ZME Science: tropical forests are threatened by “ghost roads”
Researchers have discovered more than a million kilometers of roads that are not shown on official maps. These “ghost roads” are often used by smugglers and poachers to access the rainforest.
According to ZME Science, one of the most serious threats to tropical forests has so far gone unnoticed. Researchers have discovered a huge network of illegally and unofficially laid roads that do not appear on official road maps. These so-called “ghost roads” are becoming more and more common in the biodiversity-rich Asia-Pacific region.
With the help of 210 trained volunteers, researchers mapped more than 850,000 miles (1.37 million kilometers) of previously unknown roads in the forested regions of New Guinea, Sumatra and Borneo – three of the world's six largest islands. These regions are biodiversity hotspots, containing the largest tract of rainforest outside the Amazon and Congo Basin.
“We found that ghost roads in these regions are between 3 and 6.6 times longer. than all mapped roads combined. What makes this situation critical for conservation is that roads are growing rapidly while remaining hidden and beyond government control,” explains one of the researchers, James Cook University Professor Bill Laurens.
Roads make access easier. forest hunters, timber smugglers, land buyers, illegal miners and poachers. Once they gain access, they can destroy forests, harm local ecosystems, and even expel or kill indigenous peoples. This plunder of flora and fauna deprives cash-strapped countries of valuable natural resources. For example, Indonesia loses about A$1.5 billion annually due to timber theft alone.
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