Regional Group of Monitoring of Water Bodies and Associated
Wildlife in the Selva Maya
Selva Maya
​
The Selva Maya represents one of the most important ecosystems worldwide and is considered the second largest continuous humid and sub-humid tropical forest in Mesoamerica. The presence of an important ecological and environmental gradient has enabled the distribution of more than 20 ecosystems ranging from the evergreen forests in Petén to the dry forests in the north of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Location
Group Objective
The group objective is to produce a standardized monitoring system for water bodies and associated wildlife, then using this data as an indicator for the state of biodiversity conservation and climate change in the Selva Maya. Based on the collected information conservation recommendations will be generated for various levels of management, hereby focusing on decision makers.
Challenges
​
The Selva Maya is an exceptional area being one of the most extensive and most protected tropical forests in Mesoamerica. These characteristics make the Selva Maya so incredibly important for the wildlife species that are in need of large areas of habitat, such as the Jaguar (Panthera once), Tapir or Danto (Tapirus bairdii) and White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), among others.
​
Threats
​
The Selva Maya faces many threats toward its biodiversity in all three countries; deforestation, fragmentation of the habitat areas, excessive and illegal hunting and moreover the ever-increasing cattle ranching and cultivation of crops, to name some of the problems which the region is confronted with. It is important to identify and to monitor the impact that these threats have on the wildlife species, specifically for the species on which the region has decided to put its main conservation focus.
​