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THE SELVA MAYA
An Introduction
The Maya Project took place within the tri-national "Selva
Maya" or "Maya Forest" region of Guatemala, and
adjacent portions of Belize and México, in the base of the
Yucatán Peninsula. Much of the project took place within Tikal
National Park, in Guatemala's remote Petén Department. The
park, created mainly to protect the ancient maya ruins of Tikal,
also protects a large expanse of mature tropical forest--at 24
km on a side, the park is 576 km2 in area.
Moreover, Tikal is situated within a much larger protected
area, the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Additional nearby Biosphere
Reserves in México and other protected areas in Belize join
together to protect the largest remaining expanse of lowland
tropical forest in Mesoamerica.
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A view south toward Guatemala
from a mayan temple at
Calakmul, Campeche.
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Vast landscapes here remain intact, complete with their full
biota, including large predators. Because of their great extent
and high degree of intactness, these forests (and some large
wetlands imbedded therein) are a global conservation priority.
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