Final answer:
Artificial selection is directed by human preferences for certain traits in organisms, leading to selective breeding, while natural selection is an environmental process where organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main difference between artificial selection and natural selection is that artificial selection is a process in which humans actively choose and breed individuals of a species with desirable traits, whereas natural selection is a process in which environmental pressures naturally select for individuals that possess beneficial traits, which in turn increases their chances of survival and reproduction. For example, farmers may breed cows that produce a high volume of milk or dogs may be bred for specific traits, like size or temperament, which is an example of artificial selection. On the other hand, in natural selection, traits that enhance survival such as camouflage in animals or drought resistance in plants become more common because those individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to the next generation.