Name Class Date

Populations

Interdependence in Nature
Q: What factors contribute to changes in populations?

WHAT I KNOW WHAT I LEARNED

SAMPLE ANSWER:Populations can SAMPLE ANSWER: Populations
5.1 How do increase or decrease in size. vary in their geographic
populations grow? range, density, distribution,
growth rate, and age
structure. Exponential or
logistic growth patterns
result from births, deaths,
immigration, and emigration.

SAMPLE ANSWER:Predation, SAMPLE ANSWER:

Density-
5.2 What factors disease, and other factors dependent factors that limit
limit a population’s slow or stop population population growth include
growth? growth. competition, predation,
herbivory, parasitism, disease,
and overcrowding. Density-
independent factors include
unusual weather and
introduced species.

SAMPLE ANSWER:
The human SAMPLE ANSWER: Some countries

population has been growing have higher growth rates

5.3 How is the
for thousands of years. than others because of
human population
differences in birthrates,
growing?
death rates, and the age
structure of their populations.

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5.1 How Populations Grow

Lesson Objectives
List the characteristics used to describe a population.
Identify factors that affect population growth.
Describe exponential growth.
Describe logistic growth.

Lesson Summary
Describing Populations Researchers study five important characteristics of a population:
▶ Geographic range is the area in which a population lives.
▶ Population density is the number of individuals per unit area.
▶ Population distribution is how individuals are spaced out in their range.
▶ Growth rate determines whether a population grows, shrinks, or stays the same size.
▶ Age structure is the number of males and females of each age in a population.

Population Growth Populations can grow, shrink, or stay the same size.
▶ Factors that increase population size include births and immigration, which is the
movement of individuals into an area.
▶ Factors that decrease population size include deaths and emigration, which is the
movement of individuals out of an area.

Exponential Growth When conditions are ideal, the larger a population gets, the faster it
grows. When a population’s numbers grow larger with each generation, exponential growth is
occurring. Ideal conditions include unlimited resources and absence of predation and disease.

Logistic Growth Resources become less available as a population grows.

▶ Logistic growth occurs when population growth slows and then stops after a period of
exponential growth has occurred.
▶ Population size stabilizes at the carrying capacity, the maximum number of individuals of
a given species that an environment can support.

Describing Populations
For Questions 1–5, complete each statement by writing the correct word or words.
1. The geographic range is the area in which a population lives.
2. Population density is the number of individuals per unit area.
3. How the individuals are spaced in their range is a population’s distribution .
4. Growth rate is how quickly a population increases or decreases in size.
5. To find the age structure of a population, count the number of males and
females of each age.

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Population Growth
For Questions 6–10, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, change the
underlined word or words to make the statement true.
greater 6. If the death rate is less than the birthrate, the population is likely to shrink.
True 7. Immigration increases population size.
emigrate 8. Young animals may immigrate from the place where they were born to
establish new territories.
increase 9. A high birthrate and immigration decrease population size.
True 10. Populations grow if more individuals are born than die in a period of time.

11. The dots in the box represent individuals in a population with a

random pattern of distribution. Use arrows and dots to show what will happen to this
population if emigration is greater than immigration. (Assume birthrate and death rate
are equal.) On the lines below, explain your drawing.

Students should show

more dots leaving (with
arrows out) the square
than dots (with arrows in)
entering it.

SAMPLE ANSWER: When emigration is greater than immigration, there are more dots
leaving the population (arrows out) than entering it (arrows in). The result will be a
decrease in population size.

Exponential Growth
12. Describe the conditions in which exponential growth occurs.
Exponential growth occurs under ideal conditions with no limits on food, water, or
space and no predation or disease.

13. Can exponential growth occur in a population of organisms that take a long time to
reproduce? Why or why not?
Yes, it can. If population size grows larger and the growth rate increases with each
generation, exponential growth occurs.

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14. Complete the graph by drawing the characteristic shape of exponential population growth.

Exponential Growth of Bacterial Population

300,000

Number of Bacteria
200,000

100,000

0
0 2 4 6
Time (hours)

15. What letter is used to refer to the characteristic shape of an exponential growth curve?
An exponential growth curve is shaped like the letter J.

Logistic Growth
16. Complete the graph by drawing the characteristic shape of logistic population growth.

Logistic Growth of a Population

Carrying capacity
Population Size

Time

17. What letter is used to refer to the characteristic shape of the logistic growth curve?
The logistic growth curve is shaped like an S.

