1. Chaparral – A Minor Biome
Sample Project

2. Chaparral Major Climate
Hot, dry summers (40ºC) and Cool (10 ºC), moist winters
cm precipitation/year (mostly winter rain)
2 main seasons

3. Chaparral
Geography
Southwestern US, Coastal Chile, Mediterranean Coast, Southern and Western Coastal Australia, and Southwestern South Africa
It is found in US (California)
Coastal

4. Chaparral
Producers
Scrub Oak
Chaparral Pea
Deerweed
Yucca

5. Chaparral - Producers Scrub Oak 1-2 meters tall
Found in Chaparral and other locations
Acorns can be irritating to skin

6. Chaparral– Producers Chaparral Pea
Low Dense Thickets
Found on hills, slopes and in recently burned areas
One of few nitrogen-fixing plants in Chaparral

7. Chaparral - Producers Deerweed 1 meter mound shape
Commonly found in many areas of western North America including Chaparral
Attracts Butterflies

8. 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

9. Chaparral Consumers Blacktail Deer (herbivore) Mouse (herbivore)
Kit Fox (omnivore)
Puma (carnivore)

10. 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

11. 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

12. Chaparral - Consumers Kit Fox (omnivore) About the size of a housecat
Not threatened
Nocturnal Animal

13. Chaparral - Consumers Spotted Skunk (carnivore)
35-55cm (smaller than the striped skunk)
No Concern – abundant population
Spray to avoid predation

14. Chaparral
Decomposers
Actinomycetes
Millipede

15. Chaparral - Decomposers
Actinomycetes
Microscopic
Found in most soils
Fungi-like bacteria that form filaments in the soil

16. Chaparral - Decomposers
Millipede
10-13cm long
Found everywhere but the polar regions
Exudes foul tasting chemicals to avoid predation

17. Chaparral– Food Chain/Web
Striped Skunk
Cactus Mouse
Yucca
Sun

18. Chaparral Specific Example
Corsica (an island in the Mediterranean Sea)
Ecosystem is healthy, island has many protected areas
Often found in disturbed areas

19. 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

20. Chaparral Reasons to Visit Fire Fighting Herb Gathering Rare Biome