Chapter 8: Human Population Flashcards
Population distribution
pattern of where people live on earth
Population density
average number of people living per square km
sparsely or densely populated
Causes and impacts of overpopulation
due to population pressure where there is a build up of resources
if population density exceeds carrying capacity of environment to maintain decent quality of life for people
impact- famine war and disease
Identify where people live in the world
Physical factors
climate- temperate, even rainfall for farming
relief- lower lying for settlement and construct
soils- more fertile soil for farming
natural resources- rich minerals, forests, water
accessibility- coastal, river valleys, not remote
Identify where people live in the world
Human factors
Political- democracy, peaceful
Economic- high income jobs, living standards
Social- policies encourage or restricting immigration, industrial expansion, transport links
Growth curve of populations
how and why number of living things in habitat change over time
- Lag phase - population growth is slow, adjust to environment
- Log phase - exponential growth due to available resources are unlimited
- S phase - availability of resources become finite and restricted
- Stable phase - carrying capacity reached
- Decline phase - exceeds carrying capacity leads to overpopulation and crash in numbers
Environment can’t support the population
Carrying capacity
the maximum population size which can be supported by the resources in the environment
Why growth curve is not relevant to human population
human intelligence and development
increase carrying capacity of environment
combat diseases
intensive agriculture
irrigation
domestication of animals
medicine, antibiotics and vaccination
sanitation
Changes in human population
Factors affecting birth and death rate
Factors affecting migration
Factors affecting change in population
greater difference between birth and death rate = faster population grows
infant mortality (avg no of child deaths)
life expectancy (avg no of adult living years)
migration
Factors affecting birth rate
age- sex structure
sex ratio
quality of childbirth
level of education (women)
average age of married woman and childbirth
religious and social customs
government policies
economic influences (cost of bringing up child)
Factors affecting death rate
availability of medical facilities
diet and nutrition levels
availability of potable water
quality of sanitation and sewage dispersal
presence and severity of diseases
poor living standards
Factors affecting migration
immigration (moving into country)
emigration (moving out of country)
push and pull factors
Calculate population change
birth rate + death rate +- net migration
Population structure
composition of the people living in an area
gender and age structure
younger dependants (0-14)
economically active (15- 64)
older dependants (65+)
