3 PDF

Chapter 13:
POPULATION ECOLOGY
13.1 Population growth

Chapter 13: POPULATION ECOLOGY
13.1: Population growth

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to :
1. Explain biotic potential (r) and environmental resistance and their
effect on population growth
2. Explain carrying capacity and its importance
3. Describe natality and mortality and their effects on the rate of
population growth
4. Explain population growth curves
i. Exponential growth curve(human)
ii. Logistic growth curve (Paramecium)
5. Explain the limiting factors affecting the population size:
i. Density dependent factors
ii. Density independent factors
Definition
Population Growth :
A population will tend to increase in

number when the available resources
are greater than that required by the
members of the population present at
that particular time.
• ‘The increase in the number of individuals of

a population’
Growth at biotic
potential
(carrying capacity)
Growth with
environmental resistance
BIOTIC POTENTIAL ( r )
• ‘The capacity of a
population to Growth
at biotic
increase in size in potentia
(carrying l
ideal / optimum capacity) Growth with
environment
conditions’ al resistance
• Gives the maximum
rate for population Growth
at biotic
growth when potential
population density is (carrying
capacity) Growth with
low & resources are environmental
resistance
plentiful
BIOTIC POTENTIAL ( r )
• This is dependent on several factors:
- the age beginning of reproduction,

- how often reproduction occurs and
- how many offspring are born at a time
ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE
• ‘Environmental factors (combination of biotic

and abiotic) that limit growth of the population’
• The population will not be able to achieve its

full biotic potential  limit the population size
• Growth rate may

become zero
• Described by an S-
shaped growth
curve
Enviromental Resistance
E.g. of environmental resistance:

– Limiting resources (food, light, shelter)
– Accumulating toxic waste
– Stress
– Predation
– Diseases
13.1: Population growth ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE
A growth curve with an S-shape
A growth curve with an S-shape
The effect of environmental resistance on the

population growth.
CARRYING CAPACITY
• ‘The maximum population size that a

particular environment can support’
• The area occupied by a population has

limiting resources
(energy, shelters, refuges from predators, soil
nutrients, water and suitable nesting sites)
CARRYING CAPACITY
• Carrying capacity is achieved when

population growth slows & maintains at a
nearly steady level
• Described by the stable Stationary phase of

the S-shaped growth curve
13.1: Population growth CARRYING CAPACITY
Carrying capacity and the limit to population growth

CARRYING CAPACITY
The importance:
 important limit on populations
 is measured relative to a particular species
and a particular habitat
 A population below carrying capacity need
not deplete any natural capital.
 Unchecked growth of any species will exceed
carrying capacity.
NATALITY & MORTALITY
• Natality
– ‘birth rate’
– the number of offspring produced during a
certain amount of time
• Mortality
– ‘death rate’
– the number of individuals dying during a
certain amount of time
NATALITY & MORTALITY
• If natality > mortality, population size increases
• If mortality > natality, population size decreases
• If natality = mortality, population is stable

Refresh Your Mind 
Smile 
• Keep smile  • Just for laugh
• (don’t create any
issue)
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES
TWO types of population growth curves:
i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGISTIC GROWTH
CUREVE
• Exponential growth refer to unlimited growth

of a population.
• The population tends to increases slowly at

first and then grows increasingly rapidly as
time
• When numbers are low, a doubling does not

produce much addition to the population,
but as numbers increase, each successive
doubling adds larger and larger increments.
13.1: Population growth POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

• The population size increases slowly during lag phase & then
continuously grows very rapidly as time passes (log phase)
• E.g.: human population growth
Lesson Objective:
23.2f Explain population growth curves
23.2 Population growth
Maximum population size Eg. Algae : in a habitat with sufficent

light & nutrient.
- shows J-shaped growth curve until
the available food becomes scare or
nature of the ecosystem changed.
Increase Grows at or near its Decrease dramatically,

rapidly for Biotic Potential (r), due to environmental
a short it reproduce at it resistance
period. maximum rate (eg. overcrowding, lack
(Carrying capacity). of sufficient nutrient).

