ABSTRACT
Access can be a double-edged sword. Remote areas of developing countries are often home to people who lack access to even the most basic health care. Some of these areas, such as rainforests, may also have high value in terms of biodiversity. In fact, remoteness and lack of access in these locations explain why these areas have remained ecologically intact and species-rich. In Kalimantan, for example, most logging occurs along roads and rivers; forested areas farther from roads and rivers are much more likely to have remained intact. The building of a new road may provide much-needed access for isolated local peoples, but it may also be the first step in a process that ends in the clear-cutting of the surrounding forest.
