Which factor from the environment, such as predation or disease, affects population dynamics by leading to the death of some individuals?

The correct choice highlights the influence of selection pressure on population dynamics. Selection pressure refers to any external factor, such as predation, disease, or competition, that impacts the survival and reproduction of individuals within a population. When selection pressures are applied, they can result in increased mortality rates for less fit individuals, thereby affecting population size and composition over time. This phenomenon can lead to evolutionary changes as certain traits become favorable for survival in the face of these pressures.

Carrying capacity, on the other hand, is the maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely, influenced by available resources rather than specific mortality factors. Biotic potential refers to the maximum reproductive capacity of an organism under optimal environmental conditions, which does not directly account for environmental factors leading to death. Environmental resistance encompasses various limiting factors in an ecosystem that prevent populations from growing indefinitely, which includes selection pressures but is a broader term. Hence, selection pressure distinctly identifies how specific factors impact individual mortality within a population.