The birth rate is also known as natality. The birth rate is used to measure the new individuals, at per unit population, and per unit time. Birth rate along with the mortality is sued for the calculation of population dynamics. The birth rate is a key factor for the calculation of popular numbers and its study that either it is increasing, decreasing, or if it is staying in the same size with no net change. The birth rate is affected by the many biotic, abiotic, density-dependent, and density-independent factors.
Crude Birth Rate and Specific Birth Rate
The birth rate is having the greatest influence on the increase of the population size. In scientific terms, natality is used regarding the crude birth rate, and it may also be calculated in the terms of scientific birth rate. The crude birth rate is an important parameter for the calculation of population size, which is counted as the number of births per thousand populations in a year. Whereas the specific birth rate is related to the specific criteria such as the age of the individuals of the populations. The calculation of the specific birth rates results in the age-specific schedule of the births.
Defining Terms of Birth Rate
The birth rate is defined in the terms of the natality rate, absolute natality, and the realized natality.
Natality Rate: It is defined as the number of births per thousand individuals in a year.
Absolute Natality: It is considered as the number of births, under the ideal growth, and the environmental conditions. Where the resources such as food, water, and shelter, are abundant and there is no competition of the resources.
Realized Natality: It is calculated by taking into account, the number of birth when the environmental pressure exerts its influences and directly affects the birth rate.
Importance of Birth Rate
Calculation of the birth rate of the species is an important parameter for the research for the preservation of the species. Studies are being conducted for the determination of the species, that are going to be extinct due to climate change, or due to the lack of resources. During the extreme environmental conditions, the measurement of the birth rate of the species, helps the scientists to take the important steps to keep that species alive.
The birth rate is widely used to study animal natality, plant natality, and human natality. The measurement of the plant natality is an uncertain factor. The reason is that the seeds are carried over the extended distances, and one may not be able to count and consider all the areas, due to diversity.