CHAPTER 8:

POPULATION GROWTH

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 Learning Outcome
Define population growth
Describe and distinguish between the
types of population growth
Explain the two types of limits to the
population growth

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 Population growth

Refers to how the

number of individuals
in a population increases
or decreases with time.

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 Population growth
Change in pop size births during deaths during
during time interval = time interval time interval

If N represents pop size and t represents time

then N is the change in pop size and t is the time
interval
So, the equation:
N = B-D
t

B-the number of births in pop

D-the number of deaths in pop

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Population Growth Type

1.
Geometric growth-
Non overlapping generation

2.
Exponentially growth-
Overlapping generation

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 Geometric Growth-
Non-overlapping generations
All parents are dead by the time their offspring
mature (insects and annual plants e.g. garden
weeds).

When generations do not overlap, growth can be

modeled geometrically.

Nt = Not

Nt = Number of individuals at time t.

No = Initial number of individuals.
= Geometric rate of increase/average number of offspring produced
per adult
t = Number of time intervals or generations (in hour, day, years, etc.)

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 Exponential Growth-
Overlapping generations
However, many species have overlapping
generations (parents still alive when offspring
begin having children).

Continuous population growth in an unlimited

environment can be modeled exponentially.

dN/dt = rmax N

rmax is populations intrinsic rate of increase (birth and death rate)

As population size (N) increases, rate of population will increase
(dN/dt) and gets larger.

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 Exponential population
growth
Adding individual at an increasing rate over time.

If a pop were suddenly presented with an

unlimited environment e.g when a small no of
bacteria, plants or animals are introduced
into a suitable but unoccupied habitat, it
would tend to expand exponentially.

J-shaped curve

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Population Growth Exponential
Mathematically population growth
Defined Under unlimited
dN = rmaxN environment
dt

2 types of pop growth

Logistic population
growth
Under limited
environment dN = rmaxN (K-N)
dt K 9
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 Logistic population growth
Population do not show continuous exponential increase

As pop. density increased

Resources are depleted

(many individuals utilized the resources)

Organisms reduced fertility and longevity

(malnutrition, weak, susceptible to disease, die)

Growth rate will slow

(reduced rate of increase)

Below its
carrying
Population ceases to grow capacity11
 Logistic population growth
The growth curve is defined as the sigmoid curve,
S shaped

Carrying capacity (K) is the:

- maximum population of a particular species that can be
supported indefinitely by a given habitat or area without
damaging the environment.

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 Limits to
Population Growth
Environment limits population
growth by altering birth and death
rates.
i. Density-dependent factors
ii. Density-independent factors

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Density-dependent factors
E.g biotic factors like disease, parasitism
and resource competition.
Some biotic factors can effect death rates
depending on the population size.
The larger the population, the greater the death
rate.

Why is this so?

If there are few individuals, there are lots of food,
and everyone is healthy.
But, if populations are large, there is less food, and
individuals become weak and prone to disease.
Good examples of this can be seen as the death rate
of deer in the winter increases as the deer population
gets larger.

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 Density-independent factors
Abiotic factors like weather, pollution,
fire, flood, volcanoes and landslide.
Some environmental factors can effect death rates
regardless of population size.
As such, these factors will influence populations of
any size.
These factors may be most important in regulating
the size of small animal and insect populations.

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