Population Principles and Demography - Biotic Potential.pdf

Population Principles and Demography - Biotic Potential.pdf

1. Population Principles
and Demography
Biotic Potential

2. What do you
notice about the
number of
babies? Do all
animals have
the same
number of
babies?

3. What do you
think would
happen if ALL
those babies
grew up and
also had their
own babies?

4. Biotic potential

5. Biotic potential
the maximum ability of a living thing to
reproduce and grow if there are no limits like
food shortage, diseases, or predators. It’s like
the ‘full power’ of a species to multiply.

6. One pair of rabbits can
produce dozens of
babies in just a year.
Rabbit
EXAMPLE:

7. A single bacterium can
divide into two every 20
minutes—after a day,
millions already!
Bacteria
EXAMPLE:

8. A woman can only give
birth to a few babies in
her lifetime
Woman
EXAMPLE:

9. A woman can only give
birth to a few babies in
her lifetime
Woman
EXAMPLE:
-human biotic potential is
lower compared to
insects or bacteria.

10. Factors that influence
biotic potential

11. Factors that influence biotic potential
A species' biotic potential is determined by
several biological characteristics:
1.Reproductive rate: The number of offspring
produced in a single reproductive cycle. For
example, mice can have up to six offspring
per litter, whereas elephants typically
produce only one calf.

12. Factors that influence biotic potential
A species' biotic potential is determined by
several biological characteristics:
2. Reproductive frequency: How often an
organism can reproduce. Mice can have
multiple litters per year, while elephants
reproduce only every few years.

13. Factors that influence biotic potential
A species' biotic potential is determined by
several biological characteristics:
3. Age of reproductive maturity: The age at
which an organism can begin reproducing. A
shorter time to maturity, like the weeks it takes
for a mouse, allows for more generations to be
produced.

14. Factors that influence biotic potential
A species' biotic potential is determined by
several biological characteristics:
4. Survival potential: The number of offspring
that survive to reproductive age. Some species
produce many offspring with the expectation
that only a small percentage will survive, while
others invest heavily in a few offspring.

15. Biotic potential vs.
environmental resistance

16. Biotic potential vs. environmental resistance
In the real world, no population can reach its
full biotic potential due to environmental
resistance, which includes all the factors that
limit population growth.

17. Biotic potential vs. environmental resistance
Drives population increase under ideal
conditions. It is the "J-shaped" curve of
exponential growth.

18. Biotic potential vs. environmental resistance
Limits population growth through factors
like:
●Predation
●Competition for resources (food, water, space)
●Disease and parasites
●Unfavorable climate

19. Biotic potential vs. environmental resistance
Carrying capacity (K)
-The balance between biotic potential
and environmental resistance
determines the carrying capacity, which
is the maximum population size an
environment can sustain indefinitely.

20. Examples of biotic
potential

21. Examples of biotic potential
Different species have varying biotic
potentials:
High biotic potential: Small organisms that
reproduce quickly and often, like bacteria and
insects, have a very high biotic potential. A
single E. coli bacterium can double every 20
minutes.

22. Examples of biotic potential
Different species have varying biotic
potentials:
Low biotic potential: Large, long-lived
organisms that reproduce slowly and have few
offspring exhibit low biotic potential. Examples
include elephants, whales, and humans.

23. Reminder:
Biotic Potential is not about survival, but the
ability to produce offspring.

Example: Butterflies lay many eggs, but not all will
survive to adults.

24. Thank
You!!!