Question

what factors might increase or decrease the probability of a species going extinct?

Answer 1

A species is able to proliferate when in ideal living conditions and with good reproductive cycles, right? So if we expand on that as well as the opposite, we should find the answer.
Decrease probability of extinction:
- Little competition within an ecological niche / food chain, available food/water supplies, ideal conditions for reproducing and sustaining species, etc ..
Increase probability of extinction:
- Undesirable environment, ie one with lots of competition over smaller food supplies, disease/contagion risk, bad conditions for reproductive cycles ..