1. Population Growth Curves

2. Population Growth
if unlimited resources are present, growth will be exponential
the curve will always be a “J” curve or an exponential growth curve

4. resources are never unlimited
as population rises, resources decline
if the growth is too rapid, resources are rapidly depleted and a population crash can occur
this pattern occurs often with many populations (including humans)

5. Elk

6. Video - The Importance of Predators

7. more often what happens is that the resources slowly decrease, the growth rate slowly increases, and they meet
this point that they oscillate around is the carrying capacity of the environment for that particular organism
this is called an s-shaped or logistic
curve

8. Human Population Growth
What are the causes of this huge increase in the human population?
What are some possible consequences for us?
Our future? (Think: the elk)

9. To Do: Video: 7 Billion Current World Population
Activity: Human Population Growth