Geoecologia das paisagens aplicada ao planejamento ambiental regional e local do parque nacional dos lençóis maranhenses, Maranhão, Brasil

Abstract

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP) is one of the largest natural reserves and a World Natural Heritage Site, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment, protected and managed by ICMBio. Due to this status, studies within the field of Landscape Geoecology have become increasingly essential, as LMNP represents a conservation unit with unique characteristics, structure, and dynamics. In light of this, the objective of this study is to analyze the landscape dynamics of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park from an interdisciplinary perspective, based on the Geoecology of Landscape approach, aiming to support environmental planning. A quantitative-qualitative methodology was adopted, grounded in the scientific and methodological framework of Geoecology of Landscape. The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park and the surrounding municipalities were treated as a single territorial unit, following the methodological phases of organization, inventory, analysis, diagnosis, and proposal. The interaction among the landscape elements and their interrelated processes allowed the identification and delimitation of Geoecological Units and their natural-anthropogenic processes, as well as their structural and functional analysis. These units comprise: Coastal Plain, Fluvio-Marine Plain, Fluvial Plain and Terrace, Coastal Plateau, and Subcoastal Plateau. The geoenvironmental dynamics of LMNP are highly variable, primarily influenced by wind action, hydrological dynamics, rainfall, and land use. Despite these factors, the forms and functions of the Geoecological Units and Subunits within the study area showed limited variation, mainly due to their genesis and the active dynamics occurring at the ocean-continent interface. Regarding the geoecological condition, none of the Geoecological Units evaluated in this study exhibited partial or generalized loss of spatial and functional structure, nor a gradual elimination of ecological functions, and the geosystem remains capable of performing its geoecological roles. Based on the results concerning the environmental state (geoecological condition), seven functional zones were identified: Conservation and sustainable tourism zones; Natural stabilization zones; Environmental protection and plant extractivism zones; Animal extractivism and artisanal fishing zones; Urban expansion zone of Barreirinhas; Agriculture and urban expansion zone; Agro-pastoral land use zone. The geoecological functional zoning of the Park and its surroundings provided insights for more balanced actions aimed at both conservation and human use, guiding environmental planning by considering the area’s environmental characteristics, vulnerabilities, and potentialities