Chaparral in California: Characteristics, Growth, Fire Cycle, and Soils, Slides of Biology

Download Chaparral in California: Characteristics, Growth, Fire Cycle, and Soils and more Slides Biology in PDF only on Docsity! Chaparral Docsity.com Chaparral • from Spanish word for el chaparro, shrubby evergreen oaks in Spain. • Gave name to chaps, leg protectors to riding horse back through this tough vegetation type. • Covers about 8 % of the state. • Found in drier sites (south slopes) on western slope of Sierras, along Coastal Ranges Docsity.com Root systems • Two-tiered root systems, absorb water longer into the season. – Shallow roots to get rains, fast spring growth – Deep roots for water late in the season • Nitrogen fixing bacteria in roots common. – help after nitrogen loss in fires. • Mycorrhizae fungi associated with roots, that help obtain nutrients and water. – Most of the mushrooms in the forest, e.g. Chanterelles. Docsity.com Growth cycle • Sierra Chaparral flushes out later that coastal chaparral, but grows for longer time. • Lower photosynthetic rate than drought deciduous, but can grow all season. • Above ground growth in wetter months, root growth mostly in summer. Docsity.com Fire Cycle • Community most likely to burn in many areas. • Many homes now built in these areas. • Early succession after fire, nutrient limited, mostly annuals and forbs (herbs) wildflowers. • Many species are sprouters- – Burl survives fire, seeds out new shoots afterwards • new growth may be very high in protein 14%, deer and other animals rely on this growth. • some closed cone pines - need fire to release seeds. • Fire follower annual- seeds in soil seed bank germinate and predominate first few years after fire • Shrub canopy closes in about 6 years Docsity.com Fire poppies in burn area Docsity.com Madrons sprouts from burl Docsity.com Ceanothus seedlings sprout after fire Docsity.com 20 and 40 years post fire Docsity.com Old fires • Before fires limited by suppression: • Had a patch-work mosaic of previously burned areas, smaller areas available to burn each time – now with suppression large areas burn very hot. – Now they can kill burrowing animals and much more severe erosion in the fall rains. • Old records some long-lasting (months) slow- moving smouldering fires, similar to the Sierras. • Large oaks have a thick non-resinous bark, fire proof, to former low fires. Docsity.com Frequent fires lead to a mosaic of different stand ages in Southern California chaparral vegetation Docsity.com Two of the several different types of Chaparral in California • Maritime Chaparral – Along the north coast- Bodega Bay – Similar to Briones • Warm Chaparral – Similar to Mt. Diablo, and Sierra foothills on the way to Yosemite Docsity.com Maritime Chaparral • also known as Coastal Scrub • Similar to plants in Briones, Bodega bay • have bendable, or soft flexible leaves. • most are odoriferous and drought tolerant shrubs. • low growing, knee high • influenced by summer fog, cool winters, little frost. • shallow root systems that can quickly absorb fog drip. • dry, 10 inches or less of precipitation per year. Docsity.com • South Slopes have small leaves and drought deciduous – Ca Sagebrush, Artemisia an indicator species. • finely divide leaves, flush out new growth with winter rains. – Bush monkey flowers - seasonal leaf dimorphism • flush with many leaves in winter. • Only very small terminal leaves remain alive in dry months. • North Slopes- larger shrubs, small trees with large leaves and deep root systems. – Toyon. Poison oak, Coyote bush. • Northern Coastal Scrub - as by BodegaBay – Coyote bush, Salal, Yerba Santa and Yellow Bush Lupine. – Very near coast and mixed with coastal prairies. Docsity.com Warm Chaparral Docsity.com Warm chaparral • on lower slopes of mountains, • below snow line; is frost tolerant, but not snow tolerant. • Most are evergreen with waxy or resinous coverings, not drought deciduous. • Strong north - South slope effect, large/small leaves • Sclerophyllous (very tough, rigid leaves). – Long lived and well protected leaves. – Stiff leaves, with non digestible fibers, protect from herbivores – reduce water loss Docsity.com Chamise (Adnostema) • Most common in southern ranges and Southern ca. • Very small, needle like drought adapted leaves. • Well adapted to sprouting after fires. • Has both fire and non fire seeds. • Can reestablish by seeds after a hot fire that kills the burl. • At high temperatures, chamise emits flammable gasses that ignite, and spread the fire. Docsity.com Ceanothus spp. • Common genus in California, many different species. • Recognizable usually by three main veins on underside of leaf • Early successional species. • They do not sprout, need to seed in after fires. • Warm soils stimulate seeds dormant in seed bank to grow. • Many have nitrogen-fixing bacteria that help replenish the scorched soils. • Import deer food – e.g. Buck brush Docsity.com Ceanothus- California Lilac Docsity.com