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Books on Biomes
Areas of mild, rainy winters and long, hot, dry summers, such as on
the southern coast of California, are dominated by a series of plant communities
called Mediterranean Scrub and Woodland, sometimes called "chaparral".
True chaparral is a region of dense shrubs 10 to 12 feet high, but is
commonly interspersed, in wetter areas, with a more open sclerophyl oak
forest (such as in the picture at the top of the page). The more open
forest occurs in the wetter parts and the true chaparral on the driers
slopes of hills and mountains. The web sites below all tend to mix the
two together. Similar vegetation communities occur in southern Europe,
Chile, and coastal Australia.
 Chaparral
and Fire. California Native Plant Society. A wonderful illustrated
introduction to chaparral written for kids. The central theme of the site
is the role fire plays in the chaparral. Learn about some of the plants
and animals of the chaparral and how fire leads to the reproduction of
the plant species found there. Recommended.
The
Online Journey. Buckley School Science Department. A great site with
information about the plant communities of the Buckley Nature Trail in
the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. There is segment on
the plant communities of the trail area including chaparral. Be sure to
take the virtual hike along the trail with lots of photographs of explanations
of the plants you'll see on your hike. Recommended.
Chaparral:
A Forgotten Habitat. Alhambra High School. A very nice introduction
to the chaparral biome of Southern California with general information
about chaparral including the plant adaptations to fire. You can also
take virtual tours of two chaparral localities and see photographs of
some of the plants and animals that live there. Recommended.
Plants
of the Chaparral. Species Species Projects. Although written specifically
for kids, this site has all sorts of interesting information about the
plants of the chaparral for everyone. Recommended.
Chaparral
and Riparian Plants. Floristic Biodiversity, Michael Simpson, San
Diego State University. A large gallery of plant species living in the
chaparral region of Southern California.
The
Chaparral Biome. Ben Silva, Noble High School. A short introduction
to the chaparral biome of Southern California with information on its
climate, plants, and animals.
Chaparral.
California Plant Communities. Photographs of some plant species of the
Californian chaparral.
Chaparral
Community. Southern California Natural History. A short introduction
to the chaparral with pictures and information on some of the dominant
plant species in the region.
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