Road expansion increases deforestation through increased access to previously inaccessible forests, facilitating unofficial road building, legal and illegal logging, illegal colonization of previously undisturbed areas, land speculation, land grabbing, and forest conversion through illegal and legal means.Kirby, K.R., Laurance, W.F., Albernaz, A.K., Schroth, G., Fearnside, P.M., Bergen, S., Venticinque, E.M., da Costa, C., 2006. The future of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Futures 38, 432–453.Laurance, W.F., Albernaz, A.K.M., Schroth, G., Fearnside, P.M., Bergen, S., Venticinque, E.M., Da Costa, C., 2002a. Predictors of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Journal of Biogeography 29, 737–748.Laurance, W.F., Balmford, A., 2013. A global map for road building. Nature 495, 308–309 A strong positive correlation has been observed between road building and deforestation in regions such as the Amazon, Borneo ,Bryan, J.E., Shearman, P.L., Asner, G.P., Knapp, D.E., Aoro, G., Lokes, B., 2013. Extreme differences in forest degradation in Borneo: comparing practices in Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei. PLoS ONE 8, e69679. and Equatorial Africa .Laurance, W.F., Sloan, S., Weng, L., Sayer, J.A., 2015b. Estimating the environmental costs of Africa's massive "Development Corridors". Current Biology 25, 3202–3208. Around 95\% of all deforestation in the Amazon has occurred within 5.5 km of legal or illegal roads,Barber, C.P., Cochrane, M.A., Souza Jr, C.M., Laurance, W.F., 2014. Roads, deforestation, and the mitigating effect of protected areas in the Amazon. Biological Conservation 177, 203–209. indicating a strong association of existing and planned roads as a proximate driver of forest loss and degradation.Pfaff, A., Robalino, J., Walker, R., Aldrich, S., Caldas, M., Reis, E., Perz, S., Bohrer, C., Arima, E., Laurance, W., Kirby, K., 2007. Road investments, spatial spillovers, and deforestation in the Brazilian amazon. Journal of Regional Science 47, 109–123.
Road expansion increases deforestation through increased access to previously inaccessible forests, facilitating unofficial road building, legal and illegal logging, illegal colonization of previously undisturbed areas, land speculation, land grabbing, and forest conversion through illegal and legal means.Kirby, K.R., Laurance, W.F., Albernaz, A.K., Schroth, G., Fearnside, P.M., Bergen, S., Venticinque, E.M., da Costa, C., 2006. The future of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Futures 38, 432–453.Laurance, W.F., Albernaz, A.K.M., Schroth, G., Fearnside, P.M., Bergen, S., Venticinque, E.M., Da Costa, C., 2002a. Predictors of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Journal of Biogeography 29, 737–748.Laurance, W.F., Balmford, A., 2013. A global map for road building. Nature 495, 308–309 A strong positive correlation has been observed between road building and deforestation in regions such as the United States, Europe ,Bryan, J.E., Shearman, P.L., Asner, G.P., Knapp, D.E., Aoro, G., Lokes, B., 2013. Extreme differences in forest degradation in Borneo: comparing practices in Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei. PLoS ONE 8, e69679. and China .Laurance, W.F., Sloan, S., Weng, L., Sayer, J.A., 2015b. Estimating the environmental costs of Africa's massive "Development Corridors". Current Biology 25, 3202–3208. Around 95\% of all deforestation in European countries has occurred within 5.5 km of legal or illegal roads,Barber, C.P., Cochrane, M.A., Souza Jr, C.M., Laurance, W.F., 2014. Roads, deforestation, and the mitigating effect of protected areas in the Amazon. Biological Conservation 177, 203–209. indicating a strong association of existing and planned roads as a proximate driver of forest loss and degradation.Pfaff, A., Robalino, J., Walker, R., Aldrich, S., Caldas, M., Reis, E., Perz, S., Bohrer, C., Arima, E., Laurance, W., Kirby, K., 2007. Road investments, spatial spillovers, and deforestation in the Brazilian amazon. Journal of Regional Science 47, 109–123.
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Amazon, Borneo
United States, Europe
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Equatorial Africa
China
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the Amazon
European countries