| Maya Biosphere Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Dense tropical rain forest in El Mirador, Guatemala. The hill in the foreground is the El Tigre pyramid, hidden by vegetation. | |
  | |
| Location | El Petén, Guatemala |
| Coordinates | 17°25′48″N 90°53′26″W / 17.43000°N 90.89056°W |
| Area | 21,602.04 km2 (8,340.59 sq mi) |
| Operator | CONAP |
The Maya Biosphere Reserve (Spanish: Reserva de la Biosfera Maya) is a nature reserve in Guatemala managed by Guatemala's National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP). The Maya Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 21,602 km2, one-fifth of the country's total land area.[1][2]
The park is home to a large number of species of fauna including Morelet's crocodile and the ocellated turkey. It is also rich in flora including breadnut, mahogany, Swietenia humilis, Bloma prisca, Vitex gaumeri, cedar, Bucida buceras, Haematoxylum campechianum, Rhizophora mangle, and Pimenta dioica. The area ranges from wetlands, to low mountain ranges, and has several bodies of water, including lakes, rivers, streams and cenotes.[3]
The Reserve was created in 1990 to protect the largest area of American tropical forest remaining north of the Amazon. The biosphere reserve model, implemented by UNESCO, seeks to promote a balance between human activities and the biosphere by including sustainable economic development in conservation planning.[3]
- ^ CONAP. "Listado de Áreas Protegidas (enero, 2011)" (in Spanish). conap.gob.gt. Archived from the original (xls) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
- ^ Wright, Andrew (11 July 2020). "Drug cartels fuelling loss of tropical forests". New Scientist. No. 3290. p. 17.
- ^ a b "Biosphere Reserve Information". www.unesco.org. UNESCO. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.