Chaparrals

Chaparral is a shrubland or small-tree plant community found in Mediterranean climate regions, including California and Baja California, central Chile, the western Cape of South Africa, and parts of southern Australia. It is characterized by dense stands of evergreen, sclerophyllous shrubs and a mixture of tree and shrub species. The term derives from the Spanish chaparro, meaning scrub oak or scrub.

In California’s coastal and inland foothill regions, chaparral typically occupies dry, rocky soils with pronounced seasonality. Vegetation forms range from thick, impenetrable thickets to more open stands, with dominant genera such as Arctostaphylos (manzanita), Adenostoma (chamise), Ceanothus (wild lilac), and several drought-adapted sages and buckwhears. Plants have small, tough leaves to conserve water and often show a high tolerance for drought.

Fire plays a central role in chaparral ecology. Many species are adapted to periodic fires, regenerating after disturbance either by resprouting from root crowns or lignotubers, or by germinating from soil seed banks that respond to heat or smoke. Fire intervals, intensity, and seasonality strongly influence species composition and structure; extreme fires or long fire-free intervals can lead to ecological shifts and erosion.

Human pressures, including urban development, agriculture, climate change, and invasive grasses, threaten chaparral ecosystems. Management strategies focus on reducing wildfire risk, restoring native plant communities after fires, and preserving habitat connectivity. Chaparral remains a key component of biodiversity in southwestern North America and other Mediterranean-climate regions.