Final answer:
Low population growth rates among nomads like the !Kung are influenced by the challenges of a nomadic lifestyle, including the disruption of social ties, environmental pressures like climate change, and political and economic factors that limit resources and cause forced migrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A primary reason for low population growth rates among nomadic groups like the !Kung is due to the inherent challenges of a nomadic lifestyle. Nomads frequently move in search of resources, which can disrupt social ties and reduce the support network necessary for raising larger families. Moreover, environmental factors such as climate change are exacerbating these challenges by causing droughts and severe weather, which jeopardizes necessary resources like water and grasslands for their animals. Additionally, political and economic pressures force many nomads to abandon their way of life, and competition for natural resources with farmers and herders often results in reduced access to traditional lands, sometimes leading to violence and forced migration.
Other factors that contribute to low population growth among nomads include health challenges due to limited access to medical care, and the economic pressure to move to urban areas for employment opportunities. Nomadic groups like the San people of southwest Africa have adapted to arid conditions with a diet that may not support large families. Their semi-nomadic lifestyle, characterized by a lack of permanent homes and dependence on foraging and hunting, also discourages population growth.