Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub Field Investigation Make-up
The Chaparral biome is most common in latitudes of 35 degrees North and is seen most often in Southern California. Chaparral plants have special adaptations that help them deal with the unique climate. In addition there are specific characters of a Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral community that would help in their identification. Both of these topics, secondary succession, endangered plant species, and the importance of habitat preservation will be discussed.
The Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub have a variety of different plant species, from Torrey Pine to Cacti. They each contain some helpful adaptations that have resulted from directional selection over many years. Many of the plants within the Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub have small leaves. This is advantageous because the smaller surface area prevents excess water loss. The stomata in turn are often closed during the day to maximize energy. Waxy coating is also for halting water loss. Another adaption is having leaves with dark colored tops and lighter undersides. Plants absorb red and blue light for photosynthesis and reflect green light, causing their green color. Since many chaparral leaves are green, more heat is deflected. The main goal for these adaptations is to conserve water during the day and to stop all energy expenditure. All of these adaptations are also attributed to the dry and fire-prone environment.
Another interesting characteristic of chaparral plants is their ability to respond to fire and other natural disasters. Due to the dry and arid nature of the area, the sage and grasslands can easily cause brush fires. When the area is burned, the shrubs and plant life d...
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...e slowly destroyed, effects would not only be seen at a local level but be noticeable on a global level. Mitigation areas should be established to alleviate any damage already done, and to prevent any further harm. These areas can help support fragile plant and animal life. Biodiversity is essential to our lives and the stewardship worldview should be used in this issue.
Bibliography
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Scott, Heidi. "Crazed Nature: Ecology In The Yellow Wall-Paper." Explicator 67.3 (2009): 198. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Jackson, R.D. 1986, