Transcript Chaparral - Mercer Island School District

CHAPARRAL
A Spanish word meaning :
“a thicket of low, shrubby, evergreen oaks”
Features:
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Dry and rocky
Lots of low brush
Substantial amount of drought tolerant plants
Plants with evergreen leaves
Dense thickets
Lots of small animals such as rodents and reptiles
Thin soil covering very low in nutrients and moisture
Climate:
• Hot and dry
• Mild winters
• Rains during end
of summer
• Fires and
droughts are
common
• Mild average
temperature
Seasonal Information and Tourism
• Visit during end of spring and
end of summer for ideal
temperature and post rainy
season bloom
• In order to view the most
diversity of wildlife visit during
the bloom season when the
creatures will be most active
• Visit during the winter ideal
view of the scenery
Come to Fire Mountain Ranch!
• Enjoy long walks on the coast
• horse back riding in the stunning rolling hills
• Comfortable Temperpedic beds in the lodge
• warm fireplaces in every room
• Gorgeous views of the flaming mountains
Unique Features
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California's most extensive native plant community
Extensive seasonal fires
A substantial variation is seasonal temperature
Key habitat for unique lichen and fungi
Provides protection against erosion for surrounding habitats
Flora & Fauna:
Plants:
• Types: chemise, poison oak,
scrub oak, toyon, Yucca, other
trees, shrubs, cacti
• Most plants have large, hard
leaves to retain moisture
• Root systems designed to
absorb as much water as
possible
• Shallow roots extend
under surface of soil in
horizontal patterns to
catch rain as it falls
• Taproots extend into soil
to get groundwater
Flora & Fauna:
Animals:
• Types: coyotes, jack rabbits,
alligator lizards, mule deer,
kangaroo rat, praying mantis,
toads, honey bees, lady bugs,
etc.
• Animals in the chaparral do
not need to consume much
water
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The kangaroo rat neither
sweats nor pants, produces
little urine, and has lots of
hairs in its nasal passages
to prevent moisture from
escaping when breathing
Environmental Issues:
Because of the chaparral’s characteristically pleasant weather, more and more people
have started to move into chaparral areas, contributing man-made causes, like thrownout cigarette buts, to a biome already at risk for frequent fires.
SOURCES
http://polyland.calpoly.edu/overview/archives/derome/chaparral.html
http://www.nps.gov/pore/parkmgmt/firemanagement_fireecology_vegtypes_chaparr
al.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm
Duncan Koontz, Scott Montague, Naomi Tran