Human Population and Demography Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on the Human Population and Demography lecture notes.

Human Population

A group of people living within a specified geographic area at a particular time.

Population Growth

The increase or decrease in the number of individuals in a population over a given period of time.

Demography

The statistical study of human populations, including their size, density, age structure, births, deaths, fertility, and migration.

Population Growth Equation

The mathematical formula expressing population change over time: $\Delta N = (B + I) - (D + E)$, where $B$ is births, $I$ is immigration, $D$ is deaths, and $E$ is emigration.

Fecundity

The biological capacity or potential of an individual or population to reproduce.

Fertility

The actual reproductive performance of a population, commonly expressed as the number of children born.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The estimated average number of children born to women in a population during their reproductive years.

Replacement-Level Fertility

The average number of children that couples in a population must have to replace themselves, which is about $2.1$ children per couple in developed countries.

Zero Population Growth (ZPG)

A state in which additions to a population are balanced by losses, keeping population size approximately stable and growth rate near zero.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The number of live births per $1,000$ people in a population during a given year.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The number of deaths per $1,000$ people in a population during a given year.

Rate of Natural Increase

The rate of population growth based solely on biological processes, calculated as $\text{Rate of Natural Increase} \approx \text{CBR} - \text{CDR}$.

Exponential Population Growth

Growth pattern in which a population increases by a relatively constant percentage over time, producing a characteristic J-shaped curve.

Population Momentum

The tendency of a population to continue growing after fertility has declined because a large number of individuals are entering or already in reproductive age groups.

Age Structure

The distribution or proportions of individuals found across pre-reproductive, reproductive, and post-reproductive age groups in a population.

Population Density

The number of individuals found per unit area or volume, calculated as $\text{Population Density} = \frac{\text{Population Size}}{\text{Area}}$.

Rapidly Growing Population Profile

An age-structure profile with a broad base, a large younger population, and many individuals approaching reproductive age.

Slow-Growing or Stable Population Profile

An age-structure profile characterized by similar numbers across younger and middle age groups and a balanced age distribution.

Declining Population Profile

An age-structure profile characterized by narrow younger age groups, lower fertility, and a larger proportion of older adults.

Migration

The movement of people from one geographic area to another.

Immigration

The movement of individuals into a population from another location, which increases overall population size.

Emigration

The movement of individuals out of a population to another location, which decreases overall population size.

Urbanization

The increasing concentration of human population in towns and cities.

Density-Dependent Factors

Population-limiting factors whose effects intensify as population density rises, such as competition, infectious disease, parasitism, and predation.

Density-Independent Factors

Population-limiting factors that affect populations regardless of their density, such as floods, severe storms, fires, droughts, and pollution.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that a given environment can support sustainably over time without serious degradation.

Overpopulation

A condition in which the number of people and their level of resource use exceed the environment's capacity to support them sustainably.

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of infants who die before reaching one year of age per $1,000$ live births in a population.

Family Planning

Educational and clinical services that empower individuals or couples to decide whether, when, and how many children to have and how to space births.

Birth Control

Methods and techniques (contraception) used to prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy.