Carrying Capacity and

Growth Curves

Betty J Dabney, PhD

UMCP SPH/MIAEH

Carrying Capacity

• The population that an area will support without undergoing environmental deterioration

• The carrying capacity of an environment tends to limit population size.

• Food availability, reproductive behavior, and infectious diseases tend to keep animal (and human) populations in check.

POPULATION

Overpopulation in developing nations is leading to humans exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet.

–World population of 12 billion during 21st century?

–Urban crowding

Bacterial Growth Curve

http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/fox/growth_c.jpg

In a closed system, the organisms will eventually produce toxic by-products and die because the carrying capacity of the growth medium has been exceeded.

(Another estimate)

http://www.siue.edu/~rblain/f2proj.gif

(Still Another estimate)

ActualProjection

Similarities between the world population growth curve and bacterial growth curve. Are we destined to the same fate as the bacteria?

World Population Density, 2000

The Global Education Project

World Population Density – Another View

National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Some Interesting Maps on theHuman Condition:

http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/human-conditions.php