<P> Currently , environmental groups and some governments are concerned with the extinction of species caused by humanity , and they try to prevent further extinctions through a variety of conservation programs . Humans can cause extinction of a species through overharvesting , pollution , habitat destruction , introduction of invasive species ( such as new predators and food competitors ) , overhunting , and other influences . Explosive , unsustainable human population growth is an essential cause of the extinction crisis . According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) , 784 extinctions have been recorded since the year 1500 , the arbitrary date selected to define `` recent '' extinctions , up to the year 2004 ; with many more likely to have gone unnoticed . Several species have also been listed as extinct since 2004 . </P>
what is the most important reason that species are going extinct
Explosive , unsustainable human population growth