Topic 8:

Human Ecology – The Ecology of Human Interactions

with the Environment

Learning Goals for Day:

Ø      Understand the way humans fit into the reproductive strategy schemes discussed last time (r vs. K)

Ø      Contrast Hunting & Gathering with early Agriculture

o       Compare in terms of:

§         food variety

§         nutritional value

§         effort required to get food

o       What are the benefits of each system

o       Understand how the two life-styles give rise to 2 different reproductive strategies

§         how do the differences arise, & why

more information on humans in the SW: http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/socalif/stanford.html

Ø      Understand the implications of this shift (in reproductive strategy & in lifestyle) for human pop. growth

o       Be able to describe human pop. growth throughout our history, and explain major changes in growth rate

Human Population Growth:

I.

II.

Figure Source: (9/21/05)

http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookcycles.html&h=313&w=536&sz=24&tbnid=KsFZ1MOtJrcJ:&tbnh=75&tbnw=129&hl=en&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhuman%2Bpopulation%2Bgrowth%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Assess – Goals:

Ø      How is it that humans can switch between the 2 reproductive strategies?  (if not in a strict biological sense, at least in a relative sense)
 

Ø      What kind of population growth does the human population exhibit at present?  How about at times in the past?
 

Ø      How has the human population been able to keep increasing?  What have we done that sets us apart, in this respect, from other species?
 

Ø      How might the two human lifestyles we discussed relate to population growth?  Which reproductive strategy prevails in each lifestyle?