Name: ____________________________
Group Members:________________________________________________
The Population Explosion & Planet Earth
Biology 20 -- Unit 2: Ecosystems
5. Analyze population changes.
5.4 Discuss the carrying capacity of planet Earth for the human population.
Instructions:
The Population Explosion - What Can Be Done?
The population of the earth is growing at an incredible rate. You have learned that an environment
can only support a finite number of organisms. The population may level off to a carrying capacity for
the environment and food resources, or crash if the resources are exhausted.
Our Earth: Research the following information in you group.
N
N
D
1. What is the current world population? (please date
D 
Rn 
Rd 
your answer and record your source)
S
T
T
- Try Worldometer or Six Billion People Site
N  M  I  E
a) In 1850, there were 1.26 billion people on earth. In 2100,
scientists are predicting a population of 9.46 billion. Calculate the rate of change in the world
population.
b
gb
g
For the following questions try using InfoPlease.com's World Statistics
2. What is the largest country (land mass) in the world? Second largest? (Try here - InfoPlease)
3. What is the smallest country (land mass) in the world? Second smallest?
4. What country in the world has the highest population density?
5. What is the population density of Canada?
6. What country has the highest infant mortality rate?
7. What country has the lowest infant mortality rate?
8. What country has the highest life expectancy? How many years?
a) Where does Canada rank?
9. Find World Population Milestones Dates for the following: (Try Here) or Six Billion People
Population
Date
# of Years Later
3 billion
1 billion people
4 billion
2 billion
5 billion
1
9 billion
6 billion
(give an approx. date - give the source)
10 billion
12 billion
Predict when:
7 billion
24 billion
8 billion
48 billion
9. Examine the data on Area and Population of Countries (Mid -2002 estimates)
a) Using the information given calculate the population density of Canada.
b) How does this number compare with the density from question #5?
c) Calculate the population density of Egypt, New Zealand, U.S. and Singapore.
d) How do they compare with Canada's density?
Use the following InfoPlease Page as a starting point for the following questions:
10. What are the top 5 most populous countries?
11. What is the most populated city in the world?
12. Tokyo, New York, Seoul, and Mexico City are known as the top 4 what? Define any new terms
that you use.
13. Find the crude birth and death rates for Austria in 1975 and 2002, explain whether the birth rate
and death rate have increased or decreased.
14. According to the information on Infant Mortality and Life Expectancy for Selected Countries,
2002, which country has the lowest infant mortality rate? What is their life expectancy? What country
has the highest infant mortality rate? What is their life expectancy?
For Information from the United Nation's "The World at Six Billion"
15. Using the United Nations Population Size and Components of Growth by Major Areas 19952000 (table 3 p. 9), answer the following questions.
a) Given the birth rate, death rate and net migration (immigration and emigration), is the population in
North America increasing or decreasing? In Oceania? In Europe? In Africa?
b) At what rate?
16. Using the United Nations Current Levels of Population Growth, Mortality, Fertility and
Contraceptive Use by Major Areas, answer the following.
a) What is the life expectancy at birth for the world?
b) What is the shortest and longest life expectancy? for which country?
c) Which country has the highest/ lowest average number of children per woman?
17. Using the United Nations Population of the World and Its Major Areas, 1750-2150
(Population Size in Millions -Table 2, p. 6)), create a graphic representation of the information for the
years 1750, 1850, 1950, and 1999.
- Create a graph, try using Microsoft excel.
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18. As of 1999, what is the most populous country in the world?
19. According to Statistics Canada (populations),
a) As of 2001, how many Canadians are there? (Try Here)
b) What was the population of Saskatchewan in 1997? What is it in 2001? What is the rate of change
in population?
Populations and Growth Components from StatsCan
c) In 1861, the Canadian birth rate was recorded at 1281 people; mortality rate - 670; immigration 352;
emigration 170. What was the average annual increase?
d) What was the average annual change during 1991-1996?
e) In Saskatchewan, (July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001), the natality rate - 12 541; the death rate - 9266;
immigration - 1845; emigration - 1103. What was the average annual change?
f) Using the updated info on the StatsCan Website, find the natality, mortality, immigration and
emigrations rates for Saskatchewan from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002. Calculate the average annual
change.
g) Compare the data collected in e) with the data in f). Explain what is happening to the population of
our province.
h) What age group as of 2001 has the highest number of individuals?
i) How many individuals are in your age group as of 2001?
j) Predict which age group will have the highest number of individuals 25 years later in 2026.
k) Now check to see which age group will have the highest number of individuals.
g) Using the Population of Census Metropolitan Areas, calculate the rate of change in population
for Saskatoon, SK. and Toronto, ON from 1997 to 2001.
h) What is the rate of change in density in Canada from 1997 to 2001? The area of land in Canada is 9
203 054 km2. Use info from StatsCan.
Further Assignment Options – See website
This assignment has been modified and expanded from an assignment by Earl Berkan.
Resource Websites:
 InfoPlease.com
 Statistics Canada
 United Nations Population Division
Bibliography
"General World Statistics." InfoPlease.com 10 October 2002. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762380.html>
"Six Billion People." United Nations. 10 October 2002. <http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbilpart1.pdf>
.Statistics Canada. 10 October 2002. <www.statcan.ca>.
Printed version from: http://wblrd.sk.ca/~ppsbio20/bio20/pop/pop1.htm
Developed by: Mrs. S. Pipke-Painchaud 15/10/02 & Sask. Learning
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