Chaparral – A Minor Biome
Sample Project
Chaparral

Major Climate
Hot, dry summers (40ºC)
and Cool (10 ºC), moist
winters
38-102 cm
precipitation/year (mostly
winter rain)
2 main seasons
Chaparral

Geography
Southwestern US, Coastal Chile, Mediterranean Coast, Southern and
Western Coastal Australia, and Southwestern South Africa
It is found in US (California)
Coastal
Chaparral
 Producers
Scrub Oak
Chaparral Pea
Deerweed
Yucca
Chaparral - Producers

Scrub Oak
1-2 meters tall
Found in Chaparral and
other locations
Acorns can be irritating to
skin
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query
Chaparral– Producers

Chaparral Pea
Low Dense Thickets
Found on hills, slopes
and in recently burned
areas
One of few nitrogen-fixing
plants in Chaparral
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query
Chaparral - Producers

Deerweed
1 meter mound shape
Commonly found in many
areas of western North
America including
Chaparral
Attracts Butterflies
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query
Chaparral - Producers

Yucca
Flower can reach 3
meters tall
Found in Southwestern
US and Baja California,
Mexico
Roots can be pounded
into a paste and used as
shampoo
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query
Chaparral
 Consumers
Blacktail Deer (herbivore)
Mouse (herbivore)
Kit Fox (omnivore)
Puma (carnivore)
Chaparral - Consumers

Blacktail Deer
(herbivore)
40-90kg (smallest of US
deer species)
Populations are stable
Mating between Whitetail
and Blacktail Deer
resulted in the Mule Deer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-tailed_Deer
Chaparral - Consumers

Cactus Mouse
(herbivore)
16-22cm from nose to tail
Found in many desert
areas as well as
Chaparral
Eats fruits and flowers of
plants
http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordN
umber=MA0179
Chaparral - Consumers

Kit Fox (omnivore)
About the size of a
housecat
Not threatened
Nocturnal Animal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Fox
Chaparral - Consumers

Spotted Skunk
(carnivore)
35-55cm (smaller than
the striped skunk)
No Concern – abundant
population
Spray to avoid predation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Spotted_Skunk
Chaparral
 Decomposers
Actinomycetes
Millipede
Chaparral - Decomposers

Actinomycetes
Microscopic
Found in most soils
Fungi-like bacteria that
form filaments in the soil
http://www.the-compost-gardener.com/actinomycetes.html
Chaparral - Decomposers

Millipede
10-13cm long
Found everywhere but
the polar regions
Exudes foul tasting
chemicals to avoid
predation
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_centipede.php
Chaparral– Food Chain/Web
Chaparral

Specific Example
Corsica (an island in the
Mediterranean Sea)
Ecosystem is healthy,
island has many
protected areas
Often found in disturbed
areas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maquis_shrubland
Chaparral

Specific Example
Western Cape of South
Africa
Threatened by the influx
of invasive species
Fire is an important part
in the reproduction of
many plants in this
location
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fynbos
Chaparral

Reasons to Visit
Fire Fighting
Herb Gathering
Rare Biome
http://www.radford.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes
/medit/medit.html