Increase In Population Pressure Research Articles

Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Sustainability/Survivability of Micro/Small Sized Businesses in Nigeria

Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is currently the biggest crisis affecting the world. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of millions and is impacting the economic lives, ways of life and at least psychological health of most people. We used Port Harcourt as area of study to understand if sizes and types of these businesses affect sustainability/survivability in relation to the impact of COVID-19. We administered questionnaires to 568 business owners/mangers of 11 business types of the two sizes (micro and small). The information gathered were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative means and also presented graphically. The micro-sized businesses were more successful in terms of their abilities to continue getting patronage, getting supplies, retaining workers and eventually making profit during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. Those whose products were considered more essential in relation to lockdown and health circumstances: fruit sellers, online enabled businesses, Point of Sale units (POS), drugs and petroleum product sellers thrived better than others. Considering the subsistent level of existence of these micro and small sized businesses, their major needs are effective provision of credit facilities and availability of other supportive business interventions including provision of palliatives/relief measures during crisis to real business operators and not to ‘ghosts’ by government and others to sustainably grow their businesses. As population pressure increases, with the attendant rise in unemployment rate, recommendation is made for business entrepreneurial skills to be incorporated into all levels of educational curricula to facilitate greater chance of success for those who choose the business pathway.

Modeling the effect of population pressure on the dynamics of carbon dioxide gas

To understand the effect of population pressure (demand of population for forestry trees and land) on the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide gas, a nonlinear model is formulated and analyzed. In formulating the model, four dynamical variables namely; concentration of carbon dioxide, human population, population pressure and forest biomass are considered. In the modeling process, it is assumed that the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide gas increases naturally as well as through anthropogenic emission. Further, it depletes naturally and due to its uptake by the forestry biomass. Moreover, it is assumed that both the human population and forestry biomass follow logistic growth and the population pressure reduces only the carrying capacity of forestry biomass, which decreases the absorption rate of $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ by forests. Feasibility and stability of equilibria are discussed. Analytical findings demonstrate that as deforestation rate due to human population crosses a critical value, the system destabilizes and oscillations arise through Hopf-bifurcation. Also, it is found that transcritical bifurcation takes place between two equilibria. Our analysis reveals that as the reduction rate coefficient due to population pressure increases, the forestry biomass decreases and the concentration of carbon dioxide increases. Numerical simulation is performed, which supports analytical findings. It is also noted that the dynamics of $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ is much affected by anthropogenic emissions but the impact of deforestation due to population pressure can not be ignored.

The impact of population pressure on global fertiliser use intensity, 1970–2011: An analysis of policy-induced mediation

Population growth generates various challenges for humankind. One such challenge is linked to the trade-off between food security and food safety (environmental quality). Increasing population and shrinking agricultural land necessitates productivity gains in agricultural production in order to secure food security. However, intensive use of agrochemicals (fertiliser and pesticides) impacts on food safety through deteriorated environmental quality. This security-safety dilemma is recognised but has rarely been thoroughly examined empirically. In this paper, we address the dilemma by examining increased fertiliser use due to population pressure. Based on a dynamic fixed-effects model and panel data for 77 countries for the period 1970–2011, we provide a solid empirically analysis of the trade-off. First, the findings show that population pressure has significant impacts on fertiliser use in countries with high population pressure. The impacts are both direct and indirect (i.e., mediated by agricultural protection and food trade policies). Our analysis demonstrates that an increase in population pressure by 1% yields a 0.118% increase in fertiliser use intensity for this group of countries. Second, the direct impact is aggravated by agricultural protection, but attenuated by food import in high-pressure countries. Third, countries with high population pressure import food from low-pressure countries to meet their food security needs in favour of environmental protection. This may not be a food safety problem for low-pressure countries as the fertiliser use in these countries is still relatively low at a level of only one third of high-pressure countries' fertiliser use. In other words, the mediating role of food trade appears to be a rational international solution. In the last decades, agricultural support of intensification of agricultural production by means of agrochemicals has decreased. A continuation of this trend together with increased international food trade and, in particular, technological innovation and infrastructural investment are needed to establish a better trade-off between food security and food safety.

