C.

Intrinsic Rate of Increase

- Biotic Potential
Factors Influencing Population
Growth
Population growth (G)
• The increment or decrement in population size
• In regard to the number of individuals in a population (N),
the influencing factors:
Please note that in some books:
 Birth rate (B)
G = ᐃN/ᐃt = B - D
 Immigration (I)
 Death rate (D) ᐃN/ᐃt = rN

 Emigration (E) dN/dt = rN

 Parasitism, predation, competition, disease N = initial population size

 Availability of resources

If the B = D (consider no I and E), there will be zero population growth

We calculate population growth (G) = r x N
r is the intrinsic rate of increase at population level!
r is also means the difference between birth rate and death rate.
Intrinsic rate of increase, r
• maximum rate at which a population of a given species could
increase under ideal conditions, when resources are abundant and
population density is low.
• Factors regulate the intrinsic rate of increase (r):
 Birth rate
 Death rate
 Age at first reproduction (AFR)
 Number of reproductive periods per lifetime
 Number of offspring the individual is capable to produce
• Examples: larger species (whales and elephants) reveal the
smallest r, whereas microorganisms have the greatest r.
In some reference books,
r is also known as per capita rate of increase or per capita growth rate
 • Per capita rate of increase - change in population size = Births –
Deaths
N = population size ΔN
t = time — = B-D
(Δ indicate changes in population size) Δt

 Per capita birth rate (b)= number of offspring produced per unit time by average
member of population; B = bN

 Per capita death rate (m) = expected number of deaths per unit time by average
member of population; D = mN

ΔN
— = bN – mN (the differences of per capita birth rate and death rate = r)
Δt

r = b – m (per capita rate of increase)

If r > 0 : population growing

r < 0 : population declining
r = 0 : birth and death rate are equal
BIO330/UiTMTapah/Zulfadli-M
Population Growth Model
Exponential growth model Logistic growth model

Source: Wikimedia commons

Exponential growth model Source: Hoefnagels (2015)

Source: Wikimedia commons

• Number of new individuals is proportional to the size of the population

• Therefore:
G = rN ; N = initial population size

• Produces J-shaped growth curve consists only lag phase and exponential phase
• Resources are infinite and population size is kept lower
• G is unlimited
• Common examples are the colony of bacteria and introduced species
 THE STORY OF BACTERIA
Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (splitting in half), and the time between divisions is about an
hour for many bacterial species.

let's start by placing 1000 bacteria in a flask with an unlimited supply of nutrients.

After 1 hour: Each bacterium will divide, yielding 2000 bacteria (an increase of 1000 bacteria).
After 2 hours: Each of the 2000 bacteria will divide, producing 4000 (an increase of 2000 bacteria).
After 3 hours: Each of the 4000 bacteria will divide, producing 8000 (an increase of 4000 bacteria)

The key concept of exponential growth is that the population growth rate —the number of
organisms added in each generation—increases as the population gets larger. When population
size, N, is plotted over time, a J-shaped growth curve is made

"Environmental limits to population growth: Figure 1," by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0.
 • Population increase
under this ideal condition
called exponential
population growth

• Under this condition, the

(r)per capita rate of
increase may assume the
maximum rate for the
species called the
intrinsic rate of increase
(rmax)

• This type of growth

resulting in J-shaped
curve
Image credit: "Environmental limits to population growth:
Figure 1," by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0.
R max
• is the maximum per capita rate of increase for a particular
species under ideal conditions, and it varies from species to
species

• For instance, bacteria can reproduce much faster than humans,

and would have a higher maximum per capita rate of increase.
 Exponential
growth model
• A population that begins at a small size in favorable environment may
increase rapidly over for a while, but due to scarce of resources, it
stops growing.
• It is useful to study the population growth in idealized, and unlimited
environment (infinite amounts of resources).
• This type of growth resulting in J-shaped curve;
depending on N and rmax.
• Huge N = more new species added, steep curve
• High rmax value = fast growing population

Characteristics:
that are introduced into a new unfilled
environment
 whose numbers have been drastically removed
by catastrophic event
 Calculation of population growth rate
Exponential growth model
Example:

In a population of 2,000 field mice, 1,000 mice are born and 200 mice die during one month,
then;

Birth rate (B) = 1,000/2,000 = 0.5 births per individual per month

Death rate (D) = 200/2,000 = 0.1 deaths per individual per month

Therefore;

Intrinsic rate of increase (r) = B - D = 0.5 – 0.1 = 0.4 mice per mouse per month

Using the formula of G = rN, We can predict the population grows by such:

1st month 0.4 x 2,000 = 800 mice

2nd month 0.4 x 2,800 = 1,120 mice
3rd month 0.4 x 3,920 = 1,568 mice

Note that the population size gets larger as the r remains constant
As long as r > 0, the population growth stays increase monthly (B > D)
But if r < 0, the population growth is decreasing monthly (D > B)
Exponential growth model
Source: Hoefnagels (2015)

If the grey seals in Figure 37.7 have an

an r of 0.13 per year, what was the total
size of the population that gave rise to the
41,500 pups born in 2003?

G = rN

41,500 = 0.13 (N)

N = 41,500/0.13

N = 319,231 seals

Please note that in some books:

G = ᐃN/ᐃt = B - D

dN/dt = rN