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 several types of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major part of this gypsum dune field, along with the 's explosive testing facilities.

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 square 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 th

Principal Instructors

• e moving dunes, but several typ
• es of small animals have evolved white colorations to camouflage them in the
• gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major
• part of this gypsum dune field, along with
• the plants and animals that have adapted successf
• ully to this constantly changing environme
• nt.At the northern end of the Chihuahuan De
• sert lies a mount, Safety Officer, ain-r

inged valley, t

• Dr. Doug Olson, Manager of Testing Operations, Wilfred Baker Engineering Inc.
• he Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin

is one of th

• e world's great
• natural wonders-

the glistening white san

• ds of New Mexico.   

Great wave-like du

nes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert here and created the largest gypsu

m dune field
in the world. The du
nes, brilliant
and white, are ev
er changing. They g
row, crest, then
slump but always advance. Slowly

but relentlessly

Credits for this course count towards the Test and Evaluation Certicate offered by the Test and Evaluation Research and Education Center (TEREC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. More information can be obtained on the the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely hars