Topic 8: Human systems and resource use

(16 hours)

8.1 Human population dynamics

8.2 Resource use in society

8.3 Solid domestic waste

8.4 Human population carrying capacity

At the end of Subtopic 8.1 - Human population dynamics, you should be able to:

  • Explain why crude birth rate (CBR), crude death rate (CDR), total fertility rate (TFR), doubling time (DT) and natural increase rate (NIR) vary so much between countries.
  • Calculate CBR, CDR, TFR, DT and NIR.
  • Discuss the nature of changes in the global human population, both past trends and future projections.
  • Discuss the impact of cultural, historical, religious, social, political and economic factors on fertility, mortality and population growth rates.
  • Discuss the uncertainties associated with projecting human population growth.
  • Explain the implications for Earth’s systems of the continued growth of the human population.
  • Discuss and evaluate the use of models (age-gender pyramids, the demographic transition model and computer simulations) in the prediction of human population change.
  • Analyse and interpret age-gender pyramids and the demographic transition model.
  • Analyse the impact of national and international development policies on human demographics.

At the end of Subtopic 8.2 - Resource use in society, you should be able to:

  • Explain how natural capital is dynamic in nature and how its value and status changes over time and space according to cultural, social, economic, environmental, technological and political factors.
  • Discuss how natural capital provides goods and services.
  • Explain how the value of natural capital is dependent on many factors including aesthetic, cultural, economic, environmental, ethical, intrinsic, social, spiritual and technological.
  • Describe and explain, using examples what renewable and non-renewable natural capital is.
  • Use a case study to show how renewable and non-renewable natural capital has been mismanaged.
  • Explain how renewable natural capital can be managed sustainably or unsustainably in relation to natural income.
  • Explain how extraction, transport and processing of a renewable natural capital may cause the exploitation of natural capital unsustainable.

At the end of this Subtopic 8.3 - Solid Domestic Waste, you should be able to:

  • Describe and explain the changes in the volume and composition of SDW over time.
  • Discuss and evaluate the waste disposal options - landfill, incineration, recycling and composting.
  • Compare and contrast the various pollution management strategies for SDW.
  • Evaluate the various waste disposal options for SDW with reference to the pollution management model.
  • Discuss the impact of culture, economics, technology and political attitudes on the choice of SDW management strategies employed by a society.
  • Explain the environmental problems posed the increase in abundance and prevalence of non-biodegradable pollution.

At the end of Subtopic 8.4. - Human population carrying capacity, you should be able to:

  • Explain the concept of carrying capacity.
  • Explain how carrying capacity can be calculated for non-human species.
  • Discuss why it is difficult to apply the concept of carrying capacity to human populations.
  • Evaluate the use of carrying capacity when applied to humans on a local and global scale.
  • Explain how humans can cause the total collapse of environmental life support systems through environmental degradation and excessive consumption of resources.
  • Define the ecological footprint (EF).
  • Explain how the EF is used to estimate the demands that human populations place on the environment.
  • Discuss the link between the EF and sustainability.
  • Evaluate the link between the EF and EVS/lifestyle choices.
  • Compare and contrast the EF of two countries.
  • Discuss how human actions that cause us to exceed carrying capacity and raise the EF, will limit population growth.