3.2.4.5 Principles of Population Ecology and their Application to Human Populations Flashcards
1
Q
Malthus’ perspective on population growth
A
His 1798 population stated that a population could grow more quickly than its capacity to feed itself because:
- populations can grow exponentially
- food supply can only increase arithmetically
He therefore thought that when there are to many people to feed, population size would be corrected by events such as famine or war.
2
Q
Issues with Malthus theory
A
It was based on an idea that the rate of growth in food production can’t increase - but it has actually been increasing rapidly since the 18th century due to technological advances.
