Carrying capacity reconsidered: from Malthus' population theory to cultural carrying capacity

In this paper the concept of carrying capacity is investigated to provide a n improved understanding about its contribution to solve environmental prob lems. Light is shed on its form, interpretation and application in biology, demography, applied and human ecology. The analysis begins with an examina tion of the bedrock of carrying capacity which is Malthus' population theor y, and its mathematical formulation - the logistic growth equation. The inv estigation shows Malthus' thinking to be both political and normative. Furt hermore, the rigid assumptions of the logistic equation and the uncertainty of its terms are found not to allow an unequivocal calculation and predict ion of the upper limits (carrying capacity) of population growth. It is ill ustrated that in ecology, carrying capacity focuses on the quality of an ec osystem (pressures on it) and corresponding population numbers, and less on equilibrium of populations as in biology. It is shown that carrying capaci ty, when applied in fields where human activity or human aims are involved, is a complex normative concept influenced by ecological dynamics, human va lues and aims, institutional settings and management practices. However, it is demonstrated that the discussion about institutional settings, aims, an d values does not take place as much as necessary for its useful applicatio n and operationalization in such fields. Instead, authors fall back on sust ainability, environmental standards or resilience. The main contribution of carrying capacity in applied and human ecology is as a political concept g enerally highlighting that exponential growth and thus environmental pressu res have to be curbed. Carrying capacity is Ear from being a universal cons traint. Operationalization will continue to be hampered as long as agreemen ts are missing about which social carrying capacity is to be opted for and when it is considered to have been transgressed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.