SierraLacAndon.org
Title
Conservation and Research in the Sierra del Lacandón National Park
Contact
- Sierra del Lacandon Regional Archaeology Project
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- Philadelphia PA
- US 19146
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- +2.58931243
Description
the text and images in this page come from the park description on the Defensores de la Naturaleza webpage. The text was translated by Dr. Charles Golden
The Sierra del Lacandón is the second largest park in the Maya Biosphere Reserve and the third largest in the country of Guatemala. Located in the northwestern section of the department of Petén, in the municipality of La Libertad, it is a region of great scenic beauty following the length of the Usumacinta River, along the border with Mexico. The park occupies a very important place in the northern part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (Corredor Biológico Mesoamericano or CBM, in Spanish). At present, the area of the Sierra del Lacandón is the only natural bridge connecting the mountainous ecosystems of northeastern Chiapas with the forest and wetland ecosystems in the lowlands of the Petén. The Usumacinta River also represents a link between the ecosystems of its upper and lower drainages.
Given the conjunction of various physical and biological elements, the Sierra del Lacandón National Park exhibits phenomena and sites with characteristics of high value for conservation. Specifically, certain ecosystems of the park, such as cenotes and certain small lakes, have conditions of isolation favorable to the evolution of endemic systems. Moreover, the mountainous topography and relatively isolated hills favor the development of these systems in organisms of limited distribution. These systems have not been examined in detail, as the area has remained largely unexplored for many years. It is important to note that in some sense the park has been conserved thanks to the presence during the civil war of the Communities of Populations in Resistance (CPRs).
