Demographic Data and construction and interpretation of related graphs

Purpose: Through the use of graphs and charts, my partner and I were able to attain and learn how to work with demographic data to calculate population growths as well as create bar and pyramid charts to further enhance our knowledge when dealing with rates.

Related to class topics: As discussed in class as well as in our textbook, China has an over population problem that is growing drastically and resources are beginning to run out. ” While the population of many developed countries are either stable or declining, those of most developing countries are growing, and the trend for the entire global population is continued growth. Molles, (P. 259) As showed in the graphs and information gathered below Molles’ views are validated.

Data:

1. China and India have the largest populations in the world. Which of these two countries adds more people to its population annually? [Calculate the numbers added by applying the rate of natural increase to the population of each country. Hint: the rate is a percent]

Table 1- Annual Population Growth:

Country	Number of People added annually
China	6,690,000.0005
India	17,820,000.012

As we can see from the table above, India adds more people to its population annually.

 

1. What proportion of the world’s people live the following continents/regions and what are the projected proportions by 2025 and 2050?

Table 2- Populations in Proportion to the World’s Population:

Continent	% Living Today	% by 2025	% by 2050
Asia	60.3%	60%	57.2%
North America	5%	4.8%	5%
Latin America	8.5%	8.2%	7.7%
Europe	10.7%	9.2%	7.6%
Oceania	0.54%	0.56%	0.61%

What does the bar chart reflect?

The bar chart shows that Asia will have the highest increase in population by 2025 and 2050, but has decreased from the current population today.

How did we attain our data?

In order to find the % living today for each country, we take the population of the each country and divide it by the population of the % living today of the world. We then multiply this times 100 . The steps repeat for 2025 as well as 2050. So for 2025 we divide the given number by the world’s population and then multiply it by 100 again and so on for 2050.

Use the data above and Excel to construct a bar chart showing the regional distributions of the world’s population for the current year, 2025, and 2050.

 

The bar chart shows that Asia will have the highest increase in population by 2025 and 2050, but has decreased from the current population today.

What proportion of the world’s people live in less developed countries (LDCs) and in more developed countries (MDCs) today? What proportion is projected to live in LDCs  and MDCs in 2025 and in 2050?

Table 3- LDC/MDC Populations in Proportion to the World’s Population:

Countries	% of World’s Pop. Today	% of World’s Pop. 2025	% of World’s Pop. 2050
LCDs	82.1%	84.1%	86.0%
MCDs	18%	16%	14.1%

In more developed countries there is more money and more education available, therefore the people are aware that the population needs to be regulated, so there is significantly less of an increase in population. In less developed countries there is less money and less education, therefore they have a much higher rate of population increase. My partner and I discovered that since the number of LCD’s is going to increase over the years, meaning that people will be moving from MCD’s to less developed countries due to either economic or social problems.

4. Examine the crude birth rate, crude death rate, and rate of natural increase of any three countries (one being your own country) listed on the World Population Data Sheet.

Table 4- Calculating Rate of Natural Increase:

Country	CBR %	CDR %	Rate of Natural Increase (%)
US	1.4%	0.8%	0.6%
Greece	1.1%	1.0%	0.1%
Spain	1.1%	0.8%	0.3%

The rate of natural increase is the difference between the crude death rate (CDR) and the crude birth rate (CBR). The data above was found using the World Population Data sheet for 2010. Because the numbers were not in rate form, my partner and I had to divide them by 1000.

Age-dependency ratio:

Select 2 LDCs and 2 MDCs from the data sheet and compute the age-dependency ratios for each.

The formula for this ratio:

% of population under age 15 +  % of 65 and over	X 100
% of population ages 15-64

[Hint: The three percents will equal 100%. ]

Example: The age-dependency ratio in the United States in 2004 was:

21% + 12%	X  100
67%

 

This means that there were 49 people in the dependent ages for every 100 people of working age.

Table 5- Calculating Age-Dependency Ratios:

Country	Age-Dependency Ratio
LCD 1: Burundi	78.6%
LCD 2: Ethiopia	88.7%
MDC 1: UK	51.5%
MDC 2: Sweden	53.8%

What factors do you think contribute to a high age-dependency ratio?

Factors that contribute to a high age-dependency ratio are less education and less money, therefore less developed countries have higher age-dependency ratios.

What are some economic and social consequences of a high age-dependency ratio?

With a high age-dependency ratio, there are too many people below the age of 15 and too many above the age of 64, therefore there are not enough people to support the economy and there is no one to rely on.

