Population Dynamics Test Review
Here are some items to remember for the test. This list may not be all
inclusive.
1. Population formulas
a. Population Density
b. Birth Rates
c. Death Rates
d. Growth Rate
e. Percent Change
f. Doubling Time
2. Human population and global sustainability. Example: What does a growing
population mean for the following or what impact will it have. What are
possible strategies to deal with these issues?
a. Agriculture
b. Resources (land, water, etc)
c. Biodiversity and wildlife
3. Demographic Transition
a. Stages
i. Preindustrial
1. Characterized by high birth and high death rates.
2. Poverty, lack of medical care, and lack of family
planning contribute to the situation.
ii. Transitional
1. Characterized by high birth rates and decreasing death
rates.
2. Greatest rate of population growth takes place in this
stage.
3. Improved medical care/immunizations decreases death
rates, but birth rates stay high.
iii. Industrial
1. Characterized by decreasing birth rates and low death
rates.
2. Better economy, medical care, family planning, women’s
initiatives really help to stabilize the population.
iv. Post-industrial
1. Characterized by low birth and low death rates.
b. Total Fertility compared to demographic transition.
4. Population Pyramids – not only shape, but what that shape represents and
why.
5. K-strategist versus R-selected species
a. Characteristics
b. Life spans
c. Birth rates
6. Population growth changes versus resource use/environmental impact.
7. World hunger – factors that contribute to world hunger.
8. Carrying capacity
9. Logistic growth
10. Biotic potential
11. Exponential growth
12. Reading a line/dot/histogram graph to make comparisons.
13. Replacement level fertility