Principles of population ecology and their application to human populations

Question 1

what is overpopulation

Answer 1

too many people to be supported by the environment and its resources

Question 2

what is optimum population

Answer 2

the ideal number of people for an environment and reseorces

Question 3

what is under population

Answer 3

to few people to fully utilise the environment and resources

Question 4

what is carrying capacity

Answer 4

the maximum population that can be supported in an environment without the environment being degraded

Question 5

what is an ecological footprint

Answer 5

a measurement of how much of the earths resources are used in relation to the amount available

-when a footprint is larger than 1 the consumption is larger than the available resources

Question 6

what is the PRP model

Answer 6

• the population, resources and pollution model shows the relationship between people and the environment
• highlights how natural resources provide goods but the extraction and use of said resources disrupts environmental processes and creates pollution

Question 7

example of a positive feedback loop related to the prp model

Answer 7

• population increases so demand for resources quickly increases
• this increases the amount of harmful extraction of resources
• continuous extraction increases the level of pollution and environmental disruption
• extraction of material supports the populations needs leading to a decrease in malnutrition leading to population growth

Question 8

example of a negative feedback loop related to the prp model

Answer 8

• population increases
• resources deplete as they are over used
• lack of resources to sustain population causes problems like famine and increases malnutrition
• increased death rate causes population decline

Question 9

how does carrying capacity effect population

Answer 9

• a slow growing population is likely twhat o realise there resource limit and so the population will stabilise as growth decreases
• a rapidly growing population is likely to overshoot the resource limit quicker causing issues like famine which increase the death rate before stabilising.

Question 10

what were Thomas Malthus views on population growth in 1798

2 points

Answer 10

• population could grow more rapidly than the capacity to produce food
• when populations reach carrying capacity they will be reduced by events like war, famine and disease

Question 11

what were Neo Malthusians views on population growth in the 20th century
(3 points)

Answer 11

• population rates were increasing faster than resource production rates
• rapid population growth was an obstacle to development that should be slowed down
• only a limited population would allow humanity to live indefinitely as long as resources are used sustainably

Question 12

what did the club of Rome do in the 1970s

2 points

Answer 12

• used computer models based on Malthus theory in order to predict continued rapid population growth
• this would lead to rapid decline in economic growth in 100 years

Question 13

issues with Malthus theory

Answer 13

-based on the idea that food production cant increased but it has rapidly since the 18th century due to technological advancements

Question 14

opposing ideas to neo Malthusians

Answer 14

some believe there enough resources they are just not distributed fairly

Question 15

what were Ester Boserups views on population growth

3 points

Answer 15

• however large the population was people would find a way to find sufficient food
• farming would become more intensive
• population growth would encourage the development of new methods and technology which has happened with the development of gene modification

Question 16

what were Julian Simons views on population growth

Answer 16

• population increases was positive and beneficial as the human mind was the ultimate resource
• a large population would have a large percentage of intelligent people to solve the issues of the future
• resources have become less scarce as people have found new ways to obtain them and improve quality of life