9
Population Growth
and Regulation
Learning Objectives
• Be able to:
Define x, N(x), S(x), F(x) and l(x)
 Calculate S(x) and l(x)
 Construct a life table
 Contrast cohort vs. static life tables
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Concept 9.1: Life tables show how survival
and reproductive rates vary with age, size, or
life cycle stage.
Information about births and deaths is
essential to predict future population
size.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
A life table is a summary of how survival
and reproductive rates vary with age.
Life table data for the grass Poa annua
were collected by marking 843 naturally
germinating seedlings and then
following their fates over time.
Table 9.1
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Sx = survival rate: Chance that an
individual of age x will survive to age
x + 1.
lx = survivorship: Proportion of
individuals that survive from birth to
age x.
Fx = fecundity: Average number of
offspring a female will have at age x.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
A cohort life table follows the fate of a
group of individuals all born at the same
time (a cohort).
Mostly used for sessile organisms.
Organisms that are highly mobile or
have long life spans are difficult to track.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Static life table: Survival and
reproduction of individuals of different
ages during a single time period.
It requires estimating the age of
individuals.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Birth and death rates can vary greatly
between individuals of different ages.
In some species, age is not important, e.g.,
in many plants, reproduction is more
dependent on size (related to growth
conditions) than age.
Life tables can also be based on size or
life cycle stage.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Life tables for humans have many
applications.
Life insurance companies use census
data to construct static life tables, to
determine premiums to charge
customers of different ages.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Comparing life tables for the United
States and Gambia:
Probability of survivorship for U.S.
females remains high until age 70.
In contrast, only 47%–62% of Gambians
survived to reach age 45.
Table 9.2
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Gambians’ survivorship depends on the
season of birth.
Gambians born during the “hungry
season” (when food stored from the
previous year is depleted) had lower
survivorship than those born at other
times of the year.
Figure 9.4 Survivorship Varies among Human Populations
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Survivorship curve: Plot of the number
of individuals from a hypothetical cohort
that will survive to reach different ages.
Survivorship curves can be classified into
three general types.
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Type I: Most individuals survive to old
age (Dall sheep, humans).
Type II: The chance of surviving remains
constant throughout the lifetime (some
birds).
Type III: High death rates for young,
those that reach adulthood survive well
(species that produce a lot of offspring).
Figure 9.5 Three Types of Survivorship Curves
Figure 9.6 Species with Type I, II, and III Survivorship Curves (Part 1)
Figure 9.6 Species with Type I, II, and III Survivorship Curves (Part 2)
Figure 9.6 Species with Type I, II, and III Survivorship Curves (Part 3)
Concept 9.1
Life Tables
Survivorship curves can vary:
• Among populations of a species.
• Between males and females.
• Among cohorts that experience different
environmental conditions.