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Population and resources

I can describe the growth in demand for resources, understand its causes and consider different theories about the relationship between population and resources.

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Year 10
Edexcel B

Population and resources

I can describe the growth in demand for resources, understand its causes and consider different theories about the relationship between population and resources.

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Why is there a growing demand for resources?

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Key learning points

Global and regional trends show increasing demand for food, energy and water resources.
Increasing resource demand can be caused by population growth, rising affluence, urbanisation and industrialisation.
Theories can help to explain relationships between population and resources, e.g. Malthus and Boserup.

Keywords

Industrialisation - where a mainly agricultural society changes and begins to depend more on manufacturing industries
Affluence - the wealth of individuals or societies, which rises with industrialisation and the creation of a middle class
Urbanisation - a rise in the proportion of people living in urban areas
Malthus - Thomas Malthus (born 1766) took a pessimistic view of the link between population growth and resources
Boserup - Ester Boserup (born 1910) took an optimistic view of the link between population growth and agriculture

Common misconception

Global resources are only running out because the global population is rising.

Population growth is just one of many factors contributing to increased demand for resources.

There are opportunities for developing geographical skills (using graphs and maps showing global and regional trends). Some graphs, in particular may be explored using interactive versions online.

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The biosphere provides us with a wide range of benefits known as ecosystem …

components.

features.

flows.

Correct answer: services.

stores.

Q2.
Nutrients cycle between three different stores in a forest ecosystem: the soil, biomass and __________ stores.

bedrock

fungi

groundwater

Correct answer: litter

Q3.
Decomposers play a key role in nutrient cycling. A number of different organisms may be decomposers in a forest ecosystem, including …

animal waste.

Correct answer: bacteria.

Correct answer: fungi.

dead plant matter.

trees.

Q4.
Decomposers not only return nutrients to the atmosphere, but also to the store, ready for plant uptake.

Correct Answer: soil, humus

Q5.
Put the letters below in the correct order to fill in the gap in the following sentence about sequestration: 'Green plants photosynthesise by removing __________ from the atmosphere.'

1 - c

2 - a

3 - r

4 - b

5 - o

6 - n

Q6.
The biosphere plays a role in regulating the movement of water within the hydrological cycle. Which of these processes relate to this regulating role?

decomposition

Correct answer: evapotranspiration

Correct answer: infiltration

Correct answer: interception

weathering

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
The United Nations (UN) predicts that the __________ population will continue to grow until the 2080s.

Correct answer: global

local

national

Q2.
Growth in population will place greater demands on food, energy and water .

Correct Answer: resources, sources, supplies

Q3.
What is the process called by which a mainly agricultural society changes and begins to depend more on manufacturing industries?

affluence

Correct answer: industrialisation

a newly emerging economy

urbanisation

Q4.
People in newly emerging economies may experience a rise in as a result of exporting larger quantities of goods to other countries.

Correct Answer: affluence

Q5.
Malthus took __________ view of the relationship between population growth and the growth of resources such as food.

an altruistic

an optimistic

Correct answer: a pessimistic

a positive

Q6.
Boserup saw population growth as a driver for innovation in food production. She thus took a more __________ view of the relationship between population and resources than Malthus did.

altruistic

negative

Correct answer: optimistic

pessimistic

Lesson appears in

UnitGeography / Global biomes

Edexcel BGeography

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Population and resources

Population and resources

Lesson slides

Video & audio clips

Why is there a growing demand for resources?

Lesson details

Key learning points

Keywords

Common misconception

Equipment

Licence

Lesson video

Worksheet

Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.The biosphere provides us with a wide range of benefits known as ecosystem …

Q2.Nutrients cycle between three different stores in a forest ecosystem: the soil, biomass and __________ stores.

Q3.Decomposers play a key role in nutrient cycling. A number of different organisms may be decomposers in a forest ecosystem, including …

Q4.Decomposers not only return nutrients to the atmosphere, but also to the store, ready for plant uptake.

Q5.Put the letters below in the correct order to fill in the gap in the following sentence about sequestration: 'Green plants photosynthesise by removing __________ from the atmosphere.'

Q6.The biosphere plays a role in regulating the movement of water within the hydrological cycle. Which of these processes relate to this regulating role?

Assessment exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.The United Nations (UN) predicts that the __________ population will continue to grow until the 2080s.

Q2.Growth in population will place greater demands on food, energy and water .

Q3.What is the process called by which a mainly agricultural society changes and begins to depend more on manufacturing industries?

Q4.People in newly emerging economies may experience a rise in as a result of exporting larger quantities of goods to other countries.

Q5.Malthus took __________ view of the relationship between population growth and the growth of resources such as food.

Q6.Boserup saw population growth as a driver for innovation in food production. She thus took a more __________ view of the relationship between population and resources than Malthus did.

Lesson appears in

UnitGeography / Global biomes

Edexcel BGeography

Q1.
The biosphere provides us with a wide range of benefits known as ecosystem …

Q2.
Nutrients cycle between three different stores in a forest ecosystem: the soil, biomass and __________ stores.

Q3.
Decomposers play a key role in nutrient cycling. A number of different organisms may be decomposers in a forest ecosystem, including …

Q4.
Decomposers not only return nutrients to the atmosphere, but also to the store, ready for plant uptake.

Q5.
Put the letters below in the correct order to fill in the gap in the following sentence about sequestration: 'Green plants photosynthesise by removing __________ from the atmosphere.'

Q6.
The biosphere plays a role in regulating the movement of water within the hydrological cycle. Which of these processes relate to this regulating role?

Q1.
The United Nations (UN) predicts that the __________ population will continue to grow until the 2080s.

Q2.
Growth in population will place greater demands on food, energy and water .

Q3.
What is the process called by which a mainly agricultural society changes and begins to depend more on manufacturing industries?

Q4.
People in newly emerging economies may experience a rise in as a result of exporting larger quantities of goods to other countries.

Q5.
Malthus took __________ view of the relationship between population growth and the growth of resources such as food.

Q6.
Boserup saw population growth as a driver for innovation in food production. She thus took a more __________ view of the relationship between population and resources than Malthus did.