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The San Andres National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern San Andres Mountains of southcentral New Mexico, USA. The refuge, which lies within the northernmost extension of the Chihuahuan Desert, has elevations ranging from to feet. Refuge habitats vary from creosote and Chihuahuan desert grasslands in the bajadas to pinyon-juniper woodlands at higher elevations. A few springs, seeps, and seasonal streams provide water for wildlife and riparian habitats in the refuge. San Andres NWR is completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range and is closed to the public for security reasons. ==Description== The San Andres National Wildlife Refuge preserves the largest intact Chihuahuan desert mountain range in the U.S. The refuge runs 21 miles north to south at the southern end of the San Andres Mountains. San Andres Peak is the highest point at . Bennett and Big Brushy Mountains rise to more than . The range is a fault-block tilted to the west. The eastern slopes of the San Andres rise sharply from the Tularosa Basin now largely part of the White Sands military base. The western slopes are more gradual, merging into the Jornada del Muerto.〔Kottlowski, Frank E. "Geology of San Andres Mountains" ''New Mexico Geological Society'' http://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/downloads/6/6_p0136_p0145.pdf, accessed 25 Aug 2013〕 The refuge is in the Upper Sonoran life zone characterized by semi-desert vegetation and grassland. One hundred and seventy two species of birds, including 5 species of hummingbirds, have been seen on the refuge. Large mammals include mule deer, mountain lion, desert bighorn sheep, and the introduced oryx. A black bear was seen on the refuge for the first time in 2010.〔"San Andres National Wildlife Refuge" http://www.sangres.com/newmexico/wildlife-refuges/san-andres-nwr.htm#.UhrCk5K7MmE; http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/sanandres/, accessed 25 Aug 2013〕 On rare occasions, javelina have been seen.〔"...Javelina....on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge" http://fws-case-12.nmsu.edu/kboykin/publications/SANWR%20GIS%20Project%20Report.pdf, accssed 25 Aug 2013〕 The average precipitation on the refuge is annually, although it is highly variable ranging from about 7 to 25 inches per year. Multi-year droughts are frequent. Most precipitation comes in the summer. At least 10 springs and spring complexes on the refuge provide water for wildlife and create riparian zones with cottonwood, willow, and ash trees. Some of the springs have sufficient flow to create live streams that run for several hundred yards before becoming dry washes with water only after major rainstorms. The springs are located at elevations of to in elevation.〔Rawling, Geoffrey C. "Geology and hydrological setting of selected springs on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge" http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/openfile/downloads/ofr400-499/476-499/493/493_CDROM/ofr-493.pdf, accessed 25 Aug 2013〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「San Andres National Wildlife Refuge」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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