What happens during the death phase of a population growth curve?

During the death phase of a population growth curve, mortality exceeds natality, which means that the number of individuals dying in the population is greater than the number of new individuals being born. This phase typically occurs after the population has previously experienced exponential growth and begins to face limitations such as resource depletion, increased competition, disease, or predation.

As the environment can only support a limited number of individuals, when the population exceeds that carrying capacity, decline in birth rates and/or spikes in death rates occur, leading to a decrease in population size. This reflects the natural balancing act of ecosystems, where births and deaths are dynamically influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors. The death phase can result in significant reductions in population size and is critical for understanding the population dynamics within an ecosystem.