the maximum population of a given species that can be supported by a given habitat. For example, a northern forest has a larger carrying capacity for bear than does a parking lot. This ever-fluctuating quantity is affected by many factors such as the food supply; the species' ability to tolerate neighbors, both wild and human; and the season (some areas can support more animals during the summer, when food and shelter are readily available, than they can during the winter, when those resources are scarce).