Fighting for the Protection of the Maya Biosphere

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Success story of the third call: Fighting for the protection of the Maya Biosphere As part of the third call for projects in 2012, the Tropical Forest Conservation Fund of Guatemala (FCA) approved the project “Governance consolidation of Ruta Carmelita in the multiple use zone of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, Petén, Guatemala”. The Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) is recognized as one of the better preserved in Guatemala and is an emblematic site because of its biodiversity. Within the zoning of the MBR, multiple uses zone (ZUM) is key as the biological corridor between Tikal, El Zotz, Yaxhá, Mirador-Río Azul, Dos Lagunas, and Laguna del Tigre. In the last decade, the ZUM has hosted the development of a regional model of economic and social sustainability through integrated forest management in community and industrial management units (forestry concessions), which have paid significant dividends for the biological conservation and social development and improving the quality of people’s life. However, despite recent improvements in governance in the MBR and the ZUM in particular, Carmelita route sector remains strongly threatened. This situation has undermined governance in the sector so that CONAP (Guatemala’s Council of Protected Areas), allied communities and other institutions of Government and civil society commonly face difficulties to carry out proper land management activities, including the application of the law, patrols and access control. From 2012 to 2015, The FCA Fund supported different activities such as high-impact control patrols performed with the participation of 111 people from different institutions. The National Army, DIPRONA (National Police’ Nature Protection Unit) and CONAP performed 671 interinstitutional patrols. 2,348 board feet of cut timber were confiscated. The forestry concessions beneficiaries maintained 116 km of fire break breaches and performed 111 patrols in La Colorada and El Molino communities maintaining a recovered area of 4,000 ha. Multiple Uses Zone (ZUM) Tikal National Park Photos: FCG. .

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Canuto-Et-Al.-2018.Pdf
RESEARCH ◥ shows field systems in the low-lying wetlands RESEARCH ARTICLE SUMMARY and terraces in the upland areas. The scale of wetland systems and their association with dense populations suggest centralized planning, ARCHAEOLOGY whereas upland terraces cluster around res- idences, implying local management. Analy- Ancient lowland Maya complexity as sis identified 362 km2 of deliberately modified ◥ agricultural terrain and ON OUR WEBSITE another 952 km2 of un- revealed by airborne laser scanning Read the full article modified uplands for at http://dx.doi. potential swidden use. of northern Guatemala org/10.1126/ Approximately 106 km science.aau0137 of causeways within and .................................................. Marcello A. Canuto*†, Francisco Estrada-Belli*†, Thomas G. Garrison*†, between sites constitute Stephen D. Houston‡, Mary Jane Acuña, Milan Kováč, Damien Marken, evidence of inter- and intracommunity con- Philippe Nondédéo, Luke Auld-Thomas‡, Cyril Castanet, David Chatelain, nectivity. In contrast, sizable defensive features Carlos R. Chiriboga, Tomáš Drápela, Tibor Lieskovský, Alexandre Tokovinine, point to societal disconnection and large-scale Antolín Velasquez, Juan C. Fernández-Díaz, Ramesh Shrestha conflict. 2 CONCLUSION: The 2144 km of lidar data Downloaded from INTRODUCTION: Lowland Maya civilization scholars has provided a unique regional perspec- acquired by the PLI alter interpretations of the flourished from 1000 BCE to 1500 CE in and tive revealing substantial ancient population as ancient Maya at a regional scale. An ancient around the Yucatan Peninsula. Known for its well as complex previously unrecognized land- population in the millions was unevenly distrib- sophistication in writing, art, architecture, as- scape modifications at a grand scale throughout uted across the central lowlands, with varying tronomy, and mathematics, this civilization is the central lowlands in the Yucatan peninsula.
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