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The dilemma of mountain roads

Mountain roads and trails are proliferating throughout developing southeast Asia. The long-term consequences of associated landslides and surface erosion on downstream aquatic environments could be severe, but are largely unrecognized.

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Figure 1: Extensive surface erosion and small-scale landslides in a system of logging roads and skid trails in the Bukit Tarek catchment, Peninsular Malaysia.

© ROY C. SIDLE

Figure 2

© ROY C. SIDLE

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Correspondence to Roy C. Sidle or Alan D. Ziegler.

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Sidle, R., Ziegler, A. The dilemma of mountain roads. Nature Geosci 5, 437–438 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1512

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