The environmental version of the Kuznets curveECONOMIC growth is generally assumed to be bad for biodiversity . That is right — but only up to a point . In the early stages of a country ' s growth , the human population increases sharply , natural habitat is lost and pollution rises . But when countries approach middle - income level , that starts to change , for several reasons : some of the effects of growth ( such as sewage systems and restrictions on factories ' freedom to pollute ) benefit other species as well as humans , population growth rates fall , people press governments to clean up their act and governments work better . This scatter chart , which uses change in forest cover as a proxy for the health of biodiversity , neatly illustrates the effect of prosperity . Poorer countries tend to chop down forests , richer countries to plant them . The turning point , on average , is around $ 18 , 500 . Read the full biodiversity special report here . http : / / ww 3 . economist . com / blogs / graphicdetail / 2013 / 09 / daily - chart - 10 ? fsrc = rss 출처 : The Economist 나라 의 경제 발전 과 산림 보호 에 대한 관계 를 설명 하 고 있 습니다 .