Transcript minor biome
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