Carrying Capacity

The carrying capacity of an area determines the size of the population that can exist or will be tolerated there.

• Biological carrying capacity is an equilibrium between the availability of habitat and the number of animals of a given species the habitat can support over time.
• Cultural carrying capacity is the number and type of a given species that people will tolerate over time.
• Carrying capacity is dynamic and can change from season to season and from year to year.
• Regulated hunting, fishing, and trapping are important tools for preventing populations of certain species from exceeding the carrying capacity of their habitat.