The Maya Biosphere Reserve (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 a total area of 21,602 km², which is considerably larger than Yellowstone National Park.
The park is home to a large number of species of fauna including the Jaguar, the Puma, the Ocelot, the Margay, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, tapirs, crocodiles, the Red Brocket and the White-tail deers, the Harpy Eagle, several hawk species, the Scarlet Macaw, fresh water turtles, etc. It is also rich in flora including mahogany, Ceiba, cedar, etc. The area ranges from wetlands, to low mountain ranges, and has several bodies of water, including lakes, rivers, streams and cenotes.
The Reserve was created in 1990 to protect the largest area of tropical forest remaining in Central America. 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.
Read more about Maya Biosphere Reserve: Humans Activity, Archaeology, Environmental Threats
Famous quotes containing the word reserve:
“In a democracy—even if it is a so-called democracy like our white-élitist one—the greatest veneration one can show the rule of law is to keep a watch on it, and to reserve the right to judge unjust laws and the subversion of the function of the law by the power of the state. That vigilance is the most important proof of respect for the law.”
—Nadine Gordimer (b. 1923)