1. UNDERSTANDING POPULATION DYNAMICS
If you had to pick ONE issue that is causing all environmental problems…what would it be?

2. Exploding white tail deer population in the us
Read the CASE STUDY in your TEXTBOOK…p
Answer the following…
Outline the growth of the deer population since 1900 (give #s & conditions)
Discuss the impact of the current deer population on our ecosystems
Describe several measures to try to control the population

3. WHAT Limits the growth of populations??
Think of factors that might promote growth of a population
Or...what ecological conditions might limit population growth?

4. Limiting factors DENSITY INDEPENDENT DENSITY DEPENDENT
Depends on the size of the population
Space
Disease
Competition
predation
Size of the population does not matter
Weather
Natural disasters
Human activity
seasons

5. Population dispersion
Clumped dispersion is most advantageous...
Resources vary place to place so species cluster where resources are available
Moving in groups increases chances of finding patches of resources
Moving in groups offers protection
Groups increases predator chances of finding food
See Figure 5-14 p. 112

6. Range of tolerance:
range of conditions that must be maintained for particular species to be able to survive…grow…function normally

7. Factors that influence population growth
BIRTHS
DEATHS
IMMIGRATION
EMIGRATION
POPULATION CHANGE =
(births + immigration) – (deaths + emigration)
Population growth rate describes the change in a
population over specified intervals of time
Zero Growth Rate: population NOT growing…remains the same

8. Population growth patterns
View various population growth graphs
Draw each in your notes
Identify and describe the growth for each

9. Linear growth curve
Population is growing the same amount at regular intervals
EX: a population that increases by 2 individuals each month

10. Exponential growth (j curve)
Rate of increase is continually rising
Resources are plentiful
Few/no predators
Little disease
Low death rate

11. No population can grow indefinitely…
There are limits on resources…there is competition…predation…disease…natural disasters…
ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE…combination of all factors that limit growth of populations
Read the CASE STUDY in your TEXTBOOK…p : Exploding White Tail Deer Population in the US…Answer the following…
Outline the growth of the deer population since 1900 (give #s & conditions)
Discuss the impact of the current deer population on our ecosystems
Describe several measures to try to control the population

12. CARRYING CAPACITY/ S CURVE
Populations will eventually run out of resources…fail to find mating partners; or other factors such as disease or predators will cause a population to reach its carrying capacity
Population will remain relatively stable …but there may be fluctuations
Carrying capacity is the size of a population an ecosystem can support based on the resources available and the other species present in the ecosystem.

13. POPULATION CRASH Rapid decrease in population
What factors could cause this to happen in a population?
Population decline is inevitable when a population exceeds its carrying capacity
Look in your textbook (end of ch. 5) and find 3 examples of events that have/could cause this pattern in the human population

14. Phases of growth LAG: all population begin slow
EXPONENTIAL: as more individuals are added to a population & each are reproducing…growth increases rapidly
STATIONARY: growth will eventually slow as resources run low/out
DEATH: population can crash if all resources are depleted or perhaps a predator or disease is introduced

15. How is the human population growing?
CORE CASE STUDY: p. 122: Planet Earth: Population 7 Billion
List when the human population hit each 2 billion increment
Also give the amount of time that passed between each 2 billion increment
Provide reasons why the human population is growing like this
Discuss the impact of the current growth of the human population

16. AGE STRUCTURE
A-Expanding/growing population- pyramid shape, has more children than any other age group.- Nigeria
B- Stable populations- Number of children is roughly the same as the number of reproductive adults- US
C- Declining population- Pre-reproductive group is smaller- Germany