The Human Population: Growth, Demography, and Carrying Capacity

1
The Human Population Growth, Demography, and
Carrying Capacity
G. Tyler Millers Living in the Environment 12th
Edition Chapter 11
Dr. Richard Clements Chattanooga State Technical
Community College
2
Key Concepts

• Factors affecting human population size

• Human population problems

• Managing population growth

3
Factors Affecting Human Population Size

• Population change equation

• Zero population growth (ZPG)

• Crude birth rate (BR)
• births per 1000 population

• Crude death rate (DR)
• deaths per 1000 population

4
Natural Rate of Increase
Fig. 11.3, p. 240
5
Fertility Rates

• Replacement-level fertility

• Total fertility rate (TFR)

Fig. 11.8, p. 242
6
Factors Affecting BR and TFR

• See bulleted list in text p. 243

• US BRs and TFRs

Fig. 11.11, p. 243 see Fig. 11-10 p. 243
7
Birth rate and fertility rate influenced by

• Importance of children as part of labor force
• Urbanization
• Cost of raising and education children
• Education and employment opportunities for women
• Infant mortality rate
• Average age at marriage

8
Birth rate and fertility rate influenced by

• Availability of pensions
• Availability of reliable birth control
• Availability of legal abortions
• Religious beliefs and traditions
• Cultural norms

9
Useful indicators of overall health of a country

• Life expectancy

• Infant mortality rate (IMR)

Fig. 11.14, p. 246
10
Factors affecting death ratesPeople live longer
because of

• Increased food supplies and distribution
• Better nutrition
• Better health care - types of and access to
• medicine, immunizations, antibiotics,
  pre- natal care
• Improved sanitation and personal hygiene -
• prevents spread of infectious diseases that
  may kill early in life
• Safer water supplies
• prevents spread of infectious diseases that
  may kill early in life

11
Factors Affecting Natural Rate of Increase
Fig. 11.13, p. 245
12
Infant mortality is the death before the 1st
birthdayHigh infant mortality rate usually
results from

• Insufficient food (undernutrition)
• Poor nutrition (malnutrition)
• High incidence of infectious diseases due to
  contaminated drinking water or poor sanitation

13
Population Age Structure
Fig. 11.16a, p. 247
14
Solutions Influencing Population Size

• Migration

• Environmental refugees

• Reducing births

• Family planning

• Empowerment of women

• Economic rewards and penalties

15
The Demographic Transition
Fig. 11.26, p. 255
16
The Demographic Transition
Pre-industrial -- high birth rate and high death
rate (including high infant mortality rate),
harsh living conditions
Fig. 11.26, p. 255
17
The Demographic Transition
Transitional - industrialization begins, trend to
urbanization, food supply increases and health
care is better, death rates drop BUT birth rates
remain high
Fig. 11.26, p. 255
18
The Demographic Transition
Industrial - modernization becomes widespread,
birth rates now drop to nearly equal death rate,
pop growth is slow
Fig. 11.26, p. 255
19
The Demographic Transition
LDC
MDC
Post-Industrial - birth rates are now well below
death rates Most European countries have entered
this stage
Fig. 11.26, p. 255
20
Case Study Slowing Population Growth in India
Generally disappointing results

• Poor planning

• Bureaucratic inefficiency

• Low status of women

• Extreme poverty

• Lack of support

21
Case Study Slowing Population Growth in China
Generally positive results

• Economic incentives

• Free medical care

• Preferential treatment

• Intrusive and coercive

• Locally administered

22
Cutting Global Population Growth

• Family planning

• Reduce poverty

• Elevate the status of women