Chapter 13:

POPULATION ECOLOGY

13.1 Population growth

 Chapter 13: POPULATION ECOLOGY

13.1: Population growth

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to :
1. Explain biotic potential (r) and environmental resistance and their
effect on population growth
2. Explain carrying capacity and its importance
3. Describe natality and mortality and their effects on the rate of
population growth
4. Explain population growth curves
i. Exponential growth curve(human)
ii. Logistic growth curve (Paramecium)
5. Explain the limiting factors affecting the population size:
i. Density dependent factors
ii. Density independent factors
 13.1: Population growth

Definition

Population Growth :

A population will tend to increase in

number when the available resources
are greater than that required by the
members of the population present at
that particular time.
 13.1: Population growth

• ‘The increase in the number of individuals of

a population’

Growth at biotic
potential

(carrying capacity)
Growth with
environmental resistance
 13.1: Population growth
BIOTIC POTENTIAL ( r )

• ‘The capacity of a
population to Growth
at biotic
increase in size in potentia
(carrying l
ideal / optimum capacity) Growth with
environment
conditions’ al resistance
• Gives the maximum
rate for population Growth
at biotic
growth when potential
population density is (carrying
capacity) Growth with
low & resources are environmental
resistance
plentiful
 13.1: Population growth
BIOTIC POTENTIAL ( r )

• This is dependent on several factors:

- the age beginning of reproduction,

- how often reproduction occurs and
- how many offspring are born at a time
 13.1: Population growth
ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

• ‘Environmental factors (combination of biotic

and abiotic) that limit growth of the population’

• The population will not be able to achieve its

full biotic potential  limit the population size
 13.1: Population growth
ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

• Growth rate may

become zero
• Described by an S-
shaped growth
curve

Enviromental Resistance
 13.1: Population growth
ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

E.g. of environmental resistance:

– Limiting resources (food, light, shelter)
– Accumulating toxic waste
– Stress
– Predation
– Diseases
13.1: Population growth ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE

A growth curve with an S-shape

A growth curve with an S-shape

The effect of environmental resistance on the

population growth.
 13.1: Population growth
CARRYING CAPACITY

• ‘The maximum population size that a

particular environment can support’

• The area occupied by a population has

limiting resources
(energy, shelters, refuges from predators, soil
nutrients, water and suitable nesting sites)
 13.1: Population growth
CARRYING CAPACITY

• Carrying capacity is achieved when

population growth slows & maintains at a
nearly steady level

• Described by the stable Stationary phase of

the S-shaped growth curve
13.1: Population growth CARRYING CAPACITY

Carrying capacity and the limit to population growth

 13.1: Population growth
CARRYING CAPACITY
The importance:
 important limit on populations
 is measured relative to a particular species
and a particular habitat
 A population below carrying capacity need
not deplete any natural capital.
 Unchecked growth of any species will exceed
carrying capacity.
 13.1: Population growth
NATALITY & MORTALITY
• Natality
– ‘birth rate’
– the number of offspring produced during a
certain amount of time

• Mortality
– ‘death rate’
– the number of individuals dying during a
certain amount of time
 13.1: Population growth
NATALITY & MORTALITY

• If natality > mortality, population size increases

• If mortality > natality, population size decreases

• If natality = mortality, population is stable

Refresh Your Mind 
 Smile 
• Keep smile  • Just for laugh
• (don’t create any
issue)
 13.1: Population growth
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

TWO types of population growth curves:

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGISTIC GROWTH
CUREVE
 13.1: Population growth
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

• Exponential growth refer to unlimited growth

of a population.

• The population tends to increases slowly at

first and then grows increasingly rapidly as
time
 13.1: Population growth
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

• When numbers are low, a doubling does not

produce much addition to the population,
but as numbers increase, each successive
doubling adds larger and larger increments.
13.1: Population growth POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

i. Exponential Growth Curve (Human)

• The population size increases slowly during lag phase & then
continuously grows very rapidly as time passes (log phase)
• E.g.: human population growth
 Lesson Objective:

23.2f Explain population growth curves

23.2 Population growth

Maximum population size Eg. Algae : in a habitat with sufficent

light & nutrient.
- shows J-shaped growth curve until
the available food becomes scare or
nature of the ecosystem changed.

