Final answer:
A practice that reduces organisms' survival and reproductive capabilities is maladaptive, affecting individual lifespans, offspring viability, mating opportunities, and population genetic diversity. It also influences reproductive strategies, such as offspring number and parental care level.
Step-by-step explanation:
A practice that diminishes the chances of survival and reproductive success is considered maladaptive. Maladaptive traits or behaviors reduce an organism's ability to survive and reproduce, which may lead to decreased life spans of individuals, increased chance of offspring dying, and decreased chances of mating between individuals. Additionally, a small initial population size can lead to a decline in genetic diversity, making the population more vulnerable to diseases or environmental changes. Reproduction can also impact the survival and longevity of the parent organism, albeit the degree varies across species. This evolutionary balance between the costs and benefits of reproduction shapes the strategies organisms adopt, including the number of offspring produced and the level of parental care provided.