Essentials of Ecology

SUPPLEMENT 3 S13

High: Greater than 2%

Moderate: 1–1.99%

Low: 0.3–0.9%

Static: less than 0.3% or declining

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Average annual global growth rate (percent)

2.0

2.5

1950 1970 1990

Year

2010 2030 2050

Figure 5 Annual growth rate in world population, 1950–2007 with

projections to 2050. (Data from U.N. Population Division and U.S.

Census Bureau

Data and Graph Analysis

1. In about what year since 1950 did the growth rate first start in-
   creasing? In about what year did it first start decreasing?


2. In about what year will the growth rate reach half of what it was
   at its peak since 1950, according to projections?

Figure 6 Rate of population increase (%) in 2007.
(Data from Population Reference Bureau and United
Nations Population Division)

Data and Map Analysis

1. What continent holds the highest number of coun-
   tries with high rates of population increase? What
   continent has the highest number of countries with
   static rates? (See Figure 1 on pp. S10–S11 for coun-
   try and continent names.)


2. For each category on this map, name the two coun-
   tries that you think are largest in terms of total area?