GEOL 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Population Momentum, Exponential Growth, Carrying Capacity
Document Summary
The current world population of more than 7 billion people is a cause for concern among many environmentalists. Although the world population growth rate has declined recently, world population continues to grow due to population momentum. Over time there has been an exponential growth in world population. World population may reach: 8 billion in 2030 (19 years later, 10 billion in 2050 (20 years later) D = number years for population to double. Population growth rates around the world: the united states have a doubling time of > 70 years, whereas parts of africa have a doubling time of < 23 years. Shifting regional balance of population: the largest increase in population percentages used to lie with asia, but now africa"s percentage population is what is increasing the most. Carrying capacity is the number of individuals of a certain population that can be supported in a certain area by the resources of that area.