Portion of the Maya Biosphere Reserve located over the Naachtun Archaeological Site, is seen in this aerial image. 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 square kilometers in Peten, the northern province which is the biggest in this Central American country. The park is home to a large number of species of fauna including Morelet`s crocodile, Jaguars, Tapirs, Pumas, Wild Boars, Birds such as the ocellated turkey and insects. 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. 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.
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