Fact and judgment in the search for a social carrying capacity

Abstract

An analogy drawn twenty years ago between biological carrying capacity and the effects of user density on visitor satisfaction in natural areas has elicited voluminous publication; yet, review of this literature demonstrates that the analogy has failed to provide management with a rationale for allocating use. A technical/computational solution for determining use levels requires a high degree of concurrence on social values and on scientific facts. The social carrying capacity model which seeks a deterministic solution is unable to achieve this concurrence. Social carrying capacity, in addition, stresses site products and visitor satisfaction, while neglecting site capabilities. Site capability analysis places greater burdens on management to use observation, judgment, and courage. Biosocial systems analysis is one such approach. It, as well as other processes of its type, avoids deterministic solutions to the problem of allocating access to limited resources and encourages managers to draw a clearer distinction between facts and judgments in decision‐making.

Key words:

• Social carrying capacity
• biosocial systems analysis
• recreation resource management
• recreation site management
• visitor satisfaction
• natural areas
• resource allocation