Regulating factors
In population ecology, a regulating factor, also known as a limiting factor, is something that keeps a population at equilibrium.
An example of a regulating factor would be predation or food supply. If the population increases to a certain size, there will be less food for each organism. This will lead to fewer births and more deaths, meaning the growth rate will decrease to zero. Therefore, food is a regulating factor in this scenario, as food supply keeps the population at relative equilibrium. Populations in predator-prey relationships are similarly limited by the populations of each other.
