Experts believe that the primary causes for the increase in the extinction rate of species are climate change and landscape alteration. Climate change impacts ecosystems and biodiversity through shifts in habitat conditions, altering species' ranges, and affecting reproduction and survival. Landscape alteration, often due to human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture, leads to habitat destruction, fragmentation, and loss of biodiversity.
While volcanism and a meteor strike can also cause extinction events, they are not considered ongoing causes of species extinction at the scale seen today. Instead, the current biodiversity crisis is largely driven by human-induced factors, with climate change and habitat alteration being the most significant contributors.