In an environment with perfect conditions and the availability of unlimited resources, exponential growth is possible for an extended period of time, although it is unlikely to last forever. In exponential growth, the cycle of reproduction creates a large pool of population candidates to produce the next cycle. However, exponential growth is cannot be endless because there are natural factors that cause a leveling off of the growth level (Clark, Doughlas, & Choi, 2018). The limiting factors are usually weaker when the population is low in numbers and become more severe when the numbers increase, thus leading to equilibrium. The factors include disease, the scarcity of food, predation, and environmental characteristics. For example, climate change or the increased concentration of pollutants in the environment can result in the increased vulnerability of a species.
In the past 2000 years, the global population has increased, with life expectancy growing and populations concentrating around urbanized areas. What is notable is that most of the population spike has occurred around the year 1800, when the population of the planet was around 1 billion people. After 1800, the world population increased seven-fold because the limiting factors began declining in their impact, with industrialization and technological progress increasing life expectancy and birth rates.
On the World Population Map, each dot represents one million people living in the area indicated on the map, thus illustrating population concentrations. Therefore, when looking closely at the map, one can see the areas that are the most densely populated, which means that they are the most industrialized and accommodating for the life of a large number of people. The most growth has recently occurred in Africa as its territories have not been as populated previously. With rapid urbanization, it is expected that the population growth between today and 2050 will take place in Africa (UN, 2022). In addition, the UN (2022) report suggests that a rapid increase in population in the region is expected to occur despite the possible reduction of fertility levels in the upcoming future. In contrast, the number of people in densely-populated Europe is expected to decrease by 2050 by at least 10% (UN, 2022). This projected decline in population in Europe is linked to declining birth rates and fertility. On a global level, the rising population in Africa will mean to a growing demand for food resources. On a local level, it will encourage industrialization and urbanization, which go hand-in-hand with adverse environmental outcomes such as pollution and global warming.
Personally, I agree with scholars’ estimation that the maximum capacity of Earth is around 9 billion people because of the calculation that the planet has enough resources to cater to this number. Anything beyond that number will lead to the increasing need for non-renewable resources, causing scarcity and the crises that can potentially take place. Even with the current global population of 7,75 billion people, some countries already feel the impact of resource scarcity, which enables the implementation of effective environmental initiatives aimed at preservation and conservation. Overall, the topic of population growth is highly relevant because the survival of the human species is directly related to the impact of limiting factors. Some have considered COVID-19 as nature’s way of reducing the human population because of overpopulation; however, there is no empirical evidence to either prove or disprove this theory.
References
Clark, M. A., Doughlas, M., & Choi, J. (2018). Biology (2nd ed.). OpenStax.
UN. (2020). Global issues: Population. Web.