Mathematical Modelling of Deforestation of Forested Area Due to Lack of Awareness of Human Population and Its Conservation

As the density of human population increases the forest density will be highly affected by population from time to time for agricultural, industrial, economic purpose, and etc. Because of lack of awareness about the importance of forestry resources, the human populations clear forests for different purposes. Keeping this in mind, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed and analyzed to study the deforestation of forest resources due to lack of clear information about utility of the forest as well as to increase forestry resources by plantation on the conservation of forestry resources. The model is in the form of ordinary differential equations. The result of this study shows that as the density of population as well as population pressure increases, the cumulative density of forest resources decreases. Reversely, the test of supporting human awareness on the importance of forest resources for global purposes show that as awareness of human population increases the declaration of forest resources decreases. In addition to this, increasing the density of forest resources through plantation may replace the clear-cut of forest area. This help the conservation carried out to in force the pressure of human population to save the forest density and forest habit. For these findings analytical and numerical analyses are performed.

The Shift of Staple Food from Sago to Rice: A Study about Food Security and Indigenous Communities

Food security is still becoming a crucial issue in developing countries nowadays, either in urban or rural areas. There are many factors triggered this condition, such as the increase in population pressure and conflict, privatization and changing tenure arrangements, poverty, social differentiation and also environmental degradation. It’s undeniable that food security is a multidimensional problem, especially for people who lived in rural or isolated areas. In Mentawai Islands, a district located in the western part of Indonesia, the indigenous people depend on forest product (sago) as their main source of food. However, since 2012, the government has destroyed their food culture by establishing the ‘National Food Security Improvement Program’ and conducting the agricultural intensification as well as establishing 600 hectares of new rice fields in six sub - districts; South Pagai, North Pagai, Sikakap, South Sipora, North Sipora, and South Siberut. This study is conducted comprehensively using the Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (FSVA) to understand and describe the exact profiles of food-insecurities and vulnerable households. Furthermore, it also identified the risks and vulnerabilities of food consumption in Mentawai communities. Findings depict that shifting or transforming the food culture from sago to rice is a serious issue because socio-cultural aspects influence it and surely the government has to make a parallel policy that can accommodate the people needs, not only prioritize the national development agenda.

Evaluation of Growth and Yield Attributes of Some Wheat Varieties under Local Conditions of Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Understanding how changing environment and cultivars influence crop phenology and potential yield is essential for crop adaptation to future climate change. Plant Genetic Diversity (PGD) provides the basis for survival in plants in nature and for crop improvement. Under changing climate scenario and increase in population pressure, wheat genotypes with attributes such as; short duration, lesser water loving, and abundant yield potential are of considerable importance. The present study was designed to evaluate best wheat genotypes which may better perform under the changing climatic conditions of southern Punjab, Pakistan. A field trial to study the comparative performance of newly evolved four genotypes; Millat-2011, Faisalabad-2008, Punjab-2011 and AARI-2011 was conducted at two different agro-climatic conditions of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, during crop season, 2013-2014. The design used was randomized complete block with three replicates. Plot size was maintained as (4x 6m) and (2.5x 6m) respectively, for site-1 2. Seed rate of 125 kg ha-1 was used. The recommended dose of NPK (128-114-62 Kg/ha), irrigation, weed control methodology and all other agronomic practice were kept the same for all the treatments in both sites. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out by studying different yield components (Germination count m-2, Number of Fertile tillers m-2, No. of spikelets spike-1, Plant height at maturity, Spike Length, No. of grains spike-1, 1000 grain weight and Grains yield) and their means were separated by using the least significance difference test. As per results achieved from the experiment, performance (growth and yield attributes) of genotype Millat-2011 was best as compared to all other genotypes tested under local condition. Millat-2011 recorded a significant increase in all growth and yield variables, including germination, grains number, test weight and yield of wheat under local conditions as compared to rest three genotypes.

