RE: How to determine carrying capacity of land?
[align=left]Carrying Capacity:[/align][align=left]balancing animal numbers to[/align][align=left]available vegetation[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]The concept of carrying capacity is complex and varies annually from ranch to ranch. Carrying capacity can be defined as balancing annual animal numbers to native vegetation. We consider there are two levels of carrying capacity for management purposes: optimum and maximum.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Optimum carrying capacity is reached when deer are receiving a diet that promotes good antler production, body growth, and reproduction. When 50% or more of preferred browse is utilized, optimum carrying capacity is usually exceeded. Physical parametersvof deer, including body weights and measurements of antlers can be used as a gauge of optimum carrying capacity. The addition of extra animals would degrade the physicalquality of the herd.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Maximum carrying capacity is defined as the point at which the range is saturated with white-tailed deer and/or other animals and additional animals would trigger a die-off. If 50% or more of the available nutritionally poor browse is utilized, maximum carrying capacity is often exceeded. The effects of animal numbers on the habitat should be[/align][align=left]monitored to insure that overuse does not occur. There are obviously many stages between optimum and maximum carrying capacity.[/align]