In order to achieve ‘stable’ population growth in human population wh...
Population is said to be mature or stable when pre-reproductive individuals being only marginally more than the reproductive individuals. Hence, there is no increase or decrease in size of population and growth rate almost becomes zero.
In order to achieve ‘stable’ population growth in human population wh...
Explanation:
In order to achieve 'stable' population growth in the human population, there must be only marginally more number of pre-reproductive individuals than reproductive individuals.
Reasoning:
To understand why option C is the correct answer, let's consider the life stages of individuals in a population:
1. Pre-reproductive individuals: These are individuals who have not yet reached the age of sexual maturity and are not capable of reproducing.
2. Reproductive individuals: These are individuals who have reached sexual maturity and are capable of reproducing.
3. Post-reproductive individuals: These are individuals who have passed the age of reproductive capability and are no longer able to reproduce.
To achieve stable population growth, the number of individuals in each of these stages must be balanced. Here's why:
- If there are more post-reproductive individuals than reproductive individuals (option A), the population will decline over time. With fewer individuals capable of reproduction, the birth rate will be lower than the death rate, resulting in a shrinking population.
- If there are more pre-reproductive individuals than reproductive individuals (option B), the population will experience exponential growth. With more individuals reaching reproductive age, the birth rate will be higher than the death rate, leading to a rapidly growing population.
- The ideal scenario for stable population growth is to have only marginally more pre-reproductive individuals than reproductive individuals (option C). This allows for replacement-level fertility, where each reproductive individual replaces themselves and their partner in the population. The birth rate equals the death rate, resulting in a stable population size over time.
- Option D, which suggests both (a) and (b) as correct answers, is incorrect. Having more post-reproductive individuals (option A) or more pre-reproductive individuals (option B) would not result in stable population growth.
In conclusion, to achieve stable population growth in the human population, there must be only marginally more pre-reproductive individuals than reproductive individuals.
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