One of the chief reasons among the following for the depletion in the number of species making it endangered is

Jarod Diamond in 1984 listed four chief mechanisms for the loss of biodiversity. It was known as the 'Evil quartet'. It was also known as ‘four horsemen of the ecological apocalypse. The four mechanisms were:-

a) overhunting (or overexploitation),

b) introduced species,

c) habitat destruction and

d) chains of linked extinctions (trophic cascades, or co-extinctions).

So, the correct answer is 'Habitat destruction'.