What is a limiting factor in population dynamics?

A limiting factor in population dynamics is indeed best described as a factor that causes population growth to decrease. In ecology, limiting factors can be elements such as food availability, water supply, habitat space, predation, disease, and climate conditions that restrict the size of a population. When resources become scarce or environmental conditions degrade, the potential for a population to grow becomes limited, leading to a decrease or stabilization of that population's size. This concept is crucial in understanding how populations interact with their environment and how various factors can lead to fluctuations in population numbers over time.

Conditions that promote population growth would be known as "growth factors" rather than limiting factors. A variable that has no effect on population size would not qualify as a limiting factor, while a measure of the carrying capacity relates more closely to the maximum population size the environment can sustain, rather than a specific factor causing growth to decrease.