BSES 36 - Human Populations

Population Growth Rate

The change in population size over time that takes into account the number of births and deaths as well as immigration and emigration numbers.

zero population growth

The absence of population growth; occurs when birth rates equal death rates.

demographic factors

Population characteristics such as birth rate that influence changes in population size and composition.

desired fertility

The ideal number of children an individual indicates he or she would like to have.

total fertility rate (TFR)

The number of children the average woman has in her lifetime.

pronatalist pressure

Factor that increases the desire to have children

childhood mortality rate

The number of children under 5 years of age who die per every 1,000 live births in that year.

replacement fertility

The rate at which children must be born to replace the previous generation.

age structure

The percentage of the population that is distributed into various age groups

population momentum

The tendency of a young population to continue to grow even after birth rates drop to replacement fertility.

demographic transition

A theoretical model that describes the expected drop in once-high population growth rates as economic conditions improve the quality of life in a population.

Preindustrial

Birth and death rates are high but similar, so population growth is slow or stationary; population size is low.

Industrializing

Better conditions lead to lower death rates; however, birth rates remain high, resulting in rapid population growth.

Mature industrial

Birth rates begin to fall, though they still outnumber deaths;

population is still growing but at a slower rate.

Postindustrial

Birth rates are similar to death rates, so population growth stabilizes at a new higher population size.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that a particular environment can support indefinitely; for human populations, it depends on resource availability and the rate of per capita

resource use by the population.

Overpopulated

The number of individuals in an area exceeds the carrying capacity of that area.

Ecological Footprint

The land area needed to provide the resources for, and assimilate the waste of, a person or population.