The one species will outcompete the other which will

result in the emigration or extinction of the other species.

• This is known as the principle of competitive exclusion.

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 RESOURCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w5-UfEi470

PARTITIONING
Two species can co-exist in one habitat but use the same
resources differently:

using resources at different times

using different parts of the resource
using the resource in different habitats
 SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS Symbiosis brings organisms together.
ACROSS ECOSYSTEMS Symbiosis is a relationship between two
species of organisms that can be beneficial,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q harmful, or neutral to one or both organisms.

THREE TYPES OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS

MUTUALISM COMMENSALISM PARASITISM

A relationship wherein both A type of relationship that A symbiotic relationship wherein

species benefit from the describes how one species one species benefits while the
relationship. benefits while the other is neither other is harmed.
helped nor harmed.

ND TICKS
C L O W N F IS H A N D WHALES A AND W
ANEMONE BARNACLE
S BUFFA ATER
LO
Clownfish live among the anemones and Barnacles settle on the skin of whales to Ticks attach themselves to the skin of
provide them with food scraps and live and grow, then feed on the plankton water buffaloes and feed on their blood,
protection from predators. In return, the that the whales stir up. On the other potentially causing harm by transmitting
anemones provide the clownfish with hand, whales remain unaffected by the diseases and inducing irritation and
shelter and additional protection. presence of barnacles on their skin. discomfort.
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HUMAN POPULATION
 HUMAN POPULATION
GROWTH
The following are reasons for the
exponential growth:
• The human population growth was
very slow in earlier years because Advances in the medical field
of a high mortality rate as a result
of diseases, plagues etc. improved methods for treating
diseases
• The population growth became development of vaccinations against
exponential around 1750 i.e. a rapid infectious diseases
increase in population over a short
period Increase in agricultural productivity

• The population growth rate in less- the cultivation of new disease –

developed countries is higher than resistant food crops
in more developed countries. the use of fertilisers
the use of more effective farming
methods.
AGE AND GENDER DISTRIBUTIONS
• Age and gender distribution of populations can be
presented using a population pyramid.

• The number of individuals is plotted on the X-axis

(horizontal axis) and the ages of individuals is plotted
on the Y -axis (central axis)

• One bar graph shows the number of male

individuals and the other bar graph shows the
number of the female individuals

Three types of population pyramids can be observed:

1. Rapid population growth pyramid

2. Stable population growth pyramid
3. Negative/declining population
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growthpyramid
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 1. RAPID POPULATION
GROWTH

• Pyramid has a wide base and narrow top

• The wide base indicates a high birth rate because of

unavailability of contraceptives, low education levels
etc.

• The narrow top indicates a high death rate because of

poor medical care and nutrition

• This pyramid is characteristic of populations in less-

developed countries
 2. STABLE POPULATION
GROWTH

• This pyramid is characteristic of stable populations in

more -developed countries

• It shows a decline in birth rate because of good family

planning and high levels of education

• It shows a lower death rate because of good medical

care and nutrition
 3. NEGATIVE POPULATION
GROWTH

• This pyramid indicates a declining population

• Low birth rate and stable death rate

• Increased emigration

• Characteristic of populations in well-developed

countries.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeW8kbG0wG8

POPULATION
The life expectancy of the average South African was 49
years in 1960 but reached 60 years in 2016.

This is however still significantly lower than the global

average of 70,5 years. Possible reasons for the longer life
expectancy globally:

 better health and sanitation

 social welfare improvements
 increased primary health care services
QUESTIONS