Which of the following factors is critical for sustaining wildlife?

Protecting habitat is essential for sustaining wildlife because animals depend on their environments for food, shelter, and mating. Healthy ecosystems provide the necessary resources that support diverse species and maintain balanced populations. Conserving and restoring habitats can mitigate the impacts of pollution, climate change, and urban development, all of which can threaten wildlife survival.

In contrast, while maintaining animal populations is important, it cannot be effective without the protection of their habitats; if a species' habitat deteriorates, population management efforts may not suffice to prevent decline or extinction. Increasing hunting licenses and modernizing hunting methods may impact hunting practices and with the regulation of populations, but they do not address the fundamental need for suitable living conditions and ecosystems that sustain wildlife. Therefore, habitat protection is a cornerstone of wildlife conservation efforts.