Download The Chaparral Ecosystem

The Chaparral Ecosystem
Overview
The Chaparral biome, found throughout california and other arid regions, displays a wide variety
of plants, animals, and land features that over the years have been shaped by the hot, dry weather
the landscape has endured. The chaparral itself as defined by The California Chaparral
Champaign is, ”a semi-arid, shrub dominated association of sclerophyllous, woody plants shaped by
summer drought, mild, wet winters, and infrequent fires” (California Chaparral Champaign).
Sclerophyllous,a term coined by a herbalist, refers to the development and shape of the leaves
of the dense vegetation as caused by the mediterranean climate of the inland coastal areas around
california, ie the chaparral. Over all because of this dense vegetation, the chaparral can support
over a hundred if not a thousand different species of various adaptations.
These adaptations allow the animals within the environment to form various behaviors, as well as
evolve physical adaptations like horns, spikes and multiple skin patterns. Because of the hot
climate, evolving characteristics, or physical details that are specific to one or more animal(s),
that will provide them with advantages are key to surviving the fight for the limited resources in
the arid weather.
Interactions: Overview
Interactions between species consist in a numerous amount of varying forms. Some of these
forms are; Competitive actions, Predation, and Symbiosis. All of the following relationships
between animals occur more often in the chaparral due to not only the biome itself, but the large
amount of biodiverse species found within the habitat. As demonstrated by the visuals below,
the chaparral is home to many different subspecies of animals. The sighting of these animals,
continue to support reasoning that much more relationships between species are formed in the
chaparral. With over 90 sightings of bird, including differing subspecies, it is not hard to imagine
these species competing for food (competitive actions) or bonding with another species in
order to gain food collectively (symbiosis). This competition for food has forced animals in this
diverse habitat to evolve new forms of interactions between species, predation.
Food Chains
Food chains are chains that link one or more species
based on consumption or predation and help to depict
the numerous relationships of animals found within the
area. This biome, or distinct climate, holds limited
resources of water which plants compete for. Due to the
competition of plants, animals who primarily ingest
plant matter are limited and the so are their own
consumers.
The diagram to the right illustrates the importance of
this fact, as the number of top consumers in this system,
must be fewer in order for the remaining levels of the
system to not become scarce. This food Chain
demonstrates the interactions of the Pinyon mouse as it
is consumed by the diamondback rattlesnake. The rattle
snake, carrying a smaller amount of energy from its
meal, is then consumed by the red-tailed hawk and its
energy is likewise diluted. The Organisms contained
within this chain are sorted into levels in the the food
chain based on dietary consumption of other organisms. Such classification of the chaparral animals are
broken into three different categories: Carnivores, Herbivores, and Producers, these categories being
the most common as others stages of consumption do exist.
Producers/Autotrophs
Producers and autotrophs, otherwise known
as plants produce their own food from
sunlight, water, and various chemicals found
within the soil to help supplement their
growth. As displayed by the graph on the
right side of this text, producers in the
chaparral make up 26.3% of the organisms
identified in the fall of 2014. One of the
largest percent of organisms found within
that time. This is attributed to the fact that producers serve as the base of the food chain. The
Coyote Brush with its thick and coarse greenery, for example helps provide nutrition to multiple
animals, including the larger Black Eared Jackrabbits. Everything to be on the level of a producer
is dependent on these organisms to serve as vital nutrition sources. The animals whom depend
greatly upon these producers are called herbivores.
Herbivores
Herbivores and the second largest group that help to make up the Trophic scale used to contain
all food webs. Examples of herbivores in the shop around include the Pinyon Mouse, the moon
snail, and cabbage butterflies - animals with entirely plant based diets or those the feed off other
plant attributes like nectar. While examining the Herbivore, the Pinyon Mouse, we find that
these animals often evolve different features such as, small grinding teeth or body size that help
ingest the specific type of plant matter they consume. Because of the fact these plant eating
primary consumers are demanded as part of the diet of secondary consumers, more bio diverse
animals have evolved within that trophic level, specifically in the insect species.
Carnivores
Carnivores are animals with the meat based diet, these animals make up secondary and tertiary
consumers and serve as the top of the trophic level scale. Animals who make up these categories
range from that of frogs, secondary consumers, like the Pacific tree frog, to birds like the Osprey,
tertiary consumers.