Maya Biosphere Reserve

 UNESCO biosphere reserve, invisible, draw only border

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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.
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.
The Maya Biosphere Reserve is divided into several zones, each with a different protected status. The core zones are formed by several national parks and biotopes (wildlife preserves), in which no human settlement, logging, or extraction of resources are allowed. These include Laguna del Tigre National Park, Sierra del Lacandón National Park, Mirador-Río Azul National Park, Tikal National Park, El Zotz Biotope, Naachtún-Dos Lagunas Biotope, Cerro Cahuí Biotope, Laguna del Tigre Biotope, and El Pilar Natural Monument. The core zones cover an area of 7670 km², which is 36% of the Maya Biosphere Reserve.