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Lencois Maranhenses National Park State of Maranha Brazil

ABOUT LENCOIS MARANHENSES NATIONAL PARK  
Compliments of whc.unesco.org  (edited by LADATCO for brevity - entire documents available on http://www.whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6261 )

The National Park of Lençóis Maranhenses (LMNP), created by Decree 86,060, in June 2nd, 1981, is characterized as the largest field of sand dunes in South America. It comprises an area of 155 thousand hectares, of which 90 thousand consist of mobile dunes and lagoons formed by these dunes. It is located on the eastern coast of the state of Maranhão and covers three municipalities: Barreirinhas, Santo Amaro and Primeira Cruz. The LMNP is a federal protected area, and its management is carried out by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation - ICMBio.

Along the 80 kilometers of the coastline of the Park, there are 600 meters to two kilometers wide beaches, 10 to 20 meters high dunes, forming long winding stretches of sand with up to 75 kilometers in length, and more than 20 kilometers inland. The appearance of crumpled sheets of these chains is the origin of the name of the Park.

The LMNP is located in the Cerrado biome, but it has a strong influence of the Caatinga and Amazon ecosystems, so that species of these three biomes are found in the Park. The region is the source of the river Preguiças, which cuts the Park flowing down to its mouth, at the Atlantic Ocean.

As for the scenic attributes, the LMNP is considered one of the most beautiful destinations in the country. The Park combine miles and miles of white dunes dotted by freshwater lagoons, sometimes blue, sometimes green. One of the most known entrance portals for Lençóis Maranhenses is the city of Barreirinhas, 250 km away from São Luis, the capital of Maranhão. Well structured to welcome visitors, the city is surrounded by the dark waters of the river Preguiças - named after the presence of the mammal sloth (Bradypus variegatus)«preguiça » in portuguese.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value
(edited by ladatco for brevity - go to whc.unesco.org for total article)

Composed of large, white, sweeping dunes, at first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert, but in fact it is not an actual one. Lying just outside the Amazon Basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rains cause a peculiar phenomenon: fresh water is collected in the valleys between sand dunes and is prevented from percolating down by a layer of impermeable rock which lies underneath the sand. The resulting blue, green and black "lagoons" are surrounded by the desert-like sand, and reach their fullest between July and September.

The vegetation of the Park has the influence of three diverse and rich biomes, the Cerrado (savanna), the semi-arid Caatinga and the Amazon. In its 155 thousand hectares, it is home to diverse and fragile ecosystems, such as restinga (vegetation with marine influence), mangrove and dunes, the last ones being the main attraction of the National Park due to the lagoons formed during the rainy season.

In relation to fauna, there are four species included in the Brazilian List of Endangered Species, one bird, the guará (Eudocinus ruber), and three mammals, the otter (Lontra longicaudis), the wildcat (Leopardus tigrinus) and the manatee (Trichechus manatus). Among the endemic species, we highlight the Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera, an abundant and unique sponge which occurrs in the temporary lakes formed on the inner face of the Lençóis Maranhenses dunes.

The dunes in the Lençóis Maranhenses are formed and modified by the action of the wind, due to the constant withdrawal and deposition of sand. Over the years, the dunes migrate progressively in the same direction of prevailing winds. This continuous alteration reflects on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the lagoons, with modifications in the composition and dominance of species.

In the region of the Park there are records of 112 species of birds, belonging to 16 orders and 43 families. The Park is of great importance to the migratory species of North America, from where they arrive in the initial period of the year, the maçaricos (in English, red knot, Calidris canutus), the trinta-réis- boreal (in English, common tern, Sterna hirundo) and the marreca-de-asa-azul (in English, blue-winged teal, Anas discors). In relation to reptiles, we can highlight the tartaruga-pininga (in English, Brazilian slider, Trachemys adiutrix), an endemic species in the Lençóis Maranhenses area.

Four species found in the Park have been included in the Brazilian list of endangered species, one bird, guará (in English scarlet ibis, Eudocinus ruber), and three mammals, the lontra (in English, neotropical otter, Lontra longicaudis), the gato-do-mato (in English, oncilla or northern tiger cat, Leopardus tigrinus) and the peixe-boi-marinho (in English, West Indian manatee or sea cow, Trichechus manatus). In the mangroves, important species are the jacaretingá (in English, spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus), the veado-mateiro (in English, red brocket, Mazama americana) and the paca (in English, lowland paca, Cuniculus paca).

Comparison with other similar properties
(edited by ladatco for brevity - go to whc.unesco.org for total article)

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park has the appearance of a desert, but it differs from a desert area particularly in terms of the relatively high volume of water: up to 2000 millimeters of annual rainfall. More than 90 percent of this rainfall, however, falls between January and July, when it is quickly absorbed by the sand, raising the water table above the ground and filling the temporary ponds between the dune chains. These dunes barely move at this time of the year, due to the humidity and the lack of wind, forming lagoons with up to three meters deep. These characteristics are unique throughout South America, making the LMNP completely different from any other dunes field or a desert area.

If the comparison is made with desert areas, the LMNP still remains very unique and different from any other similar area. According to IUCN World Heritage Desert Landscapes (2011), the world's deserts cover about a third of the Earth's surface and occur on all continents, including Antarctica, in regions with a severe shortage of moisture, as levels of precipitation are low. 

All that said, the combination of biological and physical characteristics, such as the exquisite formations of dunes and lagoons and the presence of endemic and endangered species, not found in any other similar national or international site, makes the National Park a unique environment, full of biodiversity and scenic landscapes.