Increase Grows at or near its Decrease dramatically,

rapidly for Biotic Potential (r), due to environmental
a short it reproduce at it resistance
period. maximum rate (eg. overcrowding, lack
(Carrying capacity). of sufficient nutrient).
 13.1: Population growth
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)

'Fits an S-shaped curve'
Consists of:
i. Lag phase
ii. Exponential growth phase
iii. Linear phase
iv. Stationary phase
 13.1: Population growth
ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

i. Lag phase
- individuals start to
grow as they are
adapting to the
environment
ii. Exponential growth
phase
- growth is rapid as
resources are still
unlimited
 13.1: Population growth
ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)
POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

iii. Linear phase

- environmental
resistance starts to take
effect as population
approaching the
carrying capacity
iv. Stationary phase
- population
becomes stable
 Growth patterns 3

Sigmoid Growth Curves

13.1: Population growth POPULATION GROWTH CURVES

ii. Logistic Growth Curve (Paramecium)

E.g.: Population growth of Paramecium in the lab

shows the Logistic growth curve
 13.1: Population growth
THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION SIZE

TWO types of limiting factors:

i. Density dependent factors

ii. Density independent factors
 13.1: Population growth
THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION SIZE

i. Density dependent factors

- factors that limit population growth when
population density / size increases

ii. Density independent factors

- factors that limit population growth
irrespective of population size
- due to events that occur seasonally or
unexpectedly
 13.1: Population growth
THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

1. Food & water supplies

2. Overcrowding/ limited space
3. Competition for resources
4. Territorial behaviour
5. Predator-prey relationship, predation
6. Parasitism/diseases
7. Accumulation of toxic waste
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

1. Food & water supplies

- required to generate energy

- when pop. size ↑, food & water supplies ↓,
causing a decrease in population growth
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

2. Overcrowding/ limited space

- required for shelter, living activities &

reproduction
- occur at high population density
- cause excessive stress leading to abnormal
behaviour
- some population show a decline in health/
hormonal changes
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

3. Competition for resources

- when pop. size ↑,

competition ↑ for limited sources;
causing a decrease in population growth

- 2 types (intraspecific & interspecific)

13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

4. Territorial behaviour

-individuals (individually or in groups) select

& defend a territory large enough to provide
basic necessities

- the larger & more productive the territory,

the better it is for population growth
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

5. Predator-prey relationship, predation

- When pop. of prey ↑, pop. of predators ↑ &

when pop. of prey ↓, pop. of predators ↓

-usually shows fluctuation in population growth

for both predators & prey
13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

6. Parasitism/diseases

- parasitic infection/ diseases spread more

easily in high density population

- increase mortality rate

13.1: Population THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING
growth POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density dependent factors

7. Accumulation of toxic waste

- as population grow, waste products from

metabolic reaction accumulate

- become toxic to the member of the population

 13.1: Population growth
THE LIMITING FACTORS AFFECTING POPULATION SIZE

EXAMPLES of Density independent factors

1. Climate / weather
2. Forest fire
3. Natural disaster e.g.: flood, drought
4. Use of insecticides by man
 13.0: POPULATION ECOLOGY

13.1: Population growth

a) Biotic potential e) Limiting factor

& Environmental affecting the
resistance population size

b) Carrying d) Growth
capacity Curves
c) Natality
&
Mortality
 13.0: POPULATION ECOLOGY

13.1: Population growth

e) Limiting factor
a) Biotic potential
ii. Density independent
affecting the
& Environmental
factor population size
resistance
1. Climate / weather i. Density dependent
2. Forest fire factor
b) Carrying 3. Natural disaster
e.g.: flood, drought
capacity 4. Use of insecticides
d) Growth
by man
c) Natality Curves
1. Food & water supplies
& 2. Overcrowding/ limited space
3. Competition for resources
Mortality
4. Territorial behaviour
5. Predator-prey relationship,
predation
i. Exponential Growth Curve ii. Logistic Growth Curve 6. Parasitism/diseases
(Human) (Paramecium) 7. Accumulation of toxic waste