5 The Concept of carrying capacity

What is carrying capacity?

Carrying capacity is a notion of sustainable productivity; often viewed as a local descriptor rather than a predictive tool.

What does stocking rate refer to?

Stocking rate refers to the number of animals allocated to a unit of land for a specific time to achieve management objectives.

What is ecological carrying capacity?

Ecological carrying capacity occurs when all available home ranges are occupied, and population numbers stabilize.

What is economical carrying capacity?

Economical carrying capacity is when a population is maintained below ecological capacity, allowing for positive net growth.

What factors influence carrying capacity?

Factors influencing carrying capacity include management practices, vegetation successional state, rainfall, and species composition.

What was Danckwerts' definition of carrying capacity?

Danckwerts defined carrying capacity as the productivity of vegetation in relation to the number of animals that can be maintained sustainably.

What is grazing capacity?

Grazing capacity is related to the productivity of grazable vegetation, primarily grasses.

What is the Quadrat Method?

The Quadrat Method is a vegetation survey approach used to determine carrying capacity based on specific area observations.

What is the significance of palatability in carrying capacity?

Palatability affects grazing capacity; it is measured to estimate the grazing value of different vegetation communities.

What is the relationship between grazing capacity and animal units?

Grazing capacity can be expressed in animal units (AU), where different species are compared based on body mass and forage needs.