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| Selva Lacandona | |
|---|---|
| Name | Selva Lacandona |
| Location | Chiapas, Mexico |
| Area km2 | 10000 |
| Coordinates | 16°40′N 91°20′W |
| Biome | Tropical rainforest |
Selva Lacandona is a large tropical rainforest in Chiapas in southern Mexico that forms part of the larger Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and borders the Guatemalaan Petén. The region lies within the Neotropics and has been central to disputes involving Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, SEMARNAT, and international NGOs such as World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International. Conservation, indigenous rights, and development interactions have drawn attention from organizations including United Nations Environment Programme and researchers from institutions like National Autonomous University of Mexico and Smithsonian Institution.
The Selva Lacandona occupies foothills of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, extends toward the Lacantún River and the Usumacinta River, and lies near the Yucatán Peninsula. Major nearby municipalities include Las Margaritas, Ocosingo, and Frontera Comalapa, while adjacent protected sites include Biosphere Reserve Montes Azules and archaeological areas like Palenque. The topography ranges from lowland floodplains to montane slopes, with elevations influencing climate patterns monitored by agencies such as Servicio Meteorológico Nacional and researchers at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur.
The forest is a core area for Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspots, hosting assemblages studied by researchers affiliated with CONABIO and field teams from Harvard University and University of Cambridge. Dominant vegetation types include species of Ceiba, Ficus, and emergent trees documented in floristic surveys led by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and regional herbaria like Herbario Nacional de México. Faunal records include populations of jaguar, ocelot, tapir, harpy eagle, and numerous Neotropical migratory bird species tracked by BirdLife International and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Herpetofauna surveys reference taxa described by specialists at American Museum of Natural History and Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. Genetic studies by teams at Max Planck Institute and University of Oxford have explored population structure in focal species, while long-term ecological research draws on protocols from LTER Network.
The Selva Lacandona is home to indigenous groups such as the Lacandon Maya, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, and Chol, with cultural institutions including local ejidos and community organizations linked to EZLN-impacted municipalities. Anthropologists from University of California, Berkeley and University of Chicago have documented traditional practices, while linguistic researchers at SIL International and Linguistic Society of America have studied Mayan languages spoken in the area. Land tenure arrangements intersect with Mexican legal frameworks administered by Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas and casework litigated in forums involving Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Pre-Columbian occupation included interactions with polities centered at Palenque and trade routes toward Tikal, as shown in archaeological work by INAH and international teams from University of Pennsylvania and École française d'Amérique centrale. Colonial and post-colonial eras involved shifts documented in archives held by Archivo General de la Nación and studies by historians affiliated with El Colegio de México. Twentieth-century logging enterprises involved corporations referenced in economic histories alongside agrarian reform laws such as the Ley Agraria; guerrilla movements and social movements engaged with organizations like Zapatista Army of National Liberation and policy debates in the Mexican Congress.
Key protected designations include parts of the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve and sites recognized by Ramsar Convention partners and bilateral initiatives with Guatemala. Conservation programs have been implemented by CONANP, international NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, and academic consortia including Wilson Center collaborators. Initiatives have leveraged funding from multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and mechanisms associated with UNFCCC projects, while monitoring employs methods from IUCN Red List assessments and remote sensing by teams affiliated with NASA and European Space Agency.
Local economies combine subsistence agriculture, agroforestry, and eco-tourism enterprises linked to operators and researchers from UNEP and sustainable certification schemes like FSC and organic programs registered with IFOAM. Crop systems include traditional maize-beans milpa managed under practices studied by CIAT and Agroecology Network collaborators; community forestry concessions have engaged agencies such as FAO and financing from Inter-American Development Bank. Ecotourism routes connect archaeological tourism at Bonampak and Yaxchilán with community guides trained in programs by UNESCO and regional tourist boards.
Threats include deforestation driven by expansion of cattle ranching and commercial agriculture linked to supply chains monitored by researchers at World Resources Institute and Global Forest Watch, illegal logging networks investigated by authorities in Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente and transnational trafficking studies by Interpol. Climate change impacts modeled by teams at IPCC and CIAT predict shifts in rainfall patterns affecting hydrology of the Lacantún River and the Usumacinta River, while disease ecology research from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México examines zoonotic spillover risks. Conservation responses involve collaborations among CONABIO, CONANP, indigenous organizations, and international funders such as Global Environment Facility.
Category:Forests of Mexico