Chapter 8 Environmental Science

4. Demographers

A social scientist who studies the population size; density; distribution; age structure; sex ration; and rates of birth, death, immigration, and emigration of human populations.

1. Biocapacity

A term in ecological footprint accounting meaning the amount of biologically productive land and sea available to us.

19. total fertility rate (TFR)

The average number of children born per female member of a population during her lifetime.

12. life expectancy

The average number of years that individuals in particular age groups are likely to continue to live.

3. Contraception

The deliberate attempt to prevent pregnancy despite sexual intercourse.

13. Malthus, Thomas

(1766-1834) British economist who maintained that increasing human population would eventually deplete the available food supply until starvation, war, or disease arose and reduced the population.

7.Demography

A social science that applies the principles of population ecology to the study of statistical change in human populations.

11. IPAT model

A formula that represents how humans' total impact (I) on the environment results from the interaction among three factors: population (P), affluence (A); and technology (T) I = P * A * T

6. demographic transition

A theoretical model of economic and cultural change that explains the declining death rates and birth rates that occurred in Western nations as they became industrialized. The model holds that industrialization caused these rates to fall naturally by decreasing mortality and by lessening the need for large families. Parents would thereafter choose to invest in quality of life rather than quantity of children.

5. demographic fatigue

An inability on the part of the governments to address overwhelming challenges related to population growth

2. birth control

The effort to control the number of children one bears, particularly by reducing the frequency of pregnancy.

8. family planning

The effort to plan the number and spacing of one's children to offer children and parents the best quality of life possible.

15. preindustrial stage

The first stage of the demographic transition model, characterized by conditions that defined most of human history. In pre-industrial societies, both death rates and birth rates are high.

14. post-industrial stage

The fourth and final stage of the demographic transition model, in which both birth and death rates have fallen to a low level and remain stable there, and populations may even decline slightly.

10. infant mortality rates

The number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1000 live births in a population.

18. reproductive window

The portion of a woman's life between sexual maturity and menopause during which she may become pregnant.

16. rate of natural increase

The rate of change in a population's size resulting from birth and death rates alone, excluding migration.

20. transitional stage

The second stage of the demographic transition model, which occurs during the transition from the pre-industrial stage to the industrial stage. It is characterized by declining death rates but continued high birth rates.

9. industrial stage

The third stage of the demographic transition model, characterized by falling birth rates that close the gap with falling death rates and reduce the rate of population growth.

17. replacement fertility

The total fertility rate (TFR) that maintains a stable population size