Chaparral
By Hayli and Kirsten
Location
The Chaparral is location is located 30-50 degrees north and 30-40 degrees latitude The chaparral climate occurs in central and southern coast of California; the coast areas of the Mediterranean Sea; coastal western and southern Australia; the Chilean coast in South America, and the Cape Town region of South Africa.
Climate
The Chaparral has 4 seasons, these seasons are spring,summer, fall, and winter. During the winter it is mild and moist not rainy. During the summer very hot and dry, temperature usually mild but may get very hot.
Vegitation
Blue Oak
The blue oak is native to the state of California on the western coast of North America. It grows in the valleys and lower slopes of the Coast Ranges, the lower western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is one of the largest ancient types in California. There is not much water in the Chaparral so the Blue Oak has adopted to the land type.
Saltmarsh Bird's Beak
This plant lives for one year and dies, these plants leaves narrow up to 1 inch long. They are pointed at the ends, bluish green, and hairy. Uses its pickle-weed and salt grass to extend its growing season. This plant only grows in salt marshes, just above the high tide line of the coastal Chaparral of San Diego. It is an endangered plant in California and throughout the USA.
Soil types
Serpentine
This is the first layer what has elements of magnesium, nickel, and chromium, which are usually toxic to plants
Non- serpentine sedimentary soil,
Second layer which is formed from sedimentary parent rock. This layer is high in calcium but is not necessarily high in nutrients.
Alluvial soil
Is is high in organic material and can support a thick forest of oak trees.
Animals
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Jackrabbits live in the extreme environments of the desert and chaparral. Jackrabbits have huge ears. It can regulate its body heat by increasing or decreasing the blood flow through its ears. this animal can run up to 36 miles per hour. Its feet are hard ground and insulates them from the scorching heat of the desert sand. Its fur blends in with the desert and chaparral habitat it lives in.
Puma
The Puma is all one color. it can vary from silver gray, to tawny to reddish. It is lighter colored around the face are, with white around its whiskers and mouth. The puma is incredibly adaptive to its environment. Although the preferred prey of the puma is deer, it will also eat insects, birds, and mice. It can live in the cold needle leaf forests of North America and the rain forests of South America.
Food Web of the Chaparral biome
This is a food web of the Chaparral biome where it shows which direction the arrows are pointing at meaning which organism is eating what or who. The producers in this biome are the cactus, sagebrush, grass, and seeds. The consumers are the wild goat, jackrabbit, termite, and grasshopper. The secondary consumers are the skunk, aardwolf, and cactus wren. And the tertiary consumers are the puma and the gray fox. http://biomebrochure.wikispaces.com/Chaparral
The Chaparral Biome
The chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It is sometimes used in movies, for the "Wild West". http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm
Human Impacts
Humans build tourists attractions in the Chaparral biome. In fact, one of the major threats to this biome is humans coming in and building buildings. Also they build factories and industries. Organisms are being threatened and even endangered to these establishments. If there is an EIS(Environmental interactions statement) that describes that if humans continue to take away more land from organisms that live in this biome than it would effect the organisms in this biome negatively, then the EIS is predicting what could happen if the situation its describing were to occur.http://chapparalbiomehollywood.weebly.com/environmentalhuman-impact.html
Chaparral Biome
Printed source: Introduction to California Chaparral by Ronald D. Quinn
The characteristic look of California Chaparral—a soft bluish-green blanket of vegetation gently covering the hills—is known to millions who have seen it as the backdrop in movies and television productions. This complex ecological community of plants and animals is not just a feature of the hills around Hollywood, but is a quintessential part of the entire California landscape. It is a highly resilient community adapted to life with recurring fires and droughts. Written for a wide audience, this concise, engaging, and beautifully illustrated book describes an ancient and exquisitely balanced environment home to wondrous organisms: Fire Beetles that mate only on burning branches, lizards that shoot blood from their eyes when threatened, Kangaroo Rats that never drink water, and seeds that germinate only after a fire, even if that means waiting in the soil for a 100 years or more. Useful both as a field guide and an introductory overview of the ecology of chaparral, it also provides a better understanding of how we might live in harmony, safety, and appreciation of this unique ecological community.
* Identifies chaparral’s common plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
* Features 79 color illustrations, 56 black-and-white photographs, and 3 maps
* Examines the role of humans and fire in chaparral, covering the placement and design of homes, landscaping, and public policy
* Identifies chaparral’s common plants, animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects
* Features 79 color illustrations, 56 black-and-white photographs, and 3 maps
* Examines the role of humans and fire in chaparral, covering the placement and design of homes, landscaping, and public policy
Other interesting information
Plants and animals are adapted to these conditions. Most of the plants have small, hard leaves, which hold moisture. Some of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and other shrubs, trees and cacti. The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. A few examples: coyotes, jackrabbits, mule deer, alligator lizard, horned toad, praying mantis, honeybee and ladybugs. So, if you go somewhere that is like Chaparral, make sure to bring sunscreen and lots of water! http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm