Use Exponential Growth when you need to project a population with continuous exponential growth. Enter Initial population, Growth rate per capita, and Time elapsed using the definitions and units below so the result can be reproduced.

Initial population

A finite measured or assumed value greater than or equal to 5e-324.

Growth rate per capita

A finite measured or assumed value, expressed in 1/time.

Time elapsed

A finite measured or assumed value greater than or equal to 0.

The published tool contract uses this rule: Project a population with continuous exponential growth.

Projected population

The calculated projected population.

The calculation does not propagate measurement uncertainty, sampling error, or biological and chemical variability.

Retain the original Initial population, Growth rate per capita, and Time elapsed values and their units alongside the result. Ecological Doubling Time is useful when you instead need to compute the doubling time of a population growing exponentially. Relative Growth Rate provides another view by helping you compute plant relative growth rate RGR per day as (ln W2 - ln W1) / elapsed days from dry masses measured at two times.

• Ecological Doubling Time

  Compute the doubling time of a population growing exponentially.

• Relative Growth Rate

  Compute plant relative growth rate RGR per day as (ln W2 - ln W1) / elapsed days from dry masses measured at two times.

• Specific Growth Rate

  Calculate the specific growth rate in inverse hours from two counts.