Forests in Belize that appear largely undisturbed today may still reflect how ancient Maya communities altered and managed the landscape, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Texas at Austin compared LiDAR data describing forest characteristics with the remains of Maya infrastructure in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area. The study examined an area that included the former Maya centers of Wari Camp and Gran Cacao, along with the Central Rio Bravo wetland field complex.
LiDAR scans allowed the team to assess features such as canopy height, foliage density, and the distribution of vegetation above buried or overgrown structures. The clearest relationship was found in areas once modified for wetland agriculture. Ancient canal systems may have changed how those landscapes developed ecologically, the researchers suggest, and the resulting forests tended to contain taller trees and denser canopies.
Vegetation around ancient settlements also showed distinctive characteristics. These forests generally had greater canopy cover, with more foliage concentrated in the upper parts of the canopy. The researchers propose that this pattern could have been affected by limestone leaching from Maya buildings into the soil or by the presence of tree species such as the Ramón tree, which is associated with Maya structures. These explanations remain interpretations rather than confirmed causes.
The team also assessed areas containing upland wall features. There, the connection between forest structure and ancient infrastructure was weaker, although some vegetation appeared to be concentrated at greater canopy heights.
The patterns were most apparent when the researchers analyzed areas measuring between 100 and 300 meters across. They caution that a substantially larger study area will be necessary to determine whether the findings apply across the wider Maya Forest.
The research forms part of the Bladen Legacy project, which investigates interactions between people and the environment in Belize. Lead author Sara Eshleman said the results indicate that landscapes often considered pristine may retain ecological effects from ancient land use. Mark Robinson of Exeter said LiDAR surveys showing settlements, terraces, walls, and wetland fields elsewhere in Central America could help establish whether similar effects occur beyond the study area.
