1. ecology the maximum number or biomass of organisms of a given species that can be sustained or survive on a long-term basis within an ecosystem 2. planning the ability of the land to support any particular maximum level of use or extraction given predetermined assumptions about type of use, quality level, or other factors 3. range the number of livestock that a range can sustain without over grazing and limited by quality of pasture or availability of water —see animal unit month 4. recreation the number of recreation users an area can accommodate during a given period of time and still provide protection of the resources and satisfaction of the users This definition last updated 10/25/2008