General Characteristics of Biological

Population
2. Mortality (Death Rate)
Mortality refers to the number of
Population - A group of similar species living in individuals that die within a population
a certain place at the same time. over a given period. High mortality can
“How Big is a Population?” reduce population size, especially due to
disease, predation, or environmental
A population is a group of individuals of the changes.
same species that live in a specific area at the
same time. The study of population Examples:
characteristics helps in understanding how  Penguin Deaths Due to Climate
species interact with their environment and how Change – Rising temperatures have
their numbers change over time. Three key caused thousands of Adelie penguin
characteristics of a biological population are chicks to die from starvation due to
size, density, and distribution. shrinking fish populations.
 Bee Colony Collapse – Pesticides
and diseases have led to mass bee
Population Size mortality, affecting pollination and
agriculture.
Population size refers to the total
number of individuals of a species within a 3. Migration
specific area. It is an important factor in
determining the stability and sustainability of a Migration refers to the movement of
population. A large population size may indicate individuals into or out of a population,
a healthy species with good survival rates, while affecting population size and genetic
a small population may be at risk of extinction diversity. Migration can be classified as
due to genetic bottlenecks or environmental immigration (entering a population) or
threats. emigration (leaving a population).

1. Natality (Birth Rate) a. Immigration (Entering a

Population)
Natality refers to the number of
individuals born within a population over Immigration increases
a specific period. A high birth rate can population size as new individuals arrive
lead to population growth, while a low and settle in a location.
birth rate may slow expansion.
Examples:
Examples:
 Butterfly Migration
 Sea Turtles Hatching – A female (Monarchs) – Monarch
sea turtle lays around 100 eggs per butterflies migrate from
nest, but only a few hatchlings Canada to Mexico in the
survive to adulthood. winter, increasing the
 Elephant Calves – Elephants have butterfly population in
a low birth rate, with females giving Mexico.
birth to a single calf every 4–5  Wolves Reintroduced to
years, leading to slow population Yellowstone – The
growth. reintroduction of wolves in
 Rabbit Reproduction – Rabbits the U.S. led to a rise in the
have high natality, with females wolf population and restored
producing 30–40 offspring per year. balance to the ecosystem.
 Mosquito Population Growth –  Bird Migration to
Mosquitoes lay hundreds of eggs at Wetlands – Millions of birds
a time, causing rapid population migrate to warmer regions,
increases in warm climates. boosting populations in
 tropical wetlands during
winter.
b. Emigration (Leaving a Population Distribution
Population) “How Individuals are Spread Out?”
Emigration decreases Population distribution refers to how
population size as individuals leave their individuals are spaced within their habitat. It can
habitat to settle elsewhere. be classified into three types: clumped, uniform,
Examples: and random.

 Frogs Dispersing Due to Types and Examples:

