AoR 152: Nathan Sayre on the Genesis and Limits of Carrying Capacity

The concept of carrying capacity has figured prominently in rangeland ecology and wildlife biology for a century and more. Where did this term come from? Nathan Sayre, a cultural geographer at UC-Berkeley and the author of the book "Politics of Scale - a History of Rangeland Science," answers this question. According to Sayre, "It is a truism that the Earth’s resources are finite, and that human demands must therefore be kept within some bounds. But this idea has a history fraught with intellectual and political problems. My work on scarcity, carrying capacity, and related ideas explores how these terms and concepts emerged, traces their shifting meanings over time, and reveals their hidden assumptions and flaws." Our conversation centers around an article he wrote titled "The Genesis, History, and Limits of Carrying Capacity." The origins of the idea and the term, which has been controversial socially, ecologically, and economically, may surprise you. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Visit the episode page to download the article or access the full transcript of this interview: https://artofrange.com/episodes/aor-152-nathan-sayre-genesis-and-limits-carrying-capacity