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Ch. 36 Population Ecology
Taylor - Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections 10th Edition
Taylor, Simon, Dickey, Hogan10th EditionCampbell Biology: Concepts & ConnectionsISBN: 9780136538783Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTaylor, Simon, Dickey, Hogan 10th EditionCh. 36 Population EcologyProblem 7
Chapter 36, Problem 7

Which of the following represents a demographic transition?
a. A population switches from exponential to logistic growth
b. A population reaches a fertility rate of zero
c. There are equal numbers of individuals in all age groups
d. A population switches from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates

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1
Understand the concept of demographic transition: It refers to the shift in a population's birth and death rates over time, typically as a society develops economically and socially. This transition often involves moving from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates.
Analyze option (a): Exponential growth refers to rapid population increase without limiting factors, while logistic growth accounts for environmental carrying capacity. This describes population growth patterns, not demographic transition.
Analyze option (b): A fertility rate of zero means no births are occurring, which is not a characteristic of demographic transition. Demographic transition involves changes in birth and death rates, not the complete cessation of births.
Analyze option (c): Equal numbers of individuals in all age groups describe a stable age distribution, which is not directly related to the concept of demographic transition. Demographic transition focuses on changes in birth and death rates over time.
Analyze option (d): A population switching from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates is the correct description of a demographic transition. This shift typically occurs in stages as a society progresses through industrialization and modernization.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Demographic Transition Model

The Demographic Transition Model (DTM) describes the transition of a population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a country develops economically. This model typically includes four or five stages, illustrating how societal changes, such as improved healthcare and education, lead to changes in population growth patterns.
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Population Growth Patterns

Population growth patterns refer to the ways in which populations increase or decrease over time, influenced by factors such as birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration. Exponential growth occurs when a population grows rapidly without constraints, while logistic growth reflects a more stable increase as resources become limited.
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Fertility Rate

The fertility rate is a measure of the number of live births per woman of childbearing age in a specific population. A fertility rate of zero indicates that a population is not replacing itself, which can lead to population decline. Understanding fertility rates is crucial for analyzing demographic changes and predicting future population trends.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

To figure out the human population density of your community, you would need to know the number of people living there and

a. The land area in which they live

b. The birth rate of the population

c. The dispersion pattern of the population

d. The carrying capacity

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Textbook Question

The term (K−N)/K

a. Is the carrying capacity for a population.

b. Is greatest when K is very large.

c. Is zero when population size equals carrying capacity.

d. Increases in value as N approaches K.

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Textbook Question

With regard to its rate of growth, a population that is growing logistically

a. Grows fastest when density is lowest

b. Has a high intrinsic rate of increase

c. Grows fastest at an intermediate population density

d. Grows fastest as it approaches carrying capacity

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Textbook Question

Skyrocketing growth of the human population appears to be mainly a result of

a. A drop in death rate due to sanitation and health care

b. Better nutrition boosting the birth rate

c. The concentration of humans in cities

d. Social changes that make it desirable to have more children

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Textbook Question

According to data on ecological footprints

a. The carrying capacity of the world is 10 billion

b. Earth's resources are sufficient to sustain future generations at current levels of consumption

c. The ecological footprint of individuals in the United States is more than twice the world average

d. Nations with the largest ecological footprints have the fastest population growth rates

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Textbook Question

What are some factors that might have a density-dependent limiting effect on population growth?

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