Flora of Belize

Situated on the Caribbean coast of northern Central America the flora and vegetation have been intimately intertwined with Belize's history.

The nation itself grew out of British timber extraction activities from the 17th century onwards, at first for logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum) and later for mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), fondly called "red gold" because of its high cost and was much sought after by European aristocracy.

The National Parks System Act of 1981 declared numerous protected areas, and the Belizean Government has been working with a prominent non-governmental organization (NGO), the Belize Audubon Society (BAS) to promote nature conservation within the country.

[6] A remote sensing study conducted by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) and NASA, in collaboration with the Forest Department and the Land Information Centre (LIC) of the Government of Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE), and published in August 2010 revealed that Belize's forest cover in early 2010 was approximately 62.7%, down from 75.9% in late 1980.

As a country with a relatively high forest cover and a low deforestation rate, Belize has significant potential for participation in initiatives such as REDD.

[10] A recent study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) indicates that Belize's mangrove ecosystems contribute US $174–249 million per year to the national economy.

[17] As well as logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum) and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) two other important Belizean timber trees of note are the Santa Maria (Calophyllum antillanum) and cedar (Cedrela mexicana).