4.3 Population theories Flashcards
optimum population
when there is a balance between the population size and the amount of resources available
Why optimum population is hard to achieve?
population sizes are not static but dynamic
tech changes allowing exploitation of new resources
Overpopulation
where there are too many people living in a nation relative to the natural resources that exist in that place
(UK could be considered overpopulated as we only produce 60% of the food we consume)
Carrying capacity
the maximum number of people that can be supported by the resources and tech in a given area
Underpopulation
where there are too few people living in an area efficiently exploit and use the resources within it
e.g. Northern canada has huge mineral wealth but too few people to exploit it
The Optimist - Ester Boserup
1965 said that an increase in population would stimulate technologists to inrease food production
“NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION”
Therefore population growth will spark innovators
Supporters of Boserup=
Neo-Boserupians - human ingenuity will continue to conquer resource problems
Evidence:
- – Rapid dev of green tech
- – Important advances in agricultural research
- – Stabilising levels of consumption in some MIC’s
The pessimist - Thomas Malthus
population icreases faster than the supporting food resurces.
increase pop –> increased demnad for food –> less food per person –> increased mortality, decreased fertility
— population would outstrip food supply until a catastrophe occurred i.e. famine, disease, war
- Malthus couldn’t have foreseen tech changes
Supporters of Malthus =
Neo Malthusians - expanding pop –> unsustainable pressure on food & other resources
Evidence:
— Steady global decline in area of farmland per person
— Steep rise in cost of many food products
— decreasing fish catches
— already apparent impact of climate change in some regions
Population ceiling
is the point beyond which a population cannot grow because of the influence of limiting factors such as lack of food, space, disease
S-growth curve
begins with exponential growth, but beyond a certain pop size, growth rate gradually slows
leading to stable population
J growth curve
illustrate a high growth and collapse pattern
population initially grows exponentially then suddenly COLLAPSES
- often, pop exceeds carying capacity before the collapse occurs
