is something that RESTRICTS the growth of a population in an area and prevents it from going past a certain amount

Limiting Factors

Explanation:

Limiting factors are both biotic and abiotic influences that restrict the growth of a population

Examples of abiotic limiting factors include the physical space that organisms occupy (is it big enough?) and the amount of sunlight (is there enough sunlight for plants to efficiently perform photosynthesis to support the consumers of the ecosystem.

Examples of biotic limiting factors include the availability of food (is there a large enough food source to sustain a large population?) and the presence of organisms that compete with the resources

b is the correct answer