When people refer to cognitive ability, they usually are referencing the general overall cognitive ability, also called

G-factor

Explanation:

G-factor: In psychology, the term "G-factor" is also referred to as "general intelligence factor, general intelligence, or general mental ability". It is described as a construct that is being proposed in the psychometric investigations associated with human intelligence & cognitive abilities. However, the g-factor only targets a specific measure of "general intelligence".

In the question above, the given statement represents "g-factor".

the most likely outcome of fewer loon territories is that hawks would increase in proportion because the benefit of victory would be greater. hawks and loons are natural rivals of resources and victories in the game, since the lakes drying up affected the loons, the hawks would be benefited from the drought.