Mayan Biosphere Reserve
(By Rodrigo J. Gramajo)
Where is it even located?
You can find this reservoir in the Petén Department of Guatemala; in other terms, it is literally found in the northern point of the country. The biosphere covers around 21,602 square kilometres, making it the largest protected area in the whole nation.
This place was established in 1990 by UNESCO, an important division of the United Nations, to protect the natural resources and exotic species found exclusively there. Today, it is administered by a Guatemalan governmental entity titled as CONAP.
Biome & biodiversity of the area:
- Interestingly enough, this biosphere is a dense tropical rain forest with areas that range from wetlands and mountain ranges to many water bodies. Here are a few examples of them found in this area:
Wetland
Mountain Range
Water body
2. The region has a large number of species when it comes to fauna, for instance, they may be ranging from:jaguars, pumas, leopards, exotic snakes, spider monkeys, etc. However, fauna isn't the only remarkable thing in this vast region, there are also exotic trees such as the caoba, ceiba, cedri trees, etc.
How do humans affect the area?
The ecosystems found in the reserve are often threatened by human actions. For instance, illegal logging and farming are huge problems found in the area.
The worst part is that some people even choose to loot out the ruins originally built by the Mayans and sell their findings without the authorization of the Guatemalan government.