A Strong Partner for Sustainable Development

Module
In
General Education Elective 4
Course Code

Environmental Science
 Module No. 3

Population

2nd Semester 2020-2021

Carmela Mae M. Cervantes

Faculty

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

Table of Contents (Chapter Contents, Page)

Contents Page
Title Page
Table of Contents
Instruction to the User
Introduction

CHAPTER III

Title of the Chapter: Population

Specific Learning Outcomes
A. Time allotment
B. Pre -test
C. Discussion
D. Activities/Exercises
E. Evaluation/Posttest
F. Reference

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 INSTRUCTION TO THE USER

This module would provide you an educational experience while

independently accomplishing the task at your own pace or time. It aims as
well to ensure that learning is unhampered by health and other challenges. It
covers the topic about Population.

Reminders in using this module:

1. Keep this material neat and intact.

2. Answer the pretest first to measure what you know and what to be
learned about the topic discussed in this module.
3. Accomplish the activities and exercises as aids and reinforcement for
better understanding of the lessons.
4. Answer the post-test to evaluate your learning.
5. Do not take pictures in any parts of this module nor post it to social
media platforms.
6. Value this module for your own learning by heartily and honestly
answering and doing the exercises and activities. Time and effort were
spent in the preparation in order that learning will still continue amidst
this Covid-19 pandemic.
7. Observe health protocols: wear mask, sanitize and maintain physical
distancing.

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Welcome to Western Philippines University!

Shape your dreams with quality learning
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STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)

 Chapter 3

Population

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:

1) Define population;
2) Identify the factors that affect population growth; and
3) Internalize the effect of population explosion and its effect on the
environment.

Pre-test

Directions: Read carefully the statements. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and
FALSE, if it is not.

________1. Population is a group of similar species living in a certain place at the

same time.
________2. An organism is a single, living individual in a certain community.
________3. A community is a collection of populations at a given locality.
________4. Distribution is characterized by organisms found on earth and is
determined by living and non-living factors.
________5. Clumped distribution occurs when individuals clumped together in
certain area of the environment.

Time Allotment: 1.5 hours

Discussion

Introduction

Humans have always been one of the greatest factors in the degradation of
energy resources. The use of resources in the community is vastly affected by the
growth of size of population of living things. Studying the degree of this growth may
serve as a warning of what would happen in the future if living things especially
humans will continue to increase their population dramatically.

Population Characteristics and Growth

Population is a group of similar species living in a certain place at the same time.
Ecologist has always been fascinated in the study of the whole population not a single
organism. Organism is a single, living individual in a certain community such as plant,

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animal, and other living thing. However, the interaction of single organism causes a
population to change.

Levels of Interaction

a. Individual Level
Ecologists are interested in how organisms react individually in
physiological manner. They are interested in knowing the question of why some
organisms can survive in extreme conditions such as high temperature or a very
low temperature.
b. Population Level
The interaction of organisms of the same species is also of great interest
to ecologists since it will open avenues on deeper analysis on the behavior of
every individual member of the population.
c. Communities
The collection of populations at a given locality will also help ecologists
to identify the different variations present in each and every organism.
d. Ecosystem
The community where a single organism lives and their interaction with
other factors in the environment are also of great interests to ecologist.
Ecologists believed that each and every one in an environment is connected
with each other. This connection is the basic manifestation of the word
ecosystem.

Population Distribution, Density, and Size

Distribution

Characterized by where organisms are found on earth and is determined by

biotic and/or abiotic factors, it is also about where a particular species of organism
does occur. The spatial relationships of individual organisms to one another may take
several forms and is called dispersion.

Dispersion is the spatial distribution of individuals of a population and come

in three kinds of patterns:

1. Clumped (aggregated) dispersion occurs when individuals clumped

together.
2. Regular dispersion occurs when individuals are of the same distance
from one another.
3. Random dispersion occurs when the habitat of organism is relatively
uniform so individuals are neither repelled nor attracted to one another.

Patterns of Distribution

Population Density is the number of individuals per unit area or unit volume
(density is a measure of population size).

Population Size pertains to the number of individuals in a population. Like

for example, the number of people in the Philippines, number of dogs, narra tree, red

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roses, and even the number of tilapia. There are four primary factors that determine
population size:

1. Natality – this is the addition of organisms to population through

reproduction. Many organisms reproduce fast and some may not, this is the
reason why some organisms are more than the others. Natality increases
population density.
2. Mortality – mortality is losing a member of the population due to death.
Mortality can decrease population density.
3. Immigration – is the addition of organisms because of the movement of
an organism from one place to another; immigration has the same effect as
natality.
4. Emigration – is the loss of individuals that move out of the population and
has the same effect as mortality.

