Biology (11th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 1259188132
ISBN 13: 978-1-25918-813-8

Chapter 55 - Ecology of Individuals and Populations - Figure 55.24 - Inquiry Question - Page 1180: 1

Answer

If human population growth is regulated simply by factors regulating creatures like snowshoe hares, then a decline in population increase should occur. However, the human mind complicates this since we can alter carrying capacity for ourselves, as in the Green Revolution of the 1960's and 1970's which made life so much better for so many people and which negated the short-sighted and racist predictions of books like The Population Bomb.

Work Step by Step

This question asks you to apply principles from other organisms to humans, but the problem is that humans are a different case. This can also be seen in the conscious choice to limit family size contrary to what other organisms would do in the face of increased carrying capacity (since the 1960's and 1970's). This has led to a disastrous change in population pyramids, especially in China, which is only beginning to play out for the younger generation (demographicwinter.com).
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