Carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size of a biological species that can be sustained by a specific environment, given the food, habitat, water, and other resources available. It is the environments maximal load, which in population ecology corresponds to the population equilibrium, when the number of deaths in a population equals the number of births (as well as immigration and emigration) . The effect of carrying capacity on population dynamics is modeled with a logistic function. Carrying capacity is applied to the maximum population an environment can support in ecology, agriculture, and fisheries.
Limiting factors regulate how many organisms live in an ecosystem, and they include space, food, oxygen, water, temperature, and precipitation. The availability of abiotic factors (such as water, oxygen, and space) and biotic factors (such as food) dictates how many organisms can live in an ecosystem. Carrying capacity is also impacted by the availability of decomposers, which break down and recycle dead organisms and organic matter.
In essence, carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support and sustain, considering its geography or physical features. It is different for each species in a habitat because of that species’ particular food, shelter, and social requirements.
