Which concept describes environmental conditions that favor specific traits in individuals?

The concept that best describes environmental conditions that favor specific traits in individuals is selective pressure. Selective pressure refers to the environmental factors that influence which traits are advantageous for survival and reproduction within a population. These factors can include climate, availability of resources, predation, competition, and disease. When certain traits increase the likelihood of survival in a specific environment, those traits are more likely to be passed on to future generations.

Natural selection is closely related, as it describes the process through which selective pressures lead to the evolution of species over time by favoring those traits that confer advantages. However, selective pressure specifically emphasizes the environmental conditions themselves, making it the more precise answer in this context.

Carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of individuals that an environment can support sustainably, while fitness is a measure of an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment. These concepts are important in understanding ecological dynamics but do not specifically describe the environmental conditions that favor traits.