Population Growth

Biotic Potential

The possible growth rate of a population of organisms under ideal conditions,

which include an absence of predators and an unlimited availability if nutrients and
space for expansion or the capability of growth of a given population under
hypothetical optimum conditions, like in an environment without limiting factors to
such growth. With this ideal condition, the population in a certain place can grow
indefinitely.

Environmental Resistance

This is the total of all inihibitory factors naturally regulating the growth of
population since the environment puts up its resistance after a level often less than
biotic potential or even carrying capacity. These resistances may be in the form of
changes in the environment, natural calamities such as droughts, storms, typhoons,
floods, fires, and similar scenarios or in other cases, wars, riots, terrorism and the likes.
These resistances make the population to a level below the carrying capacity. This
happens because it is but normal that an environment will cut its population if it knows
that it can no longer be sustained.

Carrying Capacity

Defined as the capacity f environment or an ecosystem to support and sustain

a level of population under an ideal set of conditions. Like for instance the Earth, its
carrying capacity is calculated to be 8-15billion, that when this is surpassed, there will
be consequences such as food shortage, shelter shortage, and similar situations. To
sustain a certain environment, organisms that it can support should only be the one
that would live in that particular place.

Example: Some countries are thickly populated while others are extremely thin.
Thickness of population is studied based on density of population.

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 Table 3.1 Population Density of Some Countries

Country Population Country Population

Density Density
(No./Km2) (No./Km2)
Malta 3157 Russia 22
San Marino 1166 Turkmenistan 784
Mongolia
Maldives 2469 Finland 40
Singapore 16714 Iceland 7
Hong Kong 16949 Norway 36
South Korea 1234 Sweden 51
Monaco 45333 Guyana 8
Bangladesh 2305 Australia 6
Mauritius 1510 Oman 29
Barbados 1560 Congo 21
Namibia 6 India 789

On the above example, it shows the carrying capacity of a certain country by

means of its density. If the natural density is increased, it will be difficult for any
country to support its constituents.

Limiting Factor

Any population has the tendency to grow, the Philippines itself relative with ots
booming population is one of the best example. However, this growth may be
prevented not because of family planning or any counter measures to prevent it but
every environment has limiting factors to prevent population from growing any larger.
Like for instance, 10 elephants may live in a habitat that has enough water, shelter,
and space to support 20 elephants, but if there is only enough food for 10 elephants,
the population will not grow any larger. Hence, food is the limiting factor. Another
example is that, there may be enough food to support a thousand lions in a certain
area, nut only suitable shelter for 100 hundred, rather there is plenty of food, water,
shelter and space to support a larger population of deer in an area, but predators such
as lions and tigers are present that serve as limiting factor.

Limiting factors are somewhat tied to carrying capacity. For instance, animals
can increase in numbers rapidly, and may temporarily exceed the carrying capacity of
their habitat so as a result, organisms may experience anxiety, hunger, sickness,
predation and parasites, poor reproductive success and damage to the habitat.

Multiplying grasshoppers can very quickly eat all vegetation in a farm but with
the vegetation gone, food becomes the limiting factor and the grasshoppers may starve
or move to another area. Thus the farm has a reduced carrying capacity relative to the
grasshoppers.

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ACTIVITY: Relate the movement of people from province to bigger cities
based on population size, carrying capacity and limiting factor. (10pts
each)

RUBRIC FOR SHORT-ANSWER TEST

Points 10 7 5 3
Quality of Piece was Piece was Piece had little Piece had no
Writing written in an written in an style or voice style or voice
extra interesting
ordinary style style and Gives some Gives no new
and voice voice new information
information and very
Very Somewhat but poorly poorly
informative informative organized organized
and well- and organized
organized

Evaluation/Post-test

Directions: Carefully read the statements. Write TRUE is the statement is correct,
and FALSE if it is not.

________1. Density is the number of individuals per unit area or unit volume.

________2. Natality is the addition of organisms to population through

reproduction.

________3. Immigration is the addition of organism that move into a population.

________4. Biotic potential is the possible growth rate of a population of organisms

under ideal conditions.

________5. Carrying capacity is defined as the capacity of environment or an

ecosystem to support and sustain a level of population under ideal et of conditions.

References

Guido, R. M., Garcia, R. E., Meneses, J. L., Quilang, A. B., & Binag, N. D. (2015).
Fundamentals of Environmental Science. Books Atbp Pubclishing Corp.

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Congratulations for completing this module!

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 Vision 2020
WPU: the leading knowledge center for sustainable
development of West Philippines and beyond.

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WPU commits to develop quality human resource and green
technologies for a dynamic economy and sustainable
development through relevant instruction,
research and extension services.

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WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20)