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18. When real-world populations of plants and animals are analyzed, why do they most often
have the logistic growth curve?
Exponential growth cannot continue indefinitely. Resources become limited, which
slows birthrate and may increase death rate. Eventually, a population’s growth slows
or stops and the population size becomes more or less stable.

19. What does the term carrying capacity refer to?

It refers to the largest number of individuals of a species (population) that can be sup-
ported by a particular environment.

20. Complete the table to name and explain three phases of logistic growth. Use the terms
growth rate, population size, and carrying capacity in your explanations.

Phases of Logistic Growth

Phase Phase name Explanation

1 Exponential growth Individuals reproduce rapidly

and few die. Both the population
size and the growth rate increase
rapidly.

2 Growth slows down. Population size increases slowly. The

growth rate slows.

3 Growth stops. The growth rate drops to zero, and

the population size stabilizes at the
carrying capacity.

21. What is an example of a limiting factor that humans use to control the carrying capacity
of an environment for a particular type of organism? Explain your answer.
SAMPLE ANSWER: Agriculture and gardening are ways humans control the carrying capac-
ity of an area that includes farms or gardens. Adding fertilizer, for example, promotes
plant growth and increases the environment’s carrying capacity for plants. Growing
only one kind of crop can leave some animal populations without a food source, and
the carrying capacity for those animals would decrease.

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5.2 Limits to Growth

Lesson Objectives
Identify factors that determine carrying capacity.
Identify the limiting factors that depend on population density.
Identify the limiting factors that do not depend on population density.

Lesson Summary
Limiting Factors A limiting factor is a factor that controls the growth of a population.
▶ Some factors depend on the density of the population. Others do not.
▶ Acting separately or together, limiting factors determine an environment’s carrying
capacity.
▶ Limiting factors produce the pressures of natural selection.

Density-Dependent Limiting Factors

▶ Density-dependent limiting factors operate strongly when the number of individuals per
unit area reaches a certain point.
▶ Examples include:
• competition
• predation and herbivory
• parasitism and disease
• stress from overcrowding

Density-Independent Limiting Factors Some limiting factors do not necessarily depend

on population size.
▶ Density-independent limiting factors depend on population density, or the number of
organisms per unit area.
▶ Examples include severe weather, natural disasters, and human activities.
▶ Some of these factors may have more severe effects when population density is high.

Limiting Factors
For Questions 1–6, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, change the
underlined word to make the statement true.
carrying 1. Limiting factors determine the immigration capacity of a population.
True 2. A limiting factor controls the growth of a population.
logistic 3. Limiting factors operate when growth is exponential.
True 4. Populations grow too large in the absence of limiting factors.
True 5. Competition is an example of a limiting factor.
True 6. Population size can be limited by factors such as predation.

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Density-Dependent Limiting Factors

7. What is a density-dependent limiting factor?
It is a limiting factor that depends on the number of organisms per unit area.

8. When do density-dependent factors operate most strongly?

They operate most strongly when a population is large and dense.

9. What are four density-dependent limiting factors?

Possible answers include: competition, predation, herbivory, parasitism, disease, and
stress from overcrowding

Use the graph to answer Questions 10–13.

Wolf and Moose Populations on Isle Royale

60 2400
Number of Wolves

Number of Moose
50 2000

40 1600

30 1200

20 800

10 400

0 0
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
Year
Wolves Moose

10. What happened to the number of wolves on Isle Royale between 1975 and 1985?
It dropped by about half, from about 40 to about 20.

11. What happened to the moose population when the number of wolves was low?
It grew large rapidly.

12. What is the relationship between the moose and the wolves on Isle Royale?
The wolf is the predator. The moose is the prey.

13. Is the number of moose on the island a density-dependent or density-independent

limiting factor for the wolf? Explain your answer.
It is density-dependent because when the wolf population is small, there may be
enough moose for food; when the wolf population is large, food may be scarce for the
wolf if the moose population is small.

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Density-Independent Limiting Factors

14. What term describes a limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways,
regardless of population size?
It is a density-independent limiting factor.

15. What is the usual response in the population size of many species to a density-
independent limiting factor?
The population size decreases.