What Is an Age-Sex Graph?

An age-sex graph, commonly referred to as a population pyramid even though the graph for some countries is not actually a pyramid shape, displays a population’s age and sex composition.

1. 1. From the following table select one country from each column (two countries) from for your case.

Column A	Column B
United Kingdom	Bangladesh
France	Macedonia, FYROM
Germany	Egypt
Israel	Ethiopia
Japan	Albania
New Zealand	Thailand
Russia	Turkey
Greece	Vietnam

Part B. Interpreting Age-Sex Graphs

1. We will investigate the United Kingdom from Column A and Ethiopia from Column B.

1. 2.     Open the U.S. Census Bureau “International Database,” available at

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/

Select “Data Access”

Select the assigned country (see Table 1 above) from the country list and hit “Submit”

In the new page select “Tables”

In the new page select “Excel” (see somewhere in the middle of your screen where it says: “Download all Tables as Excel”)

From the Excel file record the following data for the country you selected.

1. Table 6- Demographic Indicators for the United Kingdom:

Demographic Indicators	Value
Total Midyear Population	62348447
Crude Birth Rate (per 1,000)	12 %
Crude Death Rate (per 1,000)	9 %
Natural Increase (%)	0.6 %
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)	5 %
Total Fertility Rate	1.9 %
Life Expectancy at Birth for Males	77.84
Life Expectancy at Birth for Females	82.11
Population <15 yrs. (%)/ >65 yrs. (%)	<15 = 18 % >65 = 16 %
GNP/capita (US $)	$36,130

Graph 2- Age-Sex Pyramid for the United Kingdom:

Table 7- Demographic Indicators for Ethiopia:

Demographic Indicators	Value
Total Midyear Population	88,013
Crude Birth Rate (per 1,000)	43 %
Crude Death Rate (per 1,000)	11 %
Natural Increase (%)	3.2 %
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 births)	79 %
Total Fertility Rate	6.1 %
Life Expectancy at Birth for Males	54
Life Expectancy at Birth for Females	57
Population <15 yrs. (%)/ >65 yrs. (%)	<15 = 44 % >65 = 3 %
GNP/capita (US $)	$870

Graph 3- Age-Sex Pyramid for Ethiopia:

Compare the demographic indicators from the two countries. What generalizations can be made concerning demographic indicators and level of development? [for example, if the birth rate is high, then the level of development is...]. Form at least two generalizations that are supported by the pyramids and data charts.

It is clear by examining the demographic indicators of both the United Kingdom and Ethiopia that the United Kingdom is a much more developed country than Ethiopia. This is clear because, as one can see from the tables and graphs above, the United Kingdom has a crude birth rate of only 12% per 1,000, where as Ethiopia has a much higher crude birth rate of 43% per 1,000. The less developed a country is, the less education there is, therefore, the birth rate (population increase) goes up. One other factor that leads to the conclusion that Ethiopia is much less developed than the United Kingdom is that the infant mortality rate per 1,000 births is only 5% in the UK, but is 79% in Ethiopia. This statistic shows that there are, first off, many more babies being born in Ethiopia because the birth rate is still higher even though a lot of babies are dying, and that there is less education and, therefore, less advanced doctoring and more disease. It is clear that more babies are being born outside of hospitals in Ethiopia.

References:

Molles Jr., Manuel C. Ecology: Concepts and Applications, Fifth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

World Population Data Sheet 2010. Population Reference Bureau. USAID. July 2010

U.S. Consensus Bureau. “International Database”. 27 November 2010.http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/

Partner: Francesca Murray

When science interferes with life

The purpose of this post is to begin explaining my final presentation topic of increased radiation and pollution levels in my hometown  which have led to a vast increase in breast cancer patients as well as breast cancer related deaths.

Radiation and pollution are both global problems that are dealt with worldwide today especially in the 21st century. Both radiation and pollution have been discussed in class and continue to arise as hot topics.  As Molles (2010) states ” heat may also be transferred through electromagnetic radiation. All objects above absolute 0 – 273 celsius give off electromagnetic radiation but the most obvious source in our environment is the sun.” Pg (135) The sun however is one of the most dangerous parts of our world. Every year thousands of people die due to skin cancer caused by the sun and its ultra-violent rays. Ultraviolet rays can be subdivided into three different wavelength bands U-VA, U-VB and U-VC.UV-C is most energetic and most harmful; UV-A is least energetic and least harmful.As both UV-B and UV-A rays can be detrimental to our health, it is important that we protect ourselves. This can be done through a variety of ways. The most obvious is to reduce the amount of time one spends in the sun, particularly between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm, when the sun is at its highest in the sky. (Biospherical Instruments Inc 2001) Because this topic affects everyone across the world, I feel that is very important to highlight the risks of radiation and pollution so others can learn the dangers of it. Through my presentation I hope to give others insight on the dangers as well as how to prevent or stay away from these harmful effects.