English

Wetland resources of Nyando Wetlands support important economic and ecological activities. However, it is faced with multiple pressures from different anthropogenic Activities within the wetlands and upstream. The Nyando wetlands are facing increasing threats of reclamation for agriculture. This is bound to intensify as population pressure increases. The question therefore is; should Nyando Wetlands be conserved or converted? Using market and contingent valuation methods, within the benefit-cost analysis framework, an economic valuation was carried out to determine the benefits of conserving or converting the Nyando wetlands. The results revealed that Nyando Wetlands yield a flow of economic benefits of the consumptive goods and services estimated at about US$ 1.5 Billion (US$ 62,500 / Ha / year) with an infinite present value of US$ 75.5 Billion at 2% discount rate. Thus the reclamation of the wetlands would imply high economic costs to the government and local communities. To reduce the pressure of reclamation, it is suggested that educational campaigns on the importance of wetlands be carried out.    Key words: Wetland value, market price, contingent valuation, goods and services. &nbsp

A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR THE DEPLETION OF FORESTRY RESOURCES DUE TO POPULATION AND POPULATION PRESSURE AUGMENTED INDUSTRIALIZATION

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed and analyzed to study the depletion of forestry resources caused simultaneously by population and population pressure augmented industrialization. The control of population pressure, using economic efforts is also considered in the modeling process. It is assumed that cumulative biomass density of forestry resources and the density of population follow logistic models. It is further assumed that the density of population and the level of industrialization increase as the cumulative biomass density of forestry resources increases. The cumulative density of economic efforts, which are applied to control the population pressure, is considered to be proportional to the population pressure. The model analysis shows that as the population pressure increases, the level of industrialization increases leading to decrease in the cumulative biomass density of forestry resources. It is found that if population pressure is controlled by using some economic efforts, the decrease in cumulative biomass density of forestry resources can be made much less than the case when no control is applied. It is also noted that if the population pressure augmented industrialization increases without control, the forestry resources may become extinct.

Effects of population and population pressure on forest resources and their conservation: a modeling study

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed and analyzed to study the depletion of forest resources caused by population and the corresponding population pressure. It is assumed that the cumulative density of forest resources and the density of populations follow logistic models with prey–predator type nonlinear interaction terms. It is considered that the carrying capacity of forest resources decreases by population pressure, the main focus of this paper. A conservation model is also proposed to control the population pressure by providing some economic incentives to people, the amount of which is assumed to be proportional to the population pressure. The model is analyzed by using stability theory of differential equations and numerical simulation. The model analysis shows that as the density of population or population pressure increases, the cumulative density of forest resources decreases, and the resources may become extinct if the population pressure becomes too large. It is also noted that by controlling the population pressure, using some economic incentives, the density of forest resources can be maintained at an equilibrium level, which is population density dependent. The simulation analysis of the model confirms analytical results.

A RESOURCE-DEPENDENT COMPETITION MODEL: EFFECTS OF POPULATION PRESSURE AUGMENTED INDUSTRIALIZATION

In this paper, a nonlinear mathematical model is proposed and analyzed to study the effects of population pressure augmented industrialization on the survival of competing species dependent on resource. It is assumed that the growths of competing species are logistic and carrying capacities increase with increase in the density of resource biomass. Further, it is assumed that the resource biomass too is growing logistically in the environment and its carrying capacity decreases with the increase in densities of competing species and industrialization. The growth rate of population pressure is assumed to be proportional to the densities of competing species. Stabilities of all equilibria and conditions which influence the permanence of the system are carried out using theory of differential equations. Numerical simulations are performed to accomplish our analytical findings. It is shown that the equilibrium density of resource biomass decreases as (i) the growth rate coefficient of population pressure increases (ii) the growth rate coefficient of industrialization due to population pressure increases and (iii) the growth rate coefficient of industrialization due to resource biomass increases. It is found that the competitive outcome alters with increase in the growth rate coefficient of population pressure. Decrease in the equilibrium densities of competing species is also noted with increase in the growth rate coefficient of industrialization due to resource biomass.

