CHAPARRAL (a.k.a. Temperate Shrubland)

Olivia Gehrke

http://cpluhna.nau.edu/images/semiaridgrasslands92rw.jpg

• Typically found in coastal regions that are bordered by deserts

• Ex)• southern

California• Mediterranean

http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/jpitocch/genbi101/34_08TerrestrialBiomes-L%20copy.jpg

Overview•Abiotic• Rocky

• Lots of constant sunlight

• Many hills

•Biotic• Temperate shrubland

• Dense growths of• Low-growing evergreen shrubs• Small trees with leathery leaves (reduce

evaporation)

http://www.californiachaparral.org/images/555_PS-Chamise-RS-chaparral.jpg

Climate•Mild, moist, but doesn’t get a lot of precipitation•10-17 inches per year (mostly in winter)

•Summer=hot & dry

•Temperature usually mild but sometimes reaches hot/cold extremes•Average range: 30-70 degrees Fahrenheit

http://betterphoto.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5501d97a488330147e0f07ee8970b-800wi

Soil• Thin, rocky layer on top of subsoil

• Subsoil consists of clay or rock that holds moisture • Needs to hold moisture b/c summers in the chaparral can be very dry

• Plants use moisture in the soil due to the limited amount of precipitation

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wWY3RnqSbnU/S_TJlorkiDI/AAAAAAAAAFU/OKv8UzJEcq8/s1600/chaparral.JPG

Dominant Plants

• Blue oak

• Coyote brush

• Common sagebrush

• manzanita

http://www.igoterra.com/photo/999/012115.JPG

http://ucanr.edu/sites/scmg/files/30291display.jpg

Plant Adaptations• Chaparral biome is known for having

periodic fires, so some plant life has adapted to tolerate the fires.

• Some plants are fire resistant• Coyote brush leaves’ chemical make-up

prevents them from catching fire

• Plants have seeds that mostly sprout following a fire• Fire poppy

• Plants have to adapt to large variations in temperature• Blue oak can survive at 100 degrees

Fahrenheit for several weeks

http://www.laspilitas.com/images/grid24_24/3470/s/images/plants/304/Eschscholzia_californica-4.jpg

Dominant Animals

• Black-tailed jackrabbit

• Grey fox

• Wild goat

• Golden jackal

• Cactus wren

• Spotted skunk

http://www.tringa.org/images/9913500129_Black-tailed_Jackrabbit_10-20-2007_2.jpg

http://www.animalspot.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Golden-jackal.jpg

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/ibex_bezoar.jpg http://www.nickdunlop.com/data/photos/381_1greyfox1.jpg

Animal Adaptations• Have to be able to cope with fires

• Cactus wren breed in shrubs freshly recovering from being burned• Learned to make use of scorched environment

after a fire

• Black-tailed jackrabbit• Able to withstand large variation in

temperature; regulates body heat by increasing/decreasing blood flow in their very large ears

• Feed only at night when it’s cooler• Digest food twice; eat their waste in order to

get moisture out of it

• Modified diet for times of limited food sources• Golden jackal adapted to eating some insects,

even though it’s not part of their normal day-to-day diet

http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/mammals/rabbitsNhares/Jackrabbit.jpg

Ecological Interactions

•Birds nest in low-lying, thick shrubs•Protective

•Jackal is predator so keeps rodent and bird population regulated

•Wild goat also prey of jackal

http://www.lbah.com/images/RwandaTanzania2011/Serengeti/JackalGazelle-25.jpg

Human Impact & Problems• Humans build houses in

chaparral• Dangerous for humans because

of the risk of mudslides and fires• Also take measures to prevent

fires, which some chaparral organisms need to reproduce

• Though some organisms need fire, most don’t, so careless human behavior causing rapid, long-lasting fires can kill off a lot of non-fire-resistant organisms• Too much fire=depletion of

chaparral; native species killed; opportunity for invasive species to take over

http://www.biosbcc.net/b100plant/img/SW/FIRE02.JPG

Sources

• http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/communities/chaparral

• http://blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral_climate_page.htm

• http://californiachaparral.org/threatstochaparral.html