This picture above shows the Earth Radiation Budget is the balance between incoming energy from the sun and the outgoing longwave (thermal) and reflected shortwave energy from the Earth.

This picture shows the pollution of the Sungai Juru, which has been classified by the Department of Environment (DOE) as the most polluted river in Malaysia.

This is a summary from the Bureau of Radiation Protection.  (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/rp/default.htm) It highlights the important issues each day dealing with radiation and pollution. This is a credible source because it is an organizational source created by a professional bureau.  The site does not only link the viewer to other sources but explains in great detail what they do to try and inform the public. Its site is very user friendly and allows one to navigate around it with ease.

References-

1.Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. Biospherical Instruments Inc (2001). Ultraviolent Radiation. NSF Polar Programs. Retrieved from http:/http://uv.biospherical.com/student/page3.html

3.Picture 1. Earth’s Radiation Budget Facts. Retrieved November 8, 2010 from http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/rp/default.htm4.

Picture 2. The Pollution of Sungai Juru. Retrieved November 8, 2010 from http:/http://www.sungaijuru.com/v2/31/the-pollution-of-sungai-juru-its-pollutants-and-effects/

Extraordinary Animals..Extreme Conditions

Welcome to the world of Tardigrades-

Although most living things live in stable conditions, there are many animals who live in extreme temperatures and learn to adapt to there outrageous environments, through this post I will explain in great detail how the Tardigrade species manages to survive in temperatures minus 200 degrees celsius as well as 151 degrees celsius.

As Molles (2010) opens up his Chapter 5 about Temperature relations, (p. 100) states how temperature is one of the most ecologically significant environmental factors. Tardigrades first were classified as nematodes but now they are classified as Tardigrada.  The species Echiniscoides sigimunde from European and Asian coastal habitats is the largest known to science. Tardigrades are able to  withstand hostile conditions for example, some can survive in temperatures as low as minus 200 degrees Celsius while others can survive temperatures as high as 151 degrees.  Tardigrades are able to survive the process of freezing and changes in salinity. Surprisingly they can also survive with no oxygen or a lack of oxygen. “Tardigrades also are resistant to levels of X-ray radiation that are hundreds of times more lethal to humans and other organisms.” The tardigrade is part of the heterotardigrade class. Scientists believe that tardigrades appeared probably 540 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion.  ”Tardigrades are thought to be the most closely related to onychophorans, caterpillar-like invertebrates that share traits with both arthropods and worms. The tardigrade biomes are located mainly in Europe however traces have been found in South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Species have also been found in the poles.   

Scientists have discovered that  tardigrades most likely originally evolved in the ocean, and only later moved to fresh water and terrestrial habitats. The first group of tardigrades, the heterotardigrada is marine while the other group, the Eutardigrada is only terrestrial. Tardigrades need to thermoregulate in order to achieve homeostasis. When hydrated, tardigrades contain about 85 % of their weight in water. Shockingly, they can survive even when they dehydrate to less than 2% and survive in their inactive state. As explained by K. Schmidt- Nielsen (1983) when discussing how animals balance heat gain and loss, tardigrades have an incredible ability to regulate their metabolism. While in extreme conditions, they would change the metabolism speeds to a hundred times slower than normal metabolism. That change makes it able to survive without water, air, at high temperatures, and low temperatures. This process is known as cryptobiosis.

Tardigrade water bear

References-

1.Molles, M.C. (2010). Ecology. Concepts and Applications. 5th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.

2. Mullen, Leslie (2002). Extreme Animals. AstroBiology Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/261/extreme-animals

3. Horikawa, Daiki (2008). Research on the World’s Toughest Animals. Retrieved from http://tardigrades.net/e-kumamushi.html

4. Jonsson, K. Ingemar et. al.. (2008) Tardigrades survive exposure to space in low Earth orbit. Current Biology, Vol. 18, Issue 17, p729 731, http://www.earthlife.net/inverts/tardigrada.html

Partner: Kostjan Ndrio

Assignment 3

A.