Forensic Analysis by Comprehensive Rapid Detection of Pathogens and Contamination Concentrated in Biofilms in Drinking Water Systems for Water Resource Protection and Management

Clean fresh water is becoming an increasingly critical resource that will become evermore precious as more societies industrialize and population pressure increases. The critical nature of the water resource expands the vulnerability of the water supply to political and terrorist activities. With this expanded vulnerability, the importance of forensic analysis in management of water resources and protection from contamination increases. Herein, we propose monitoring the accelerated generation of drinking water microbial biofilms on "traps." The major problem with protecting water is the great dilution of the potential pathogens and toxicants. Our solution to this monitoring problem is to utilize the propensity of microbes and toxicants to concentrate at surfaces in biofilms. A logical, cost-effective method to sample pathogenic microbes and membrane-active toxicants in water is to recover biofilms from strategically placed surfaces. Modeling of the total system to maximize protection of each water system component would help identify the location of specific instrumented nodes. Nodes would be outfitted with sensors for reporting rates of general biofilm formation and some specific biofilm components. A change in biofilm at a node, or at some interval period, would signal recovery of some previously placed and colonized bio-trap beads at that node, which would then be rapidly extracted and examined for pathogen lipid, DNA biomarkers, and toxicants by tandem mass spectrometry. The lipid extraction facilitates recovery of DNA that can be used for specific microbial and virus identification. The biomarker analysis enables a much faster and comprehensive analysis than the classic microbial isolation and culture techniques currently used to protect the water supply. The total watershed collection, treatment, and distribution system would be instrumented to provide comprehensive monitoring for threat with time for purification and interdiction systems to protect the drinking water supply in the distribution system.

A recent history of forest fragmentation in southwestern Ivory Coast

This study provides monitoring and spatial analysis of forest fragmentation based on high-resolution remote sensing, in order to give a framework for assessing residual biodiversity in the Guiglo-Tai region. Massive deforestation has taken place, mainly in the last 20 years, 79% of unprotected forests have been eliminated on the 100 × 100 km study area. Deforestation is also beginning to encroach on protected areas. Forest fragments are mainly found close to the deforestation front. In areas which were first deforested, forest fragments are very scarce and are restricted to less productive soils; they are often severely degraded. Young secondary forests develop on abandoned fields, but primary forest regeneration seems unlikely in light of the distance from seed sources and the increase in population pressure. Conservation initiatives in this zone of high biodiversity should focus on protected areas, taking into account short and long term benefits for the local population.

Agricultural Production in the United States: The past Fifty Years and the Next

A MERICAN agriculture has been going through a spectacular revolution. During the first half of the twentieth century the net agricultural production' of the United States doubled (Fig. 1). Although population also doubled, American farms were able to provide both an increased per capita food supply and an improvement in the quality of the diet. For example, in the period 1gog-1952 per capita consumption of all fruits and vegetables rose by a third, of citrus fruits alone by four times, of eggs by a half, and of dairy products (exclusive of butter) by a third.2 The per capita consumption of meat was maintained, though a decline had earlier been predicted because of expected increase in population pressure on resources. Increased production was not based primarily on an expansion of the total land cultivated or on the use of more labor. On the contrary, the harvested acreage has decreased during the last 30 years, when the increase in production has been most rapid. The agricultural labor force decreased by one-third in the first half of the century. Farm output per hour of human labor has doubled since 1937. In spite of the enormous increase in production in the last half century and certain current farm surpluses, the thoughtful person may well reflect on the present high rates of population increase and ask whether American farms can feed an additional so million mouths by 1975 or possibly a hundred