1. Given the growth rate of the human population in recent centuries, would locusts or rats be justified in describing human beings as a planetary plague? Why?

2. What are you taking away with you this week? Were there any surprises? How much was review for you? What areas were especially thought provoking for you?

3. Given what we have learned about the Earth’s resources, discuss the statement, “There is no limit to Earth’s resources as human ingenuity will tend to solve any shortages.” How does this statement differ from Malthius and his point of view?

4. A general model of an ecosystem locates positions in the flow of energy and materials to the Sun, atmospheric gases, water, nutrients, plants, decomposers, herbivores, and carnivores. What position would you allocate to human beings?

5. Examine the population pyramids for Sudan, Japan, and the USA at www.census.gov. Describe the characteristics of the opulation and identify the services necessary to serve this population over the next 10 to 15 years.

To view the population pyramids, use the US Census Bureau website at http://www.census.gov. 

• Go to People and Households and click on International 
• Click on IDB (International Data Base) 
• Click on Data Access 
• Select Country (Sudan, Japan and the USA)
• Click Submit 
• Click Demographic Indicators to review the data 
• Click Population Pyramid to view pyramids

Use the demographic indicators and the population pyramid to answer the following question: Describe the characteristics of the population and identify the services necessary to serve these populations over the next 10 to 15 years. Be sure to define the discuss the implications of each of the following population characteristics for Sudan, Japan and the USA.

• Birth rate 
• Death rate 
• Fertility rate 
• Infant mortality 
• Life expectancy 
• Natural increase 
• Net migration

Webliography: U.S. Census Bureau – www.census.gov