What factors determine carrying capacity? A case study from pastoral Tibet.

Through a case study from Pelgon County, Tibet Autonomous Region in China, this paper aims to enrich the existing literature on why and how applying carrying capacity to rangeland management may not be feasible even though it is claimed to be a scientific approach. The application of carrying capacity to rangeland management based on equilibrium assumptions has been the very essence of state policy on range management and pastoralism in China. Even if the concept of carrying capacity is relevant to rangeland management depending on rangeland ecosystems, a meaningful application depends on how carrying capacity is determined. This case study reveals that the determination of carrying capacity in practice has more to do with political and economic factors than with ecological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]