Pollution – Polluted water  Clumped Distribution: Individuals are
bodies force frog grouped together, often around
populations to leave and resources or due to social behavior.
find cleaner habitats.
 Zebra Migration in Africa – Examples:
Zebras leave certain regions
during the dry season in o Schooling fish (sardines) stay in
search of food and water. groups to avoid predators.
 Shark Movement Due to o Elephants stay in herds for
Overfishing – Overfishing protection and social interaction.
has forced some shark
species to migrate to
different waters, reducing  Uniform Distribution: Individuals are
their numbers in evenly spaced, usually due to territorial
overexploited regions. behavior or competition for resources.
Examples:
Population Density o Penguins maintain a fixed
“How Crowded is a Population?” distance from each other when
nesting.
Population density refers to the number o Desert shrubs grow at even
of individuals per unit area or volume. It provides distances to reduce competition
insight into how crowded a population is in a for water.
particular habitat. High density can lead to
competition for resources, while low density may
indicate an abundance of resources or habitat
 Random Distribution: Individuals are
fragmentation.
spread unpredictably, with no specific
: Examples: pattern. This usually occurs when
environmental conditions and resources
 Bamboo Forest and Pandas in China are evenly distributed.
– Giant pandas live in low-density
populations due to habitat Examples:
fragmentation, with fewer than 2 pandas
o Dandelions grow randomly in
per 100 square kilometers.
open fields, as their seeds are
 Ant Colonies in Rainforests – Some
dispersed by the wind.
tropical rainforests have over 8 million
o Spider populations in forests
ants per hectare, making them one of
the densest populations on Earth. settle wherever they find
 Coral Reefs and Clownfish – A single suitable web-building sites.
coral reef may contain hundreds of
clownfish per square meter, benefiting
from the shelter provided by sea
anemones.
Carrying Capacity (K) and Limiting Factors Types of Limiting Factors:
The environment can only support a  Density-Dependent Factors – These
certain number of individuals before resources factors become more intense as the
become scarce. This concept is known as population grows.
carrying capacity (K)—the maximum number of o Example: Competition for food
individuals a habitat can sustain without increases when population
degrading the ecosystem. When a population density is high.
exceeds its carrying capacity, resources become  Density-Independent Factors – These
depleted, leading to competition, starvation, affect a population regardless of its size.
disease, and population decline. o Example: Natural disasters like
floods and wildfires can wipe out
populations.
CARRYING CAPACITY (K)
“The Population Limit”
Examples of limiting Factors:
The environment has a limited capacity
 Drought in a Savannah – Limited water
to support a certain number of individuals.
availability can lead to massive die-offs
Carrying capacity refers to the maximum
of animals such as zebras and
population size that can be supported in a
elephants.
particular area without destroying the habitat.
 Hunting and Overfishing – Overfishing
Examples: of tuna has reduced their population
size, affecting marine food chains and
 Fish in a Pond – A small pond can only forcing fishing industries to impose
sustain a limited number of fish. If the limits.
fish population exceeds the pond’s
ability to provide food and oxygen, many
will die off.
 Deer in a Forest – A forest can only
support a certain number of deer based 11️⃣ Demography: Understanding Population
on the availability of plants. If the Changes
population grows too large, food
shortages lead to starvation and a “Before diving into history, let’s define an
population decline. important term: demography. Demography is the
 Humans in Urban Areas – Cities have study of how human populations grow, shrink,
a carrying capacity based on resources and change over time. It looks at factors like
like water, housing, and food. birth rates, death rates, and age and gender
Overcrowding can lead to shortages, distribution.
pollution, and infrastructure strain.

2️⃣ Prehistoric Populations: Life as Hunter-

LIMITING FACTORS Gatherers

“Why Populations Don’t Grow Forever” “Imagine living thousands of years ago, in a
small group of hunter-gatherers. Early humans
Environmental elements that control lived in small, scattered groups because:
population size and prevent unlimited growth.
Limiting factors are environmental conditions 🔹 They relied on hunting animals and gathering
that restrict population growth and prevent plants for food.
populations from growing indefinitely. These
🔹 They faced extreme challenges like harsh
factors regulate population size and ensure
climates and predators.
balance within an ecosystem.
🔹 High mortality rates due to diseases, food
scarcity, and natural disasters kept their
population low. 5️⃣ 20th–21st Century Growth: The Global
Population Surge
During this time, human populations remained
small and stable since survival was difficult, and “And here we are today! The 20th and 21st
resources were limited.” centuries have seen the fastest population
growth in history due to:
✔ Medical breakthroughs – Antibiotics, vaccines,
3️⃣Agricultural Revolution: The Birth of Civilization and modern healthcare increased life
expectancy.
“But everything changed around 10,000 years
ago with the Agricultural Revolution. Humans ✔ Urbanization – More people moved to cities
discovered farming, which had a huge impact on for better jobs and education.
population growth.
✔ Infrastructure, education, and healthcare
🔹 Stable food supplies meant people didn’t have improvements – Countries developed systems
to constantly move in search of food. that support larger populations.
🔹 Settlements formed, leading to the first
villages and civilizations.
As a result, the global population jumped from
🔹 Population density increased, allowing trade, 1.6 billion in 1900 to over 8 billion today! 🌍 But
governance, and early economies to develop. with this growth come challenges—like resource
management, climate change, and
sustainability.”
This was the first time in history when human
populations started growing rapidly because
food became more reliable.”
Call to Action – Solutions & Policies
4️⃣Industrial Revolution: The Population Boom Support relevant policies: Back family planning,
educational initiatives, and sustainable resource
“Fast forward to the 18th and 19th centuries, management policies.
when the Industrial Revolution changed
everything. New technologies revolutionized Engage the community: Get involved in local
agriculture, medicine, and daily life. environmental conservation efforts and promote
waste reduction practices.
🔹 Medical advances (like vaccines) reduced
death rates. Advocate for investments: Encourage funding
and development in renewable energy, efficient
🔹 Improved sanitation led to healthier living agriculture, and robust public health
conditions. infrastructure.
🔹 Agricultural innovations produced more food
with fewer workers.
🔹 Urbanization increased as people moved to
cities for jobs.

For the first time, populations grew at an

unprecedented rate because people lived longer,
and food production supported larger
communities.”