Exponential Growth vs Logistic Growth: Understanding Population Dynamics, Exams of Geography

Download Exponential Growth vs Logistic Growth: Understanding Population Dynamics and more Exams Geography in PDF only on Docsity! Exponential Growth vs Logistic Growth The difference between exponential growth and logistic growth can be seen in terms of the growth of population. Population growth is defined as an increase in the size of a population over a specific time period. The growth rate is calculated using two factors – the number of people and the unit of time. This rate is influenced by the rate at which birth takes place every year (also known as the birth rate). It is also influenced by the rate at which living beings die (also known as the death rate). The size of the population does not rise indefinitely because of the limitation of certain factors. These factors are water and nutrients, space and light as well as the existence of competitors. The explanation for population growth can be done using 2 growth models – the exponential growth and the logistic growth. Exponential growth and logistic growth are terms which are used in relation to population. The former is the kind of growth which is present when the rate of growth is proportional to amounts which exist. It is same for the latter; however, logistic growth considers other major factors. These are competition and limited resources. Exponential growth requires specific ideal conditions. These conditions vary to a great extent. In logistic growth, the growth rate is quick at the beginning then it begins to slow down later on. This happens when a number of organisms are in competition for limited space. As the population comes to a state of equilibrium, then the growth rate is equal to zero. Also if there is no interruption, then the population remains stationary. A population has the potential to grow exponentially when it has access to different and unlimited resources. Logistic growth starts rapidly while exponential growth is the opposite. It begins at a slow rate then the rate speeds up when the population rises. What makes Exponential Growth Different from Logistic Growth? Exponential growth and Logistic growth models help in explaining the growth of population. Exponential growth is a growth in population wherein the number of individuals increases. This happens even when the rate of growth does not change. As a result, it creates an explosion of the population. Logistic growth entails exponential growth in population along with a growth rate which is in a constant state. As the population comes to its carrying capacity, the growth rate then decreases significantly. This happens due to the availability of limited resources for each and every entity. • Exponential Growth In exponential growth, the sole determining factor for the growth rate of a specific population is the rate of birth. The factor which limits this growth is the availability of resources. When plotting the number of entities against time, the result shows a curve with a J-shaped characteristic. This is the exponential growth. Based on this curve, the beginning of the growth is slow and it speeds up as the size of the population grows. When looking at the reality, as the population increases in size, then the food supply, as well as space, becomes more and more limited. That is why this model of growth is known to be more idealistic than the logistic growth model. The most important aspect of exponential growth is the number of entities which come into each generation (otherwise known as the growth rate). It rapidly increases as the population increases in size too. When this happens, then the outcomes can be very dramatic. • Logistic Growth In logistic growth, carrying capacity is taken into account. Carrying capacity is defined as the size in which a specific population ultimately reaches stabilization. When this happens, the population’s growth rate fluctuates. It either goes a bit above or a bit below the carrying capacity. The logistic growth model is more realistic than the exponential growth model. Therefore it is applicable to more kinds of populations which exist on this planet. When plotting a graph for logistic growth, you will notice that it forms an S-shaped curve. When there are only a few entities, the population will increase in size slowly. Then as the number of entities increase, the population grows in size more rapidly. As a final step, when there are already many entities in the population, the growth then slows down once again. This is because of the