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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 M�xico, in the base of the Yucat�n Peninsula. Much of the project
took place within Tikal National Park, in Guatemala's remote Pet�n 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 M�xico 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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