36.9 Flashcards
In the human population, for how long will births outnumber deaths?
For the text few decades. However, the amount of babies per generation has been decreasing since the 1980’s.
Why was the growth rate only slightly over 0 for most of human history?
While there were many births, there were also many young deaths, making the population death stagnant. They did not have the resources to provide for them.
When did birth rates begin to pick up, and why?
late 19th century and early 20th, because of the industrial revolution and improvements in nutrition and sanitation.
When did the growth rate peak, and why did it begin to go down?
1962; and availability to contraceptives kept birth rates down, hence the birth rate began to go downwards.
What is a demographic transition, in the context of human population?
Where the birth and death rates are equal but high to when the rates are equal but low.
What is the birth and death rate like in developed countries? Developing countries?
In developing countries the birth rate is controlled, compared to the death rate. However, most developing countries have contributed the most births.
What is the “key” to a demographic transition?
Women and reduced family size. Women getting access to contraceptives has been immensely helpful in reducing births.
What is an age structure?
number of individuals in different age-groups. Often organized by prereproductive, prime reproductive, and postreprodutive years.
Check the diagrams in 36.9.
For an explanation on age structures.
During the demographic transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, countries usually undergo rapid population growth. Why?
The death rate declines before the birth rate declines, creating a period when birth greatly outnumber deaths.This also sets up population momentum.
Define population momentum.
the potential for population change that is inherent in the age structure, inevitable. Like a “freight train” as the textbook puts it.
