population and resources Flashcards
what is population dynamics?
the study of how and why a population sizes and structure changes
the balance between population growth and resources available lead to what?
three scenarios
optimum population
over population
underpopulation
what is optimum population?
ideal number of open in an area, provides highest standard of living
what is underpopultion?
population is too low, too few people to use resources to their full potential and standard of living falls
what is overpopulation?
populatrion in an area is too high for the available resources, standard of living falls, isn’t enough food and water etc
what does optimum population increase with?
as technology improves
crop yields
what does optimum population depend on as well as technology?
population structure
low dependency ratio means more economic growth
what is the carrying capacity
the largest population an area is capable of supporting in the long term
what does carrying capacity depend on?
population size
resources consumed by each individual
if population grows rapidly what does this do and how does it affect carrying capacity?
over shoots carrying capacity meaning that there is a decline in population due to lack of resources
what does a slow growing population do?
reaches a resource limit and the growth declines meaning that the population remains stable
what is an ecological footprint?
way of measuring the environmental impact of human activities
how is ecological footprint calculated?
using the amount of productive land required and services used
how much land do people in australia live on?
10%
under populated
what is an example of how carrying capacity changed as a result of resource destruction?
potato crops died due to disease in 1800s
1 million people died
