4.4 Population Ecology III

Question 1: (Review) At what point are we at on the graph below?

Population of giraffes: N1 = 500; r = 2; K = 1000

arrow b

Question 1: What is ‘soylent green’?

people; The field of population ecology has been relevant for many historic figures trying to anticipate the future human population

who is Thomas Malthus?

Influenced both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace with his writings

looked at the british population

Question 2: How did England avoid the fate predicted for her by Thomas Malthus?

A. By reducing their birth rate – through the use of the popular contraceptive

discovered by chimney sweeps: coal tar.

B. By increasing their carrying capacity.

C. The industrial revolution increased agricultural and industrial productivity.

D. Both b and c above

D. Both b and c above

what is The Population Bomb

Malthusian debate

• the book is spent describing the state of the environment and the food security situation – which is described as dire

what solutions does the population bomb propose?

● The addition of temporary sterilants to the water supply or staple foods

● Increasing a family’s tax burden for additional children

● Creation of a powerful Department of the Population and Environment

● Supporting research into contraceptives, mass sterilizing agents, and prenatal

sex discernment (to aid families in producing a male child – which most

preferred).

● Reducing food aid to countries not regulating their population.

Question 3: What was the long-term impact of ‘The Population Bomb’

A. No countries actually adopted the policies advocated in the book.

B. Countries including China and South Korea adopted many of the interventions

suggested by the book and other authorities.

C. The book jump-started a discussion of human population growth and its impact

on the earth.

D. Both B and C above

D. Both B and C above

age structure diagram

The very large human population does exact a toll on biodiversity and natural resources:

● Habitat loss

● Overexploitation

● Overharvesting

● Climate change

● Invasive species

● Pollution

what is the status of the human population’s growth rate.

The human population’s intrinsic growth rate seems to be declining dramatically in almost every country. *In order for a population to remain stable in size the births/woman needs to be about 2.1

Question 4: Why is this reduction in human population growth rate occurring?

C. Economic incentives have changed the calculus for modern family’s decisions.