Textbook Question
All of the following are density-dependent factors that can influence population size except
a. Weather
b. Food supply
c. Waste concentration in the environment
d. Infectious disease
e. Supply of suitable habitat for survival
Ch. 15 - Is the Human Population Too Large?
Belk, Maier6th EditionBiology: Science for LifeISBN: 9780135214084
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Can Science Cure the Common Cold?12
- Ch. 2 - Science Fiction, Bad Science, and Pseudoscience12
- Ch. 3 - Is It Possible to Supplement Your Way to Better Performance and Health?10
- Ch. 4 - Body Weight and Health10
- Ch. 5 - Life in the Greenhouse10
- Ch. 6 - Cancer10
- Ch. 7 - Fertility10
- Ch. 8 - Does Testing Save Lives?10
- Ch. 9 - Biology of Wrongful Convictions10
- Ch. 10 - Genetically Modified Organisms10
- Ch. 11 - Where Did We Come From?13
- Ch. 12 - An Evolving Enemy8
- Ch. 13 - Understanding Race11
- Ch. 14 - The Greatest Species on Earth?8
- Ch. 15 - Is the Human Population Too Large?10
- Ch. 16 - Conserving Biodiversity12
- Ch. 17 - The Human Footprint10
Belk, Maier6th EditionBiology: Science for LifeISBN: 9780135214084Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 15, Problem 9
The current carrying capacity of Earth for the human population may have been inflated by
a. Demographic momentum
b. The tendency for women to want to control family size
c. An artificially low number of density-independent factors
d. Our use of fossil fuels
e. Recent population crashes
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the concept of Earth's carrying capacity. Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support, given the available resources such as food, water, and space.
Step 2: Analyze the factors that can influence carrying capacity. These include both density-dependent factors (e.g., competition, predation) and density-independent factors (e.g., natural disasters, climate). Human activities can also artificially alter carrying capacity.
Step 3: Consider the role of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have allowed humans to increase food production (via mechanized agriculture and fertilizers), improve transportation, and expand resource availability, which can artificially inflate Earth's carrying capacity for humans.
Step 4: Evaluate the other options provided in the question. For example, demographic momentum refers to population growth due to a high proportion of young individuals, which does not directly inflate carrying capacity. Similarly, population crashes and family size control do not artificially increase carrying capacity.
Step 5: Conclude that the use of fossil fuels is the most likely factor that has artificially inflated Earth's carrying capacity for humans, as it has temporarily increased resource availability beyond natural limits.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Carrying Capacity
Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support without degrading the habitat. For humans, this concept is influenced by resource availability, technology, and consumption patterns. Understanding carrying capacity is crucial for evaluating the sustainability of human populations and their impact on the planet.
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Estimating Earth’s Human Carrying Capacity
Demographic Momentum
Demographic momentum is the phenomenon where a population continues to grow even after fertility rates decline, due to a large proportion of individuals in reproductive age. This can lead to an inflated perception of carrying capacity, as the population may exceed sustainable limits before stabilizing. Recognizing demographic momentum is essential for understanding population dynamics and future growth projections.
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Density-Independent Factors
Density-independent factors are environmental influences that affect population size regardless of the population's density, such as natural disasters, climate change, and resource availability. These factors can significantly impact carrying capacity by altering the environment's ability to support life. Understanding these factors helps in assessing the resilience of human populations in the face of ecological changes.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
In contrast to nonhuman populations, human population growth rates have begun to decline due to
a. Voluntarily increasing death rates
b. Voluntarily decreasing birth rates
c. Involuntary increases in death rates
d. Involuntary decreases in birth rates
e. Density-dependent factors
Textbook Question
Populations that rely on stored resources are likely to overshoot the carrying capacity of the environment and consequently experience a(n).
a. Demographic momentum
b. Cultural carrying capacity
c. Decrease in death rates
d. Population crash
e. Exponential growth
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Textbook Question
Demographic momentum refers to the tendency for
a. Low population growth rates to continue to decline
b. High population growth rates to continue to increase
c. Populations to continue to grow in number even when growth rates reach zero
d. Populations to continue to grow in number even when women are reducing the number of children they bear
e. Women to continue to have children even though they no longer wish to