Human Population Dynamics Flashcards
(25 cards)
what affect whether a human population is growing or declining?
- birth rates
- infant mortality rates
- overall death rates
- access to family planning
- access to good nutrition
- access to education
- postponement of marriage
what factors limit global human population?
- the earth’s carrying capacity
- basic factors that limit human population growth (malthusian theory)
what KIND of factors affect population growth?
density-independent factors as well as density-dependent factors
what density-independent factors limit population growth?
major storms, fires, heat waves, droughts
what density-dependent factors limit population growth?
access to clean air and water, food availability, disease transmission, territory size
what is the rule of 70?
states that dividing the number 70 by the percentage population growth rate approximates the population’s doubling time
who is thomas malthus?
an english economics who in 1978 FINSIH LTER
what is the malthusian theory?
earth has a human carrying capacity, probably based on food production, and human population growth is happening faster than growth of food production, which means humans will reach a carrying capacity limited by food
how do technological advancements affect the malthusian theory?
humans can alter earth’s carrying capacity with technological innovation
what is an example of humans increasing earth’s carrying capacity through technological innovation?
- the haber-bosch process was discovered in 1918
- led to the creation of synthetic nitrogen creating fertilizers which increased the productivity of agricultural lands and increased food supply
what is one of the flaws of the malthusian theory?
failed to account for the idea that technological advancements could increase our food supply
why is predicting earth’s carrying capacity so difficult?
it’s difficult because future technology can alter resource availability in a way that isn’t possible for other species
what is growth rate?
- r
- the percent increase in a population (usually per year)
- a growth rate of 5% for a population of 100 means they grow to 105
what is CBR and CDR
- crude birth rate and crude death rate
- it’s the births and deaths per 1,000 people in a population
how do you calculate growth rate (r)?
(CBR - CDR)/10 = population growth rate percentage
what is the rule of 70?
the time it takes (in years) for a population to double is equal to 70 divided by the growth rate
what are factors that increase population growth?
- higher TFR → higher birth rate
- high IMR can drive up TFR (replacement children)
- high immigration level
- increased access to clean water and healthcare (decrease death rate)
what are factors that decrease population growth rate?
- high death rate
- high infant mortality rate
- increased development (education and affluence)
- increased education for women
- delayed age of first child
- postponement of marriage age
what is standard of living?
what the quality of life is like for people of a country based (on wealth access to necessities like clean water, stable food supply, shelter, heat, electricity, access to entertainment)
- measured by GDP and life expectancy
high GDP and life expectancy are indicators of:
development and low population growth
what is GDP?
- key economic indicator of standard of living
- total value of the goods and services produced
what is per capita GDP?
the total GDP per total population
what is life expectancy?
- key health indicator of standard of living
- it’s the average age a person will live to in a given country
what are the key indicators of standard of living?
- GDP (economic) and life expectancy (health)
