|

|

| | About Us | | |

|

 
 
 


Guatemala's Nature
Cloud Forest, Alta Verapaz

Nature Galleries: Wild Life   Plants    Landscape

Guatemala has in its 108,899 Sq. Km. (430 sq. Km. inland waters) and elevations from 0 to 4,300 Mt. almost every ecosystem with 2 exceptions that are Snow and Desert, giving our country a very wide Biodiversity. 

Usumacinta River,  Sierra del Lacandón, National Park

 36.3% or about 3,938,000 hectares of Guatemala is forested (2005). Of this, 49.7% or Highlands forest near Sololároughly 1,957,000 hectares is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse form of forest. including 17 Conipher (Pine, Cypress and Abets)Male Quetzal, K'uk'in Maya, Guatemala's National Bird and the name of its currency, Here in an Aguacatillo tree, its main food source. in the Cloud Forest, its Habitat species, the most in any Tropical  region of the world

Guatemala is the original land of value plants such as Corn, (81 varieties documented in 1925,  prior to the genetic improvement), squash, a wide variety of Beans and  Potatoes, Yucca (manioc), Avocado, Cacao, Tomato,  Zapote, Jocote, Chicle (chewing gum), Amaranth, Chili (Capsicum), and animals such as the Turkey (the North American Turkey was introduced by the English, 200 years after the Spaniards took them from Central América)Egret in a Mangrove forest, Pacific coast

Guatemala is considered the fifth Biodiversity Hot Spot in the world. The country has 14 eco-regions ranging from Mangrove forest (4 species), in both ocean littorals, Dry forest and Thorn bushes in the Eastern Highlands, Subtropical and Tropical rain forest, Wetlands, Cloud Humid forest in the Verapaz, Pacific Piedmont, and other regions,  Mix, Quercus and Pine forest in the Highlands.     See Maps

 

Regions, and Ecosystem Protected Areas Map Politic Map


Ramsar Sites
Mangroves in Manchón Guamuchal reserve
Laguna del Tigre, Petén

Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre (Northwestern Petén) 335,000 ha.
Manchón Guamuchal; ( Mangrove forest, Southwestern Pacific)   13,500 ha.
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Bocas del Polochic (Lake Izabal)   21,227 ha.
Parque Nacional Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo;  (Eastern central Petén)   37,160 ha.
Eco-región Lachuá ( Alta Verapaz)   53,523 ha.
Reserva de Usos Múltiples Río Sarstún (Izabal)   35,202 ha.
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Punta de Manabique; (Caribbean coast, Izabal) 132,900 ha.

  
Guatemala has some 1246 known species
of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of  these, 6.7% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 8.1% are threatened. Guatemala is home to at least 8681 species of vascular plants, of which 13.5%  are endemic. 5.4% of Guatemala is protected under IUCN categories I-V. Guatemala has the largest  Protected areas in Central América that are:

with a total of  91 protected areas and more than 28% of the territory as a protected area
Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites), 2006     7
World Heritage sites, 2005     4
Protected Areas: IUCN categories I-V,  percent of total land 5.4%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories Ia, Ib, and II, extent   percent of total land 3.72%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories III, IV, and V,   percent of total land  1.73%
Protected Areas: IUCN categories VI and other  percent of total land 17.85% 
Source: http://www.iucn.org , www.ramsar.org/profile/profiles_guatemala.htm

Guatemala: Biodiversity - Wildlife                                                        
Amphibians: total species 133, endemic species, 40, threatened species, 74
Birds: total species 715, endemic species, 13, threatened species, 10
Mammals: total species 193, endemic species, 3 threatened species, 7
Reptiles: total species 236, endemic species 28, threatened species, 10
Fish: fresh water 112, tolerant to salt water 185, salt water 354, total 651
Wildlife diversity total species 1928, endemic species 84, threatened species 101    
            Petén, near Yaxhá, Jaguar, 4 subspecies in GuatemalaHeloderma Charlesborgeti, endemic to GuatemalaRusset-crowned motmot, in The pacific lowlands, GuatemalaMotagua river, Red TigerSalamander, endemic in Guatemala (Bolitoglossa lincolni)

Guatemala: Biodiversity - Plants
Number of Native tree species:    700
Number of tree species in IUCN red list: Critically Endangered 2, Endangered 30, Vulnerable 51
Vascular Plant Species, 2004 Total: 8681
Number endemic: 117O
Orchids
734, Threatened 550
Number of Threatened Plant Species, Excluding orchids, (Year 2004), endemic species 40, threatened species 74
                    Endemic Orchid, Cattleya  guatemalensis
Maya Sacred tree (Yaxché), Ceiba Pentandra,  Guatemala's national Tree, in the maya site of Ceibal, PeténManzanilla, endemic fruit, Crataegus guatemalensisGuatemalan Fir (Abies guatemalensis), its disctintive smell its unique.Angels Trumpet, Used in Maya medicine and Rituals

 

     

Locations of visitors to this page

 
 

Last updated 22/09/2008 01:10:58 -0500
© 2005 Copyright, Authentic Maya