 |
| -Image created by Microsoft Copilot |
Mesoamerica’s five forests stretch over 8 countries from Mexico to
Panama. They cover over 100 million hectares – an area the size of Switzerland. As well as being an ecological bridge between
North and South America, they are the world’s third largest biodiversity
hotspot, especially for birds and amphibians.
Home to jaguars,
tapirs and scarlet macaws, its high
diversity is due to varied microclimates and topography. The forests
also provide food, water and livelihoods for approximately five million
people. Between 2000 and 2020 these forests lost 1.4 million hectares or 23% of their area.
Historic forest loss was largely due to expansion of plantations but 90% of more recent losses are due to illegal cattle ranching and infrastructure development. Roads through the region fragment habitat and facilitate illegal logging and poaching, both of which are made easier by poor oversight, conflicting laws and poor enforcement. Here too, climate change is making itself felt.
| Forest Name | Countries Spanned | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Selva Maya | Mexico, Guatemala, Belize | Largest tropical forest north of the Amazon; home to jaguars and scarlet macaws |
| La Moskitia | Honduras, Nicaragua | Rich in wetlands and rainforests; Indigenous-managed |
| Indio Maíz–Tortuguero | Nicaragua, Costa Rica | High biodiversity and carbon storage; threatened by cattle ranching |
| La Amistad | Costa Rica, Panama | Shared World Heritage Site; cloud forests and endemic species |
| Darién | Panama, Colombia | Connects to Chocó-Darién; vital corridor for species migration |
Climate Change Impact:
- Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation stress montane cloud forests, accelerating habitat loss for moisture‐dependent species.
- Climate change is intensifying droughts, fires, and hurricanes, especially in La Moskitia.
- Amphibians face the fastest extinction rates, as microclimate alterations and disease outbreaks compound climate stress.
- Climate‐driven range shifts and extreme weather foster invasive species (e.g., Africanised honeybees), disrupting native pollination networks
- Changing weather patterns and more extreme events also impact the livelihood of the indigenous population which depends on the forests. Lower yields from traditional milpa farming practices - slash and burn agriculture which combines native plants with seasonal crops such as maize and beans, coffee and cocoa, leads to further land degradation and forest decline
- Community-led restoration is regarded as the key to the continued survival of these forests and to counter the effects of climate change
Conservation Measures
Two ambitious projects -separate but complimentary, are currently underway in Mesoamerica - The Five Great Forests Agreement and the Mesoamerica Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program.1. Five Great Forests Initiative
· Restore 500,000 hectares of degraded land
· Achieve zero extinctions
· Improve livelihoods for 500,000 people
2. The Mesoamerica Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program
Officially launched on June 24, 2025, The Mesoamerica Critical Forest Biomes Integrated Program brings together national and regional governments in Belize, El Salvador, Panama and Mexico, with researchers, various government bodies, business and other stakeholders and is led by the ICUN. Backed by $65 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and $270 billion in cofunding, it aims to achieve the following: · Promote sustainable value chains (e.g., cacao, shade-grown coffee)
· Restore 61,000 hectares of priority forest corridors
The dark -shaded area is the portion of Mesoamerica 's forests called Chocό -Darien
Chocó–Darién Moist Forests
Despite being ecologically linked to the Mesoamerican forests, this region on the southern side of Panama is administered by different governments and is therefore, despite some overlap, managed separately. It spans the Pacific coast of Colombia and eastern Panama, including the infamous Darién Gap. The moist forest area covers approximately 73, 556 km² and receives between 4,000 -9,000 mm of rain a year, making it one of the wettest and most biodiverse places on Earth.
Like its neighbour, Chocό -Darien is also home to jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, the vulnerable giant anteater and a variety of reptiles. It boasts around 577 species of birds and between 8 -10,000 different types of plants of which around 20% are unique to the region.
The main environmental pressures in the region come from logging, palm oil and banana plantations, cocoa cultivation and from gold mining. So far only 15% of this region is protected and what remains is highly fragmented due to roads and other developments.
The World Wildlife Fund is working with local partners including indigenous communities to expand and connect protect connected areas, enforce sustainable forestry and land-use practices and support indigenous stewardship and carbon credit schemes.
Happy Capybara Day!
Before we leave the Americas, we should celebrate this little guy - (Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris), the world's largest and coolest rodent. Found throughout much of the northern parts of South America, it is especially at home in the Amazon Basin. A smaller relative, (Hydrochoerus isthmius) is found around Panama.
Known for their calm, friendly nature, capybaras rarely show aggression and are famously tolerant of other animals. Their zen-like demeanour has made them symbols of peaceful coexistence—and the perfect ambassadors for a day of appreciation. Be like the Capybara!
Thank you also to Microsoft Copilot for help with tables, maps, html errors, and sundry other useful information.
Next: Tropical Rainforests of South East Asia
Comments