Throughout chapter three,  Molles discusses the affects of global warming and human influences on coral reefs. Through my understanding, global warming will affect the proportion of the earth’s water that resides in the oceans in two ways. Both possibilities include either an increase or decrease in the amount of water. If the glaciers melt because of high temperatures, there will be an increase in water. If however there is a constant lower tide season there will be less water. Heat waves can also dry up the water resulting in a decrease. As discussed in class, increased greenhouse gases would add fresh water to our oceans by melting glaciers. Increased rainfall at high latitudes would further lower the oceans salinity and inhibit water from sinking.

I would like to further elaborate on the topic of human influence on coral reefs. Many factors play a role when discussing what impacts have further harmed the reefs. For example, pollution including pesticides and fertilizers, runoff, and sedimentation. Estimates that have been studied about the Great Barrier Reef show that 22% of the world’s coral reefs are threatened by land-base pollution. Direct impacts on the Great Barrier Reef include a shift from phototrophic to heterotrophic. The corals have not been able to gain the necessary energy from light due to the increased turbidity of water. As stated on the site, 80% of the land next to the Great Barrier Reef is farmland that supports agricultural production. Due to the large amount of fertilizers used for grazing the cattle, there has been an increase in phosphorous and nitrous. When these fertilizers are over used, they leak into the ground and surface water. There has been much evidence that the Queensland Australia area has damaged the reefs due to the large amount of runoff of agricultural sediments.  There was also found to be a relationship that as coral cover and biodiversity decreased as the dose of pollutants increased. (Nowak, 2003) Overall, the pollution of the reefs by human influence is a major health risk for the coral as well as the biodiversity of the reefs.

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/gc2sec7labgroup3/pollution

B.

Part 1.

Luckily, I have never experienced a water shortage or water scarcity. If one did happen however I believe that it would be difficult to adjust. Water is something that we take for granted, for example taking longer showers, letting the water run too long and over using the dishwasher. By the rate of water we use today, I will be very surprised if we even have any water to use in 50 years from now. Causes for scarcity could include, no clean water to use due to draining problems as well as sewer problems. For example in Africa and India and many third world countries, they often experience pipe breakage, or in worst case scenario no fresh water available to them. Ways to conserve water include, showering once a day, not using the sprinklers or the dishwashers as often, shutting off the water when brushing your teeth and in general using water in smaller quantities.

http://www.marymount.fr/public/WaterDeficits/Developing%20Countries.html

Part 2-

Around the world, water scarcity is something that many people deal with everyday. It is not easily available for them and therefore water scarcity becomes a way of life for them. They learn to adapt to what small portions that they have, even if it means showering once a week or wearing dirty clothes. Some people are not fortunate enough to settle in biomes characterized with an abundant water supply. Others choose to live in desserts or dry areas where they practice saving water.   

 

 

 

Part 3.

Between 1950 and 2050 the worlds population according to the charts is predicted to change by 7.3 billion. The average world per capita water availability between 1950 and 2050 is predicted to change by aprox. 11,100. I think that there is a direct relationship between population and water. As population increases, water decreases. This is the case because there are not enough resources for the alarming growth in the world’s population. If the predictions for the world population growth per capita water availability hold true, the world in 2050 will have a significant decrease in the sufficiency of water. They will have to use water sparingly due the the drastic decrease.

Assignment 2

Part A-

When zooming in on Thessaloniki, in Northern Greece I decided to choose the  Ministry of Macedonia- Thrakis. The latitude of this landmark is 40° 38′ 22.85″ N, the longitude is 22° 56′ 35.85″  E

The coordinates of my house which is located in Garden City, New York are the following: 40° 44′ 03.25″N and 73° 37′ 10.82″ W. New York is considered a temperate forest biome. According to Molles, in our textbook a temperate forest biome has the largest living organisms on earth. For example the Sequoias. The geography of my biome can usually be found between 30° and 55° latitude. The climate can either be coniferous or deciduous and temperatures are not extreme and the annual precipitation averages between 650mm to over 3,000mm. The soils are usually fertile and as far as the biology, temperate forests are vertically stratified. Some of the most important consumers of fungi and microscopic invertebrate live in my biome. Human influences include, land cultivation and the practice of agriculture. I agree with Molles’ explanation of my biome because I found his evidence to be proven true in the following link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_City,_New_York

Here is also a picture of my house.

