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Population Biology

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Okorie Yvonne
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17 views

Population Biology

Uploaded by

Okorie Yvonne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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POPULATION

BIOLOGY
PRINCIPLES OF
POPULATION GROWTH
Increase in size of a population over time.
Bacteria/yeast may be plated on agar in a petri dish
and the colonies counted over time.
Plants or animals may be introduced into a new
environment with plentiful resources and their
growth observed.
HOW FAST DO
POPULATIONS GROW?
Population growth is never linear.

Carrying Capacity

Number of S shaped curve


organisms

TIME
POPULATION GROWTH
LIMITS OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
Limiting factors such as food, space and
water control the size of a population.

“Leveling off” of population results in S-


shaped growth curve.

CARRYING CAPACITY (K) is the


number of organisms that can be
supported in an environment.
 Population below K births exceed deaths
 Population above K deaths exceed births
PATTERNS OF POPULATION
GROWTH
Rapid life history pattern organisms in an
unpredictable environment.
 Mosquito: small body size, mature quickly, reproduce
early, short life span. Population fluctuate rapidly
depending upon conditions.
Long life history pattern organisms living in
stable environments.
 Elephants: large, mature and reproduce slowly, longer
life span. Population size near carrying capacity
ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITS
TO GROWTH POPULATION
DENSITY - DEPENDENT FACTORS
 Effect increases as population increases
 Disease, competition, parasites, food

DENSITY - INDEPENDENT FACTORS


 Affects all population regardless of size
 Temperature, floods, habitat destruction,
drought
ORGANISM
INTERACTIONS LIMIT
POPULATION
Predation SIZE
Predator-prey relationship cycles:
Ex: lynx and rabbits

Effects of competition
Population low, resources are plentiful, no
problems, as population increases resources
become limited and competition increases.

Effects of crowding and stress


Overcrowding leads to stress. Individuals
become more aggressive, show less parental care,
decreased fertility
HUMAN POPULATION
GROWTH
DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

Demography: study of human


population growth characteristics.
Demographers study population growth
rate, age structure and geographical
distribution.
Human population has increased exponentially
Humans are able to reduce environmental
effects.
EFFECTS OF BIRTHRATES
AND DEATH RATES
Slow population growth rate if deaths,
exceed births

Fast population growth rate if births


exceed deaths
DOES AGE AFFECT
POPULATION GROWTH?
A population with more young than old
people will grow faster than the reverse.

Age structure is shown on graphs and helps


predict growth rate of population

Broader base has faster population that is


increasing
AGE STRUCTURE
GRAPHS
MOBILITY HAS AN
EFFECT ON
POPULATION SIZE
Immigration: movement of individuals
into an area.
Emigration: movement of individuals
out of a population
International migration does not affect
world population
National and local populations are
affected by internal migrations
http://galen.metapath.org/popclk.html

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