Which term refers to an environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing?

The term that refers to an environmental factor that prevents a population from increasing is known as a limiting factor. Limiting factors can include various environmental conditions such as availability of food, water, shelter, predation, disease, and other resources that restrict the growth and size of populations. When these factors are in play, they create a cap on the number of individuals that can thrive in a specific environment, which in turn helps maintain balance within ecosystems. Understanding limiting factors is crucial in studying ecology and population dynamics, as they help explain why populations stabilize at certain levels rather than growing exponentially.