Problem 8

Background and context

The population is divided into members that are pre-reproductive, reproductive, or postreproductive, based on their age

• The birth rate exceeds the death rate when the number of pre-reproductive and reproductive individuals outnumbers the number of postreproductive individuals.
• If the number of postreproductive individuals outnumbers the number of pre-reproductive and/or reproductive persons, the population will shrink over time as the death rate surpasses the birth rate.
• If the populations of pre-reproductive, reproductive, and postreproductive persons are roughly equal, and the birth rate is equal to the death rate, the population size will remain generally steady over time.