1. In some nations, well-educated, well-to-do families tend to have fewer children, and poorer families tend to have more children. How might such a trend affect a population in the short and the long term?

2. Many children growing up in China today will have no brothers or sisters, and their children will have few aunts, uncles, or cousins. The alternative, statistics predict, is mass starvation in the next century. Do you think China’s “one-child” policy has been an effective way to control population growth? Why or why not?

3. Cite three environmental upheavals that may have had a density-independent impact on wildlife populations.

4. In Pakistan, 43% of the population is under age 15 and 4% is over 65. In the United Kingdom, 19% of the people are under 15 and 15% are over 65. Which population will increase faster in the future? Why?

5. Describe a method to estimate the number of elk in a particular area.

Additional Questions and Terms

1. Suggest an experiment to test the hypothesis that crowding makes humans more aggressive and violent.