ABSTRACT
The status and biogeography of Mesoamerican seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) are briefly described. Two areas with SDTF conservation initiatives, one in Oaxaca, Mexico, the other in southern Nicaragua, are described. The degree to which scientific practices have influenced their establishment is discussed. The reasons for the selection of these areas as sites for biodiversity conservation are shown to be largely determined without recourse to scientific procedures such as biodiversity assessment or systematic reserve selection. It is argued that such opportunistic reserve selection, especially where local concerns are taken into account, is inevitable and can contribute much to the conservation of Mesoamerican SDTF.
