Biology › Section R · The biosphere, populations, and communities › Topic R.6
Population growth, limits, and regulation
Any population with food to spare can multiply astonishingly fast, yet no population grows for ever. Two simple equations capture both facts, and the factors that slow growth down explain why real numbers rise, level off, overshoot and crash.
In this topic
- Why growth cannot last
- Births, deaths, and the rate r
- Exponential growth and the J-curve
- Worked example: exponential growth in numbers
- Carrying capacity and the logistic model
- Reading the S-shaped curve
- Worked example: logistic growth rates
- Real populations: competition, overshoot, and crash
- What sets the limits
- Worked example: classifying a limiting factor
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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