Part B-

Country	Ecological Footprint (EF) (hectares per person)	Proportion relative to world average	Proportion relative to world area available	Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita –  (in PPP dollar) (obtain these data from Globalis)
Bangladesh	0.5	0.22	0.28	1700
Colombia	1.3	0.58	0.73  (1.3/1.78)	6370
Mexico	2.6	1.17	1.46	8970
Sweden	6.1	2.74	3.43	26050
United Arab Emirates	9.9	4.44	5.56	12650
Thailand	1.4	0.63	0.79	7010
United States	9.5	4.26	5.34	35750
World Average	2.23	1.0  (2.23/2.23)	1.25  (2.23/1.78)
Japan	4.3	1.93	2.42	26940
Brazil	2.2	0.98	1.24	7770
Nigeria	1.2	0.54	0.67	860
Greece	5.4	2.42	3.03	18720
Your personal footprint	6.9	3.09	3.88

http://myfootprint.org/en/quiz_results/

I think the ecological footprint for people in Bangladesh is so small because there GPG per capita is one of the lowest on the chart. The income per person reflects on how much each can spend on items that would effect there ecological footprint. The United States in the other hand has such a large ecological footprint because there GDP per capita is one of the highest. Each person makes more money there which they can use to spend. Based on table 1, I think that average per capita income and ecological footprints are a ratio. Ecological footprints are a measure of human demand on the Earth’s ecosystem. Average per capita income directly affects ecological footprints because the more money one has, the more one has to spend on things that can affect the environment. My ecological footprint is much higher than that of Bangladesh, Sweden and Japan. It is lower than the United States and The United Arab Emirates however. To reduce my footprint I can perform actions such as recycling more often, conserving energy by shutting off lights, purchasing solar panels for my house as well as a hybrid car. These steps can all be taken to start improving our environment however it is not a one man show, we all must work together to help.

short answer choice C

My partner and I (quasar92@wordpress.com) decided to explore Manuel C. Molles Jr.’s, (author of Concepts and Applications and Ecology) statement that, “Behind the simple definition of ecology lies a broad scientific discipline.” When discussing this idea in class, we both agreed in order for something to be scientific it did not need to follow the scientific method per-say, but had to follow some sort of procedure or follow a formula. For example, cooking can be considered a science because through trial and error and experimentation, varying outcomes will result in either a confirmed thesis ( a trusted recipe) or a rejected one (a not so trusted recipe).

When discussing ecology, one must break this category down into multiple levels, or disciplines, in order to better understand each one. Manuel C. Molles Jr. discusses in his introduction, not only how the discipline of Ecology includes a variety of branches off of this broad, general term; but also how when thinking about Ecologists, the usual image is of one who studies in the field when in reality a majority of ecological developments occur in laboratories.

The important thing to recognize and remember when considering ‘simple’ things like the term ‘Ecology’; is that blanket descriptions strip things of their complexities and reduces a multi-dimentional topic to a flat, monotonous one.

HELLLLOO!

greetings everyone! I am new to this whole blog concept however very excited to start! I am currently a freshman in college with a concentration in political science and international affairs. I attend Northeastern University in Boston and will be completing a 5 year program there. I am currently in Thessaloniki, Greece studying abroad. Ecology 101 was a requirement for my major however I am very excited to elaborate on certain topics such as radiation and how many cancers are formed from it, global warming and also on certain ecological problems within Thessaloniki including but not limited to pollution and recycling. Like I mentioned earlier blogging is new for me however the purpose of this blog is to allow my classmates to get to know me better as well as informing each other on certain ecological events and problems that are affecting us throughout the world today. I was born in Long Island, New York, a very suburban area however the city of Manhattan is only a twenty minute train ride away. This close proximity to the city allows me to experience both the urban and suburban worlds. By this I mean the differences in each ones environment; the surplus as well as the lack of plants, trees and animals as well as the ecological problems in each area. Long Island is surrounded by many lakes, oceans, and rivers. Including Saranac Lake, Lake George, Jones beach, Point Lookout. Around my town in Long Island there is a major radiation problem. A proven study showed that throughout many areas of Long Island there was an increase in breast cancer. I would like to discuss this in class to understand more of the causes to this problem. When I graduate from college I plan on moving to Thessaloniki due to my Greek background. I am third generation Greek however speak, read and write it fluently. My dream would be to end up here some day and working for an international business. Throughout this past year there have been many environmental issues, some catching the medias eye yet others hidden. As we all know the Gulf Oil spill was disastrous however one issue that I found of much importance was the increase of pollution and the lack of dumping sites. I cannot even begin to fathom where all of this trash will be placed in the future. Through this class I hope to find answers as well and reasons to what will happen to our environment in the future.