The Ubajara National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional de Ubajara) is a national park located in the state of Ceará, Brazil. It is the smallest of the 35 national parks in Brazil and is known for the Ubajara grotto.
Location
The park is located in the Caatinga biome. It covers an area of 6,271 hectares (15,500 acres). The park was established by decree 45.954 on April 30, 1959, and later changed on April 26, 1973, and December 13, 2002. It is managed by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The park is located in the municipalities of Ubajara, Tianguá, and Frecheirinha in the state of Ceará. It is next to the 1,592,550-hectare (3,935,300-acre) Serra da Ibiapaba Environmental Protection Area to the west.
The park is found on the western edge of the Ceará peripheral depression and the Ibiapaba plateau. The average yearly rainfall is 1,440 millimeters (57 inches). Temperatures range from 16 to 28 degrees Celsius (61 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit), with an average of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). The elevation ranges from 720 to 840 meters (2,360 to 2,760 feet) above sea level. The plant life includes remaining parts of the original forest, as well as new growth and non-native plants.
Conservation
The park is a type of protected area called a national park, as defined by the IUCN. Its goals include protecting natural ecosystems that are important for the environment and have beautiful scenery, allowing scientists to study the area, teaching people about the environment, offering outdoor activities, and supporting eco-tourism. Animals and plants that are protected in the park include the oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), cougar (Puma concolor), Maranhão red-handed howler (Alouatta ululata), the variable antshrike (Thamnophilus caerulescens), and the frogs Adelophryne baturitensis and Adelophryne maranguapensis.
Ubajara grotto
Located in the Ibiapaba Mountains, 320 kilometres from Fortaleza, the grotto features beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. These structures form slowly over thousands of years as water interacts with limestone. Each centimeter of mineral growth takes about three years to develop. A chairlift provides access to the grotto. The surrounding park includes waterfalls and walking paths through the forest. Visits to the grotto are managed by Ibama, the national environmental protection agency, and require prior arrangements. Other natural attractions in the Ibiapaba Mountains include Morro do Céu, a hill 820 metres tall, and Pedra de Itagurussu, the origin of the Pirangi waterfall.