When a tasistal with thousands or savanna with clusters of tasiste palm trees is set on fire all the bird nests, all the turtles, and lots of mammals are killed. It would be a great thesis topic, or topic for a peer-reviewed journal article, for a zoologist to study the Acoelorrhaphe wrightii tasiste palm tasistal areas in the Petexbatun area, Municipio de Sayaxche, Peten, Guatemala, Central America. With their results it could be easier to initiate programs to save these fragile ecosystems.
We visited, photographed, and documented the principal plants in these areas but to study the animals best if a zoology or ecology team spend a plenty of time at the comfortable local Hotel Ecologico Posada Caribe. This hotel is less than a kilometer from the larger of the two tasistal areas; and about an hour or so from the second tasistal area (perhaps 40 minutes by boat and then by foot 20 minutes, keeping in mind that access to the Faisan area tasistal is not as easy due to annual flooding, or in dry season no boat can pass there). But the larger Arroyo Petexbatun Tasistal is reachable all year easily.
Tasistal Arroyo Petexbatun, photos from ground level part I
Tasistal Arroyo Petexbatun, drone photos part II
Tasistal Arroyo Faisan, photos from ground level part I
This series of photographs of ecosystems of Izabal and Peten is available in two formats, 6MB and 27MB. You can post this, share it, use in in your classrooms presentations (no permission required).
The Spanish original (with video and voice) is already available below. The PowerPoint (in .pdf format, above) is updated with additional written text.
We (FLAAR Mesoamerica research team) are preparing to do animated videos to help school children around the world (and their parents) learn about biodiversity in the Peten, Izabal, and Alta Verapaz areas of Guatemala. We have a research library in-house, we have an e-library (over 4,000 downloaded reports, books, theses, dissertations, etc.). Plus we have the experience of Dr Nicholas’s half-century in Guatemala (arriving here in 1963).
But, the best way to learn is to ask local people in Peten, in Izabal, and in Alta Verapaz: they know things about local flora and fauna that is not in any book. So we asked park ranger Teco (Moises Daniel Pérez Díaz) if he had some suggestions for what aspects of the forest to show surrounding the white-tailed deer and red brocket deer: both live in Tikal, Yaxha and all nearby areas from Chiapas to Belize and up in Campeche and Quintana Roo (and of course elsewhere in Mesoamerica). But their diet will be very different depending on whether the white-tailed deer lives in Virginia, Missouri, Texas, northern Mexico, Oaxaca, etc. We want to learn about the deer in Peten and Izabal areas.
Unfortunately Zoom could handle only 100 people at a time, so the presentation was sold out quickly. Now, in the link for May 6, the entire presentation is now available as a download for you.
We have found and photographed Costus in full flower in
Parque Nacional Yaxha Nakum Naranjo, Peten
Along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal
Near Q’eqchi’ Mayan Aldea Rio Tzetoc, Muni Coban, Alta Verapaz
Arroyo Petexbatun area, Sayaxche, Peten
These are all areas that are seasonally wet.
On most of the Costus flowers in most of these areas there were ants happily wandering around the flowers. So if you are a biologist, botanist or entomologist, this is a great ant-plant mutualistic relationship to learn about.
Costus flowers, photo by Nicholas Hellmuth, Nikon D810, along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal, March 13, 2020.
Costus flowers, photo by David Arrivillaga, Nikon, along road from Plan Grande Tatin to Livingston, Izabal, March 13, 2020.
There are Costus flowers in many of the biodiverse ecosystems of the Municipio de Livingston, Departamento de Izabal, Guatemala, Central America. This is a friendly area: we come and stay an entire week each time.
As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic around the world clears up, we look forward to returning to Rio Dulce, El Golfete, Lake Izabal, and Amatique Bay to see, photograph, learn about, and publish more flora and fauna.
