Very interesting, but what is the point?
There is no intrinsic growth for humans,
there is too much social/cultural impact.
The human capacity to interact with the environment
and to forsee/simulate the results of such an equation,
and manipulate all factors adds some uncomfortable
maths to this equation...
Eva
> >From a lecture on populations by Dr. Stephen T. Abedon
>
> http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/mans/microbio/biol1540.htm
>
> "a very important equation:
>
> A differential equation approximating the sigmoidal growth curve of an ideal
> population is:
>
> dN/dt = rN(K - N) / K
>
> where r is the intrinsic rate of population growth, K is the carrying
> capacity of the environment, N is the number of individuals present in a
> population, and t is time.
>
> For those of you haven't had calculus, dN/dt stands for instantaneous change
> in N as a function of t, a slope.
>
> Thus, using this equation one can determine the instantaneous rate of
> increase of a reasonably well behaved population (change in N as a function
> of time) so long as one has knowledge of the population's biotic potential,
> actual size, and the carrying capacity of the environment in which the
> population lives.
>
> r strategist ---
>
> adapted to exponential increases:
>
> An organism which is particularly well adapted to an exponential increase in
> population size is know as an r strategist (the r coming from the
> differential equation described above).
>
> r strategists are characterized by great rapidity in their developmental
> programs combined with an ability to produce large numbers of offspring.
>
> No organism is a pure r strategist. Most show at least some capacity to
> survive at equilibrium, i.e., in carrying capacity situations.
>
> pioneer species:
>
> r strategists tend to be particularly good at finding disturbed environments
> and then rapidly producing large numbers of progeny in such environments.
>
> Often those offspring are ill-equipped for survival except under optimal
> conditions because of the small amount of parental resource put into their
> survival. However, the large numbers produced tend to both make up for low
> survivorship as well as allow for great dispersal.
>
> Wide dispersal allows at least some fraction of progeny to find and
> therefore exploit newly disturbed habitats.
>
> weeds:
>
> A plant which is an r strategists more likely than not we would call a weed.
>
>
> k strategist ---
>
> adapted to limitation:
>
> In contrast to r strategists, many organisms show extreme potential to
> survive and prosper at or near carrying capacity, though often at the
> expense of their ability to display rapid population increases under most
> circumstance (i.e., their intrinsic rate of population growth is small).
> Such organisms are called K strategists.
>
> The variable K refers to carrying capacity (i.e., they display a bias in
> their adaptations toward maximizing carrying capacity).
>
> adaptation to climaxed ecosystems:
>
> K strategists tend to be very good at surviving in mature (climaxed) ecosystems.
>
> low fecundity:
>
> K strategists also tend to put a great deal of resource into raising only a
> few young.
>
> example: gorilla:
>
> A gorilla is a K strategist."
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Tom Walker
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