16. Complete the graphic organizer with examples of density-independent limiting factors.

Population
Size

SAMPLE ANSWERS: drought, flood,

fire, hurricane, very hot weather,

can be limited by very cold weather, etc.

density-independent
factors such as

17. A population continues at a stable size for many years. Suddenly, in a single season,
the population size drops by half. Is the cause more likely to be density-dependent,
density-independent, or both? Explain your answer.
It could be either or both. A density-independent factor such as extreme weather or a
natural disaster could reduce numbers quickly. A density-dependent factor such as dis-
ease, parasitism, human activities, or a newly introduced predator or herbivore could
also reduce numbers quickly.

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5.3 Human Population Growth

Lesson Objectives
Discuss the trend of human population growth.
Explain why population growth rates differ in countries throughout the world.

Lesson Summary
Historical Overview The size of the human population has increased over time.
▶ For most of human existence, limiting factors such as the scarcity of food kept death
rates high.
▶ As civilization advanced, agriculture, industry, improved nutrition, sanitation, and
medicine reduced death rates. Birthrates stayed high in most places. This led to
exponential growth.
▶ Today, the human population continues to grow exponentially, although the doubling
time has slowed.

Patterns of Human Population Growth Demography is the scientific study of human

populations. Demographers try to predict how human populations will change over time.
▶ Over the past century, population growth in developed countries slowed. As death
rates dropped, birthrates dropped also. Demographers call this shift the demographic
transition. Most people live in countries that have not undergone the demographic
transition.
▶ An age-structure graph shows how many people of each gender are in each age group in a
population. Demographers use such graphs to predict how a population will change. More
people of reproductive age usually means faster growth.
▶ Many factors, including disease, will affect human population growth in the twenty-first
century. Current data suggest the human population will grow more slowly over the next
50 years than it did for the last 50 years.

Historical Overview
For Questions 1–5, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, change the
underlined word or words to make the statement true.
increased 1. Over the last 1000 years, the size of the human population has
decreased.
exponential 2. Since the 1800s, human population growth has been logistic.
death rates 3. The human population has increased because birthrates have dropped.
True 4. The combination of low death rates and high birthrates led to
exponential growth.
Thomas Malthus 5. Charles Darwin suggested that human populations are regulated by
war, famine, and disease.

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6. Complete the table below to explain how each factor affected the size and growth rate of
the human population over the last 10,000 years.

Factors That Affected Human Population Growth

Cause Effect

Agriculture Increased population size and growth rate

Improved health care and medicine Increased population size and growth rate

Improved sanitation Increased population size and growth rate

Bubonic plague Decreased population size, but growth rate rose

again soon after

Industrial Revolution Increased population size and growth rate

Patterns of Human Population Growth

7. Complete the diagram below by adding the information for stages II
and III of the demographic transition. Draw bars to represent the birthrate and the death
rate and describe the stages on the lines provided. Stage I is done for you.

The Demographic Transition

Stage I Stage II Stage III

The birthrate and The death rate begins The birthrate falls to
death rate are
equally high. to fall, but birthrates meet the death rate.
Birth/Death Rates

remain high for a

time.

High

Low

= Birthrate
Time (years)
= Death rate

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Use these age structure diagrams to answer Questions 8–11.

Age Distribution
U.S. POPULATION RWANDA POPULATION
80+ Males Females Males Females 80+
75–79 75–79
70–74 70–74
65–69 65–69
60–64 60–64
55–59 55–59
50–54 50–54
Age (years)

Age (years)
45–49 45–49
40–44 40–44
35–39 35–39
30–34 30–34
25–29 25–29
20–24 20–24
15–19 15–19
10–14 10–14
5–9 5–9
0–4 0–4
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Percentage of Population Percentage of Population

8. Which country has gone through the demographic transition? How do you know?
The United States appears to have undergone the demographic transition because it
has larger numbers of older people. The birthrate and death rate are both low.

9. Which country do you predict will experience a slow and steady growth rate in the near
future? Why? The United States will grow slowly because it has smaller numbers of
young people of reproductive age.

10. Which country is most likely to grow exponentially in the near future? Why?
Rwanda will because it has large numbers of young people of reproductive age.

11. Suggest three factors that might slow population growth in Rwanda.
SAMPLE ANSWER: Three factors that might slow population growth in Rwanda are war,
food shortages, and disease.

12. Explain why human population size is likely to increase in the twenty-first century, but
not as rapidly as it did in the twentieth century.
Some countries are still experiencing exponential growth, but the growth rate has
slowed in a number of countries. All countries, however—even those undergoing the
demographic transition—still have a higher birthrate than death rate.

