Human Population Growth

Sci/230

3/12/2014

Human Population Growth

There are two types of population growth. The first is exponential population growth and the other is logistical population growth. Exponential population growth describes the growth of a population in an ideal and unlimited environment (Simon, Reece, & Dickey, 2010). According to Campbell Essential Biology with Physiology (2010) this type of population growth is calculated by multiplying the current population size by a factor that represents the number of births minus the number of deaths. Logistic population growth is the second type of population growth and while Exponential is based on the unlimited factors, logistic population is based on the fact that natural environments do not have unlimited supplies of resources that are needed to sustain a population growth. These factors that restrict the number of individuals that can occupy a habitat are called limiting factors. One of these limiting factors is the carrying capacity which is the maximum population that an environment can sustain. Because of all this according to logistic population growth the growth rate will decrease the closer the population size comes to its carrying capacity when this happens the growth rate will be zero (Simon, Reece, & Dickey, 2010).

When it comes to what type of growth is exhibited by humans I would say even though sometimes it seems like we live like it is exponential population growth it is actually logistic population growth because the earth can only sustain us for so much. Because we live like we have unlimited resources even though we do not we are slowly increasing in growth meaning buildings and companies are expanding to fit this growth and need meaning more of the natural environment is being taken away and the biodiversity is being disrupted. This can have major ramifications on are world as everything is connected to each other in some way or form.

References

Simon, E. J., Reece, J. B., &...