Environmental Science
Chapter 8 Lecture Notes
Understanding Populations
Chapter 8 Targets
1. Explain the difference between a population
and a community.
2. Explain the difference between population
density and population dispersion.
3. Calculate population rates using birth and
death rates.
4. Explain the difference between reproductive
potential and biotic potential.
What is the difference between a
population and a community?
T1
Properties of Populations
• Density
• Dispersion
T2
COMPREHENSION CHECK
• Calculate the population density of each
population below. Each square represents 1
square meter.
• Which is more crowded?
How Does a Population Grow?
T3
How Does a Population
Grow?
T3
Reproductive Potential
T4
BIOTIC POTENTIAL
T4
Comprehension Check
• A population of mice has a total of
200 births and 50 deaths over a 5
week time period. What is the
growth rate of this population?
Chapter 8 Targets
5/6. I can draw a graph that would represent
exponential growth and calculate geometric
growth.
7/8. I can draw a graph that would represent
arithmetic growth and calculate arithmetic
growth.
10. I can define the Law of Limiting Factors.
11/12. I can name abitoic and biotic limiting
factors.
Exponential Growth
T 5/6
How are the growth patterns different for
each line below?
Population
Years
T 5/6
T 7/8
Comprehension Check
• Does the following
table represent
arithmetic or
geometric growth?
How can you tell?
• How would geometric
growth look?
Week
# Bats
1
4
2
8
3
12
4
16
5
20
LAW OF LIMITING
FACTORS
T 10
T 11
ABIOTIC LIMITING
FACTORS
BIOTIC LIMITING
FACTORS
T 12/13
T 12/13
Intraspecific Competition
Interspecific Competition
T 12/14/15
Biotic Limiting Factors
T 17
Two Types of Population Regulation
• Density-Dependent Limiting Factors
• Density-Independent Limiting Factors
Carrying Capacity
T 19
GROWTH CURVES
T 18/19
S-Shaped Growth Curve
T 19