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Chapter Vocabulary Review

Crossword Puzzle Complete the puzzle by entering the term that matches each numbered
description. For two-word answers, leave a blank space between words. For an answer with
a hyphen, include the hyphen.

Across Down
1. a limiting factor that affects populations no 2. the larger a population gets, the faster it
matter what their size grows
4. the number of males and females of each 3. a type of limiting factor that does not
age in a population affect small, scattered populations very
7. moving out of the population’s range much
8. a growth pattern in which population size 5. the maximum number of individuals
stabilizes at a maximum limit of a species that an environment can
support
10. moving into a population’s range
6. a factor that controls the growth of a
11. a shift from high birthrates and death rates population
to low birthrates and death rates
9. the study of human populations
12. the number of individuals per unit area
1 2
D E N S I T Y - I N D E P E N D E N T
3
D X
4 5
E P A G E S T R U C T U R E
N O A
6 7
S N L E M I G R A T I O N
I E I R
T N M Y
-
Y T I I
I T N
8
D A I L O G I S T I C
E L N
9
P G C D
10
E G I M M I G R A T I O N E
N R F P M
11
D E M O G R A P H I C T R A N S I T I O N
E W C C G
N T T I R
T H O T A
R Y P
H
12
P O P U L A T I O N D E N S I T Y

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In the Chapter Mystery, you learned about

the effects of the deliberate release of the
European rabbit by an Australian farmer.
With few predators and plentiful food,
the rabbit population exploded. Animal
PLAGUE OF RABBITS populations rise and fall even in the
healthiest ecosystems.

Learning

Deer, Deer, Everywhere

White-tailed deer were hunted almost to extinction a little over 100 years ago. Today, many
regions of the United States are home to large populations of this species. This increase is
the result of the disappearance of predators, the use of conservation practices, and the deer’s
ability to thrive in a variety of habitats.
Like all species, white-tailed deer have characteristics that set them apart from other
species. Field guides describe the characteristics of organisms, enabling people to identify
them. The following is a description that might appear in a field guide.

White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus

SIZE: Size can vary. Weight varies from 50–300 lbs.

IDENTIFICATION: Color changes with the seasons.
The upper body is reddish or yellowish in warmer
months and gray in the winter. The underside and
inside of the legs are white. The tail is long and bushy.
It is brown with white along the edges of the tail. Male
white-tail deer grow antlers, which are shed after the
mating season.
HABITAT: Habitat will vary. It includes woodland areas,
farmland, gardens, and pastures.
FOOD: Grasses, shrubs, tree leaves and buds, and other
plants provide food.
PREDATORS: Primary predators are wolves and
mountain lions, but the populations of these species have been eradicated in many areas of the
United States.
BREEDING: Offspring are born in litters of 1 to 3 in the early spring. Fawns have white spots and
are active within a few days of birth. Where resources are plentiful, populations may double every
few years.
RANGE: Most of North America

Continued on next page ▶

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Themes Science and Health Literacy

Answer the following questions.
1. Based on the field guide excerpt, what animals prey on deer?
SAMPLE ANSWER: Wolves and mountain lions are the deer’s primary predators. Accord-
ing to the field guide, they no longer live in many areas where deer live.

2. How might the habitat conditions in which deer thrive play a role in increasing their
numbers?
SAMPLE ANSWER: Deer can thrive in a variety of habitats, and this adaptability prob-
ably plays a role in increasing their numbers.

3. How many offspring do white-tailed deer have each year? How might these numbers
influence their population?
White-tailed deer have one to three fawns each year. In the absence of predators
and the presence of plentiful food, deer populations can increase rapidly.

4. What do you think might happen if expanding human development led to a serious
decrease in the amount of food available to white-tailed deer?
SAMPLE ANSWER: I think there would be competition for the reduced amount of vegeta-
tion, and eventually the population would decrease.

Controlling Deer Populations Learning

The skills used in this activity include information and media literacy; critical thinking and
systems thinking; problem identification, formulation, and solution; and self-direction.
Work in a group to determine why white-tailed deer populations are increasing and
to find out about the different techniques to manage these populations. Consult state and
government Web sites, science articles, and newspaper articles. Present your findings in a
report that describes the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of control. You
might also want to present opposing viewpoints on the approach. Use maps, charts, and
diagrams in your presentation.

Evaluate students’ presentation based on the data and facts and their sources.
The maps, charts, and diagrams should support and extend the information in the
oral report.

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