several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage the

m in the gypsum sand. White Sands Nationa
l Monument pres
erves a major pa
rt of this gypsum d
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une field, along with the plants a

• nd animals that have adapted successfully to this constantly changing environmen
• t.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa B
• asin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders-the glistening white sands of
• New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert here and creat
• ed the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They grow, crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly t
• he sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the ex
• tremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals

adapted to des

• ert conditions struggle to survive. O
• nly a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in the gypsum sand. White Sands Natio
• nal Monument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have adapted successfully to this constantly changing environment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders-the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 s
• quare miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They grow
• , crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by the moving dunes, but se

veral types

of small animal

• s have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in t
• he gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have adapted
• successfully to this constantly changing environment.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert l
• ies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders-th Department of Education
• e glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand

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have engulfed 275 s

quare miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The d

unes, brilliant and white, are ever changing. They grow, crest, then slump but always advance. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of

the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to deser at New Mexico Tech:

• t conditions struggle to su
• rvive. Only a few species of plants grow rap

idly enough

to survive burial by the mo

ving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage

them in th