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This graph shows a devious technique used to "prove" that a given resource is not currently shrinking. Two points on a curve are deliberately chosen to distract from an earlier plateau. Without historical context, the resource may appear to be in good shape. The deception only works if nobody bothers to study the curve.
This is how cornucopian liars can be technically correct with statements like "there is more forest land today than there was 70 years ago" or "the air in Los Angeles was cleaner in 1990 than it was in 1970." They restrict the time-frame of the comparison to mask subsequent declines; lying by omission.
Forest replanting has restored timber lost in old cutting frenzies, but demand for wood keeps outstripping the capacity of finite tree-farm acreage. Modern cars pollute less (per vehicle) than older ones, but population growth puts more of them on the road each day, wiping out the benefits.
Many such examples abound, including recoveries of animal species, followed by modern die-offs. Cherry-picked figures from narrow ranges do not describe current trends.