'Fits an S-shaped curve'
Consists of:
i. Lag phase
ii. Exponential growth phase
iii. Linear phase
iv. Stationary phase
i. Lag phase
- individuals start to
grow as they are
adapting to the
environment
ii. Exponential growth
phase
- growth is rapid as
resources are still
unlimited
iii. Linear phase

- environmental
resistance starts to take
effect as population
approaching the
carrying capacity
iv. Stationary phase
- population
becomes stable
Growth patterns 3
Sigmoid Growth Curves

13.1: Population growth POPULATION GROWTH CURVES
E.g.: Population growth of Paramecium in the lab

shows the Logistic growth curve
THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION SIZE
TWO types of limiting factors:


- factors that limit population growth when
population density / size increases

- factors that limit population growth
irrespective of population size
- due to events that occur seasonally or
unexpectedly
EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors
1. Food & water supplies

2. Overcrowding/ limited space
3. Competition for resources
4. Territorial behaviour
5. Predator-prey relationship, predation
6. Parasitism/diseases
7. Accumulation of toxic waste
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE
- required to generate energy

- when pop. size ↑, food & water supplies ↓,
causing a decrease in population growth
2. Overcrowding/ limited space
- required for shelter, living activities &

reproduction
- occur at high population density
- cause excessive stress leading to abnormal
behaviour
- some population show a decline in health/
hormonal changes
- when pop. size ↑,

competition ↑ for limited sources;
causing a decrease in population growth
- 2 types (intraspecific & interspecific)

-individuals (individually or in groups) select

& defend a territory large enough to provide
basic necessities
- the larger & more productive the territory,

the better it is for population growth
5. Predator-prey relationship, predation
- When pop. of prey ↑, pop. of predators ↑ &

when pop. of prey ↓, pop. of predators ↓
-usually shows fluctuation in population growth

for both predators & prey
6. Parasitism/diseases
- parasitic infection/ diseases spread more

easily in high density population
- increase mortality rate

7. Accumulation of toxic waste
- as population grow, waste products from

metabolic reaction accumulate
- become toxic to the member of the population

EXAMPLES of Density independent factors

1. Climate / weather
2. Forest fire
3. Natural disaster e.g.: flood, drought
4. Use of insecticides by man
13.0: POPULATION ECOLOGY
a) Biotic potential e) Limiting factor

& Environmental affecting the
resistance population size
b) Carrying d) Growth
capacity Curves
c) Natality
&
Mortality
13.0: POPULATION ECOLOGY

e) Limiting factor
a) Biotic potential
ii. Density independent
affecting the
& Environmental
factor population size
resistance
1. Climate / weather i. Density dependent
2. Forest fire factor
b) Carrying 3. Natural disaster
e.g.: flood, drought
capacity 4. Use of insecticides
d) Growth
by man
c) Natality Curves
& 2. Overcrowding/ limited space
Mortality
5. Predator-prey relationship,
predation
i. Exponential Growth Curve ii. Logistic Growth Curve 6. Parasitism/diseases
(Human) (Paramecium) 7. Accumulation of toxic waste

3 PDF

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

3 PDF

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Chapter 13:

13.1 Population growth

13.1: Population growth

A population will tend to increase in

• ‘The increase in the number of individuals of

• This is dependent on several factors:

- the age beginning of reproduction,

• ‘Environmental factors (combination of biotic

• The population will not be able to achieve its

• Growth rate may

E.g. of environmental resistance:

A growth curve with an S-shape

A growth curve with an S-shape

The effect of environmental resistance on the

• ‘The maximum population size that a

• The area occupied by a population has

• Carrying capacity is achieved when

• Described by the stable Stationary phase of

Carrying capacity and the limit to population growth

• If natality > mortality, population size increases

• If mortality > natality, population size decreases

• If natality = mortality, population is stable

TWO types of population growth curves:

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

• Exponential growth refer to unlimited growth

• The population tends to increases slowly at

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

• When numbers are low, a doubling does not

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

23.2f Explain population growth curves

23.2 Population growth

Maximum population size Eg. Algae : in a habitat with sufficent

Increase Grows at or near its Decrease dramatically,

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)

iii. Linear phase

Sigmoid Growth Curves

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)

E.g.: Population growth of Paramecium in the lab

TWO types of limiting factors:

i. Density dependent factors

i. Density dependent factors

ii. Density independent factors

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

1. Food & water supplies

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

1. Food & water supplies

- required to generate energy

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

2. Overcrowding/ limited space

- required for shelter, living activities &

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

3. Competition for resources

- when pop. size ↑,

- 2 types (intraspecific & interspecific)

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

-individuals (individually or in groups) select

- the larger & more productive the territory,

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

5. Predator-prey relationship, predation

- When pop. of prey ↑, pop. of predators ↑ &

-usually shows fluctuation in population growth

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors