The Chaparral Biome

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The Chaparral Biome

• By Kelli Boone and Kelly Casarez

2
Introduction

• Extraordinary adaptations made by both plants and
  animals in this biome make it one of the most
  unique, sparse and yet diverse environments on
  Earth.

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Location

• This Biome is only located in selective areas on
  the planet such as Central Chile, the
  Mediterranean Basin, Southern Australia and the
  Southern tip of Africa.
• However, the Chaparral is also located all along
  middle and southern California.
• This is the same area where many wildfires occur
  and new suburbs are being built, making this
  unique biome one of the most controversial as
  well.

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Climate

• The Chaparral has mild winters and hot, dry
  summers.
• Droughts are extremely common. The average annual
  rainfall reaches only 6-9 inches.
• Most of that rainfall arrives during the winter ,
  bringing in electric storms which can spark a
  natural wildfire easily due to the dryness of the
  land.

• Average temperatures range from 10-12 degrees
  Celsius (around 50 Fahrenheit) in the winter, to
  30-40 degrees Celsius (86-104 Fahrenheit).

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Plants

• The shrubbery tends to dominate this biome and
  adaptations to wildfires and heat have resulted
  in many diverse plants which survive and
  reproduce in three distinct ways.
• Obligate resprouters, such as the toyon survive
  the fires by resprouting from their underground
  root systems, or burls.
• Facultative seeders, such as chamise both
  resprout and germinate after a fire.
• Obligate seeders such as Ceanothus are destroyed
  in the fire and depend on seedlings to replace
  their population. They need fire because their
  seed coats need fire to open them up so new
  plants can germinate.

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Plants

• Plant communities of the Chaparral biome mainly
  consist of shrub land such as that of
  Californias Chaparral.
• Similar plant communities can be found in other
  Mediterranean climates such as the Maquis in the
  Mediterranean basin, the matorral in Chile, and
  the fynbos in South Africa as well as western and
  southern Australia.
• The shrub land has different names in these
  countries, but have similar adaptations to fire
  and heat.
• The plants are the primary producers and the
  animals which either eat the plants or use them
  for shelter have also amazingly adapted to this
  fire prone environment.

The Fynbos in South Africa
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Animals

• The animals are mainly grassland and desert types
  adapted to hot, dry weather.
• They include the jack rabbits, mule deer and
  scrub jays, which rely on the plants for food and
  shelter respectively.
• Coyotes are a good example of secondary consumers
  in the California chaparral which hunt the deer,
  rabbits and birds amongst the shrubbery.

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Environmental Concerns

• Both the Mediterranean Basin and Californian
  Chaparral biomes are facing serious environmental
  concerns.
• Humans have hurt the Chaparral by cutting down
  trees that shelter birds and animals in order to
  build new suburbs.
• Fires also started by humans are considered
  necessary by many to cut back on vegetation that
  could be fuel for fire.
• However, thats a common misconception as the
  Chaparral is naturally adapted to its own dry
  vegetation which is used as extra shade and the
  leaf litter is absorbed by the soil and brought
  back to the live plants as natural food.

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Environmental Concerns

• Another false argument for controlled fires is to
  rid backyards of ugly shrubs. Many of these
  homes have been built upon Chaparral which has
  existed perfectly without the help of
  controlled fires.
• Another misunderstanding about the Chaparral
  biome is that the old growth is considered fuel
  for wildfires. Its possible for there to be some
  wildfires over the years, however, trashy and
  unproductive growth is actually needed for some
  plants to germinate, meaning that even a 30 year
  old Chaparral is just beginning a new life cycle!

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What You Can Do

• The beautiful Chaparral relies on its own
  vegetation to renew and recycle itself. Without
  the brush, plants and already small amount of
  land, its inevitable that it will no longer be
  an existing biome.
• Controlled fires mostly do harm to the Chaparral,
  so reduce or stop the amount of brush you burn
  because you may be destroying plant, and
  ultimately, animal species which might never be
  able to return and will eventually die off.
• New suburban neighborhoods being built on top of
  once thriving Chaparral are now cutting off
  animals from their food sources and reducing the
  important plant population. Dont plan on buying
  a home in the new neighborhoods which are
  actually embedded in old Chaparral which is ripe
  for new wildfires.

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Conclusion

• Without the Chaparral, there will be no more
  beautiful, rolling hills and lands of California
  or thriving European islands and cities. Many
  unique species will be lost if we continue to
  decrease this truly adaptable biome. Its amazing
  that the only real threat to the Chaparral isnt
  the hot sun or wildfires.
• It is man and his insatiable need for more land.