Population density
Population density can be described as the number of individuals of a species per unit area. Current world human population is estimated at 6.3 billion. However, the distribution of people across the globe is not uniform.
The highest population densities are seen in Asia. Some low-density regions include the Sahara Desert in Africa, areas near the poles, the Australian outback and the Amazon. NASA provides a world population density map to show where people live on Earth. For a list of countries ranked by population density, visit this site.
While studying population, a number of terms like growth rate, birth rate and mortality come into the picture. Geographic.org's population section clears up a lot of these terms, and this site has a lot of useful stuff on the concepts of population ecology.
Another site that has detailed notes on the subject of population ecology, with diagrams, is Indiana University-Purdue University web site.
An ever-increasing human population is putting alarming pressure on the resources on the planet. Balance between human demands and the ability of Earth to provide necessary resources is key to our existence. And this balance is just as important in the wild kingdom where a delicate balance among all living things is key to their survival, as well as the very ecosystems on which their health and survival depend.
Some researchers are already calling the human population explosion a tragedy, and insist that we must take measures to strive for a negative growth rate.
The University of Berkeley's section on the ecology of human populations, based on the famous Thomas Malthus' work is also worth a look.
For a graphical, multimedia illustration of population issues, try this site. It contains HumPop, is a multimedia tutorial program that introduces population concepts and issues, and IntlPop, a population change simulation program, which shows how factors like birth and migration rates affect population growth. (You will need to download software components here.)
The highest population densities are seen in Asia. Some low-density regions include the Sahara Desert in Africa, areas near the poles, the Australian outback and the Amazon. NASA provides a world population density map to show where people live on Earth. For a list of countries ranked by population density, visit this site.
While studying population, a number of terms like growth rate, birth rate and mortality come into the picture. Geographic.org's population section clears up a lot of these terms, and this site has a lot of useful stuff on the concepts of population ecology.
Another site that has detailed notes on the subject of population ecology, with diagrams, is Indiana University-Purdue University web site.
An ever-increasing human population is putting alarming pressure on the resources on the planet. Balance between human demands and the ability of Earth to provide necessary resources is key to our existence. And this balance is just as important in the wild kingdom where a delicate balance among all living things is key to their survival, as well as the very ecosystems on which their health and survival depend.
Some researchers are already calling the human population explosion a tragedy, and insist that we must take measures to strive for a negative growth rate.
The University of Berkeley's section on the ecology of human populations, based on the famous Thomas Malthus' work is also worth a look.
For a graphical, multimedia illustration of population issues, try this site. It contains HumPop, is a multimedia tutorial program that introduces population concepts and issues, and IntlPop, a population change simulation program, which shows how factors like birth and migration rates affect population growth. (You will need to download software components here.)