Extinction is likeliest for 

rare species coming into contact with more abundant ones;

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 interbreeding can swamp the rarer gene pool and create hybrids, depleting the
purebred gene pool (for example, the endangered wild water buffalo is most threatened
with extinction by genetic pollution from the abundant domestic water buffalo). Such
extinctions are not always apparent from morphological (non-genetic) observations.
Some degree of gene flow is a normal evolutionary process; nevertheless, hybridization
(with or without introgression) threatens rare species' existence.
A population's or a species' gene pool is the variety of genetic material present in its living
individuals. Extensive genetic variety, or a wide gene pool, is linked to resilient populations that
can endure periods of harsh selection. Low genetic diversity, on the other hand, limits the
variety of adaptions that may be made (see inbreeding and population bottlenecks). The
likelihood of extinction rises when native genes are replaced with foreign ones, which reduces
genetic diversity within the original population.
Currently, the primary human driver of species extinctions is habitat deterioration. Agriculture
is the primary source of habitat deterioration on the planet, followed by urban growth, forestry,
mining, and some fishing methods. The fitness landscape of a species may change due to
habitat deterioration to the point that it is no longer able to exist and goes extinct. This can
happen either directly, as in a poisonous environment, or indirectly, as in a species' capacity to
compete successfully for scarce resources or against novel rival species.
A species can be wiped out quickly by habitat deterioration caused by toxicity by contaminating
or sterilizing all live individuals. By altering life expectancy, reproductive potential, or
competitiveness, it can also happen over extended periods of time at lower toxin levels.

The physical loss of niche habitats is another kind of habitat degradation. This is frequently
shown by the massive clearing of tropical rainforests to make way for open pastureland. By
removing the thick forest, many species lost the habitat they required to exist. For instance, a
fern that needs a forest's dense cover to protect it from the sun can no longer exist without it.
The devastation of ocean floors caused by bottom trawling is another illustration.

Degradation of the environment is frequently accompanied by diminished resource availability

or the introduction of new competing species. Some species have been able to increase their
range due to global warming, bringing unwanted[according to who? competing with other
species that used to live there. These new competitors may act as predators at times, having an
impact on prey species directly, or they may passively outcompete vulnerable species for scarce
resources. During habitat deterioration, it is possible to run out of food and water, which will
cause extinction.