In population growth, the number of births during a given period refe…

The correct answer is Option (2) → Natality

The size of a population changes because of four basic processes. Two of them, natality and immigration, add individuals and increase the population density. The other two, mortality and emigration, remove individuals and decrease it.

(1) Mortality — Incorrect. Mortality is the number of deaths in the population during a given period.

(2) Natality — Correct. Natality is the number of births during a given period that are added to the population.

(3) Immigration — Incorrect. Immigration is the number of individuals of the same species that come into the habitat from elsewhere during a given period.

(4) Emigration — Incorrect. Emigration is the number of individuals that leave the habitat and go elsewhere during a given period.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 31-05-2023 (Slot 3).

NCERT Extract:
Population Growth – “… Whatever might be the ultimate reasons, the density of a population in a given habitat during a given period, fluctuates due to changes in four basic processes, two of which (natality and immigration) contribute to an increase in population density and two (mortality and emigration) to a decrease.
(i) Natality refers to the number of births during a given period in the population that are added to the initial density.
(ii) Mortality is the number of deaths in the population during a given period.
(iii) Immigration is the number of individuals of the same species that have come into the habitat from elsewhere during the time period under consideration.
(iv) Emigration is the number of individuals of the population who left the habitat and gone elsewhere during the time period under consideration.”