California Chaparral: 2014

List of References

http://www.californiachaparral.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_chaparral_and_woodlands

http://www.californiachaparral.com/images/NEW_Chaparral_Preservation_Plan.pdf

http://www.livescience.com/26257-fighting-chaparral-fires-myths-busted.html

https://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/calif_chaparral.htm

Visualizing Environmental Science - Wiley

Assessment of Current Impacts

Impacts on California Chaparral	Effects on California Chaparral	Suggestions for Improvement
Urbanization	Overuse of natural resources from California chaparral ecosystem further prevents native plants from recovering.	California Chaparral Preservation Plan
Excessive Fires	Fires that occur less than 15 to 20 years apart don’t allow for the recovery of native plant species, and in turn, non-native weeds and plants invade the California chaparral.	Incorporate Fire Management Plans
Endangered Species	When native plant species are removed, massive amounts of erosion occur because those native plants once provided important watershed protection	Turning chaparrals into National Parks (The National Park Service - California Chaparral Preservation Plan)
Logging	Cuts down trees that are homes to birds and other animal species.	National Park Service
Grazing	Overgrazing can weaken and reduce plants making them more vulnerable during the dry summer.	Grazing management: controlled number of animals

The chaparrals are a biodiversity hotspot, meaning it is a community of diverse plants and species that are under threat. The native plants of the chaparrals and the chaparral itself can cease to exist if the over-consumption of its natural resources and frequent fires continue. The plants don't have enough time to recover if there isn't a long enough period between each fire especially because these plants have not adapted to fire quite yet. Many of the native plants of the chaparrals have already been overpowered by non-native plants and weeds because there wasn't a long enough recovery period after a fire. Many of the animals can become extinct like the California grizzly bear or be endangered like the California condor.

(source: http://www.defenders.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/grizzly-bear-harry-bosen-dpc.jpg)

(source: http://www.sonoma.edu/preserves/prairie/prairie_desc/images/urar_flag.jpg)

(source: http://www.friendsofcondors.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Condor-206-b-e.jpg)

What We Can Do to Improve California Chaparral

In order to rewind the negative changes that have taken place in the California chaparral during the past hundred years, it is impertinent that the necessary steps be taken. Only through this method will current and future generations have the opportunity to witness the beauty of chaparrals. One potential solution is to alter the classifications and management of public land trusts in ways that line up with the needs of a population that is growing rapidly and increasing in diversity. The California Chaparral Preservation Plan offers this exact solution. This plan suggests the idea of designating areas of chaparral into National parks, because doing so would call attention to California Chaparral as the priceless natural resource it is. In comparison to other native ecosystems that have been acknowledged in special preserves, the chaparral has been largely ignored. Another aspect of this plan is to connect the four National Forests in Southern California, which would allow for genetic flow between animal populations. This, in turn, would prevent extinction, as well as work towards maintaining the health of the chaparral ecosystem. Another method to improving the status of California Chaparral is to produce fire management plans. This method would allow for the preservation of old-growth chaparral and prevent further invasion of non-native plant communities.

History and Background

The California chaparrals, located on the mountain slopes and coastal regions of California, are shrublands with a mediterranean-type climate. They have mild and wet winters and hot and dry summers. The word "chaparral" is derived from the Spanish word "chaparro" meaning "small" and "dwarf" and they cover 5% of California.

California chaparral during the wet season.

(source: https://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php)

California chaparral during the dry season.

(source: https://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php)

Naturally, chaparrals have infrequent fires where the time in between each fire ranges from around ten to even a hundred years. These fires occur mostly in the late summer and fall because there is very little rain throughout the year (38-100cm of precipitation a year). The plants in these regions though, are highly flammable because they are woody shrubs with hard and small leaves. The leaves are non-deciduous and are drought tolerant. However, after a fire, the chaparrals are covered in non-woody, soft-leaved plants known as fire followers. These grow after the first rains proceeding a fire and then die again during the dry summer.

California chaparrals must burn periodically to maintain its health. However, fires that occur less than 15-20 years apart prevent chaparral from recovering.

(source: https://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/habitats/chap/chapgallery.php)

There are three sub-ecoregions of the California chaparral ecoregion: the California coastal sage and chaparral, the California montane chaparral and woodlands, and the California interior chaparral and woodlands. These divisions are made based on the plants that inhabit these areas.

The chaparrals can also be characterized into two different categories: the cismontane chapparal and the transmontane (desert) chaparral. These divisions are also based on the plant distribution in these regions. The montane and transmontane chaparrals are located on the opposite sides of mountains where the transmontane/desert chaparral grow in the rainshadow of these ranges.

Current Human Impacts on California Chaparral

Prior to human arrival, California chaparral was dominated by California sage scrub. Today, only remnants of the once-dominant species remain, as it has been nearly eradicated as a result of urbanization and agriculture, and taking their place are older oaks and surrounding alien grasses. Invasive weeds have overrun the ecosystem. California Chaparral is now home to many rare and endangered species. Destroying chaparral ecosystems and replacing them with invasive weeds cause impacts that go beyond merely a disappearance of visual nature. When native plant species are removed, massive amounts of erosion occur because those native plants once provided important watershed protection through their vegetative cover and deep roots. In addition, since the majority of rainwater now runs off instead of filtering into the soil, there is an immense reduction in underground water.

Additional influences of the human population are the effects resulting from grazing, logging, intensive agriculture, urbanization, dams, and water diversions. The many introduction of exotic plants and animal species also cause competition. By cutting down the trees that act as homes for birds and animals, humans have damaged the California chaparral ecosystems. Human-caused ignitions have also increased the frequency of fires that occur in the ecosystem. This has resulted in a complete eradication of chaparral in some areas and degradation in the remaining areas. When areas are burned, non-native grasses are quick to invade, making it near impossible for chaparral to return and recover. As a result, many sections of what was once healthy chaparral are now occupied by non-native weeds. However, people have benefitted the chaparral in some ways as well by repairing water sources that have previously been damaged by water diversion and domestic animals.