Scientists have found evidence that the ancient Maya left a lasting ecological footprint on Central American rainforests, with landscape changes that may still influence forests today.
New research in Belize suggests that Maya farming, settlements and land management helped shape modern forest structure. Researchers found differences in tree height, canopy cover and vegetation patterns depending on how ancient communities once used the land.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, was conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter and the University of Texas at Austin.
LiDAR reveals Maya footprint beneath the forest
Researchers used LiDAR, a laser-based mapping technology, to examine the modern forest canopy and archaeological features hidden beneath it. The technology has increasingly transformed Maya archaeology. A recent LiDAR survey, for example, identified 26 Maya ballcourts in northwestern Belize, including many that were previously unknown.
The team focused on part of the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area in Belize. The region includes the ancient Maya centers of Wari Camp and Gran Cacao, as well as the Central Rio Bravo wetland field complex.
The strongest relationship appeared in areas modified for wetland agriculture. Maya communities engineered networks of canals across these landscapes. Other research in Belize has documented how Maya communities transformed wetlands with canals and raised fields to manage water and support farming.
Scientists have found an ancient Maya footprint hiding in modern rainforests.
New LiDAR research suggests Maya settlements, farming and vast canal systems may still be influencing the height and structure of forests in Belize thousands of years later. pic.twitter.com/5fBrqBj3KB
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 2, 2026
Researchers found that forests in former agricultural areas tended to have taller trees and greater variation in height.
Lead author Sara Eshleman, a postdoctoral research associate with the Bladen Legacy project, said the findings show that tropical landscapes can preserve signs of human activity from the distant past. Forests that appear pristine today may partly reflect how Maya communities once managed the land.
Ancient settlements may have changed forest growth
Researchers also identified differences around ancient settlements. These areas generally had greater canopy cover, with more vegetation concentrated higher in the forest.
Several factors could explain the pattern. Limestone from Maya buildings may have gradually entered surrounding soils and altered growing conditions. The presence of species such as the Ramón tree, which is associated with Maya archaeological sites, may also have played a role.
The connection was weaker around ancient upland walls, although researchers found some evidence of vegetation concentrated at greater canopy heights.
The clearest patterns emerged when researchers examined areas about 100 to 300 meters (330 to 985 feet) across. The team said studies covering a much larger area are needed to determine whether similar patterns occur elsewhere across the Maya Forest.
Ancient Maya legacy could stretch far beyond Belize
LiDAR discoveries also show how much Maya infrastructure remains concealed beneath tropical vegetation. In Mexico, researchers used laser survey data to identify the previously unknown Maya city of Valeriana, along with thousands of structures hidden beneath the jungle.
Mark Robinson of the University of Exeter said that if similar links between archaeology and forest structure are found elsewhere, ancient Maya land management could have influenced large areas of today’s tropical ecosystem.
The research is part of the UKRI-funded Bladen Legacy project, which examines 13,000 years of interactions between people and the environment in Belize.
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