The Human Population

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AP Environmental Science › The Human Population

Questions 1 - 10
1

A certain country has an initial population of 52,800 people. In 2015, there were 870 births, 517 deaths, 1,700 immigrants, and 1,300 emigrants. What is the population growth rate for 2015?

Explanation

The population growth rate is a measure of population change over a given time.

The first step to calculate this rate is to add up the number of people arriving in the country (through births and immigration) and, separately, add the number of people leaving the country (through death or emigration). Then we subtract those leaving the country from those entering the country to obtain a value for the change in population.

After calculating the change in population, we can calculate the population growth rate. Don’t forget to multiply the ratio between change in population and initial population by 100 to convert from decimal into percent.

2

The population growth for a country is 4% every 5 years, what is the approximate doubling time of this population?

88 years

25 years

73 years

59 years

Explanation

The formula for doubling time is:

Since the population grows by 4% every 5 years, we must divide these two numbers to find the annual population growth.

Thus:

So, using this number in our equation,

Our answer rounds closest to 88 years.

3

In Stage One of a demographic transition, a population:

has a high birthrate, a high death rate, and a stable population

has a high birthrate, a high death rate, and a growing population

a high birthrate, a low death rate, and a growing population

a low birthrate, a low death rate, and a stable population

a low birthrate, a high death rate, and a declining population

Explanation

In the first stage of a demographic transition, a population has a high birthrate, a high death rate, and a stable population. Technological development is low, and populations are controlled mainly by famine and disease.

4

Exponential population growth is a major issue that threatens the stability of life on Earth. Which of the following is not a factor used to measure human population growth for a given country?

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Birth rate

Death rate

Immigration rate

Emigration rate

Explanation

The correct response is GDP. All the other factors have major impacts on population growth. GDP has cultural implications for population growth; however, it is not a direct relationship.

5

How has the CITES Treaty (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) been helpful in protecting endangered animals and plants?

It lists those species and products whose international trade is controlled.

It lists those species that can be hunted, traded, and used commercially.

It funds projects for breeding endangered plants and animals.

It prevents the hunting of endangered marine life.

It specifies prices for endangered plant and animal products and byproducts.

Explanation

The CITES treaty is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and entered into force in July 1975. The treaty's aim is to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of such endangered species, listed in varying degrees of protection and applying to more than 35,000 species. Thus it monitors international trade as it pertains to all manner of protected wildlife.

6

Which of the following is not associated with a Deep Ecology Worldview?

Environmental deterioration is a concern only if it impacts humans

All life has intrinsic value

The human population should be curbed if it impacts the environment

Humans are no more important than other species

The environment is more important than economic growth

Explanation

There are two worldview extremes, the Deep Ecology and the Western worldview. Most people’s worldviews lie somewhere in between these two extremes. The Deep Ecology Worldview considers humans as no more important than other species and believes that all life has intrinsic value. The health of the environment is of the highest priority and humans should make sacrifices to protect it.

7

The United States has a birth rate of births per one thousand people, a death rate of deaths per one thousand people and an immigration rate of migrants per one thousand people. With emigration from the U.S. near insignificant, calculate the population growth rate of the United States.

Explanation

The formula for the national population growth rate is:

We can substitute in the provided values in order to determine the population growth:

8

Which of the following is FALSE regarding urbanization?

population growth rarely outstrips the growth of infrastructure

people who live in urban areas consume less resources per capita

urban areas tend to be warmer than surrounding natural areas

urban sprawl is destroying natural habitat

people's impact on the land is more pronounced in cities

Explanation

Often, the growth of cities is too fast for the construction of adequate infrastructure. This results in transportation problems, including traffic gridlock and longer commuting times. The other answers are true regarding urbanization. Cities have a number of environmental drawbacks and benefits.

9

A town of 20,000 people experienced a birth rate of 25 per 1,000 per year and a death rate of 7 per 1,000. There were 600 immigrants into the town and 200 people emigrated from the town. Using these values, calculate the population size for the following year.

Explanation

To calculate the city population for the following year, we take the initial population (20,000 people), add the annual rate of natural population change, add the number of immigrants and subtract the number of emigrants.

Now, we need to multiply this percentage of of population change by the original population size (20,000 people).

The population will naturally grow by 360 individuals. Now, add these individuals, subtract emigrants, and add immigrants to to the starting population size in order to calculate the new population for the next year.

10

Who first theorized that the human population would eventually exceed the capacity of the Earth's resources to sustain it?

Thomas Malthus

Charles Darwin

E.O. Wilson

Alfred Russel Wallace

Ruth Patrick

Explanation

In his seminal work An Essay on the Principle of Population, Thomas Malthus theorized that eventually the human population would be halted by either famine, disease, or both. While his estimates on when this would occur proved dramatically incorrect, his work was very influential, and he has been studied by such critically important figures as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

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