Human Population Growth

How did we get so big so fast? 7 billion people How did we get so big so fast?

Years 1804 – 1 billion 1930 – 2 billion 1960 - 3 billion Exponential growth

The UN says we will reach 10 billion by the end of the century. Will human population level off? Is this the world’s carrying capacity? What will limit our population growth? What resources must we manage? Food, Water, Energy

Demographic transition: change from high birth rates and death rates to low birth rates and death rates population growth slows drastically Why does this happen in industrialized nations? Better medical care, nutrition, sanitation, cost of raising children

Age Structure and survivorship Age structure can indicate the potential for future population growth. Which population has a greater potential to increase in the future?

Page 131: figure 5-13 1. What overall trend do you see in Rwanda’s population growth? 2. Compare the top halves of the two graphs, what can you tell about Rwanda’s population? 3. How do the US and Rwanda differ in the percentages of 10-14 year olds? 4. How does that compare to the 15-19 year olds?