Small-Population Vortex
The northern white rhino exemplifies this: reduced to <50 by poaching, then <10, now only 2 females remain (functionally extinct).
Population declines due to extrinsic threat → small population causes inbreeding depression → reduced fitness causes further decline → stronger demographic stochasticity → genetic diversity declines → population falls below Allee threshold → extinction. The northern white rhino exemplifies this: reduced to <50 by poaching, then <10, now only 2 females remain (functionally extinct). Conservation efforts couldn't reverse the vortex because genetic diversity was lost and reproductive rates too low.
Business Application of Small-Population Vortex
Organizations can enter similar vortices when resources decline below critical thresholds - losing key talent makes it harder to attract replacements, losing key customers makes the company less attractive to remaining customers.