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A striking feature of a desert landscape is the abundance of plant and animal life that thrives there. Despite the harsh conditions, deserts are home to many species that have adapted to extreme temperatures and lack of water. Plants adapt, allowing them to survive in arid environments. Similarly, many desert animals have evolved special adaptations to help them survive.
Such demonstrated survival of life causes me to pause with admiration. However, I’m concerned there will be even more jarring environmental changes in the not-so-far future, and humankind’s children and children’s children will face their own immediate survival decisions. May they have greater wisdom than we apparently do.
Trivia about White Sands Natl Park:
“Many of the white animals you might see in the dunes were once darker. Thousands of years ago, before the white sands were here, the landscape was much darker. As the gypsum dunes began to form, however, the landscape became more and more white. Lighter animals could better match their white surroundings and were thus more likely to survive and reproduce. As a result, after about 7,000 years and thousands of generations of living here in the white gypsum sand dunes, many animal species are now a lighter color than their relatives living outside the dunes just a few miles away.” — NPS Gov
Mentioned among these adaptive animals/insets at White Sands, are the Apache Pocket Mouse, Bleached Earless Lizard, Sand-Treader Camel Cricket, Sand Wolf Spider and White Moths.
Photos: These are a couple of Gypsum sandscapes at White Sands National Park that caught my eye.
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I loved the time we spent at White Sands. It was like photographing in warm snow. Beautiful landscape!
It is a fascinating place and very unique.
I did not know that about the color changes, so another lesson learned today. Thanks you! I really like your second image, something I am drawn to. I also, wonder what the experience of th earth will be like for my children’s children’s children.
I wasn’t aware of the color changes, Monte, but it makes sense once you’re aware of it. The future is certainly unclear, but I think it’s a ‘grave mistake’ if we think humankind is too big and powerful to fail, pun intended. :-(
Thanks, we will be thinking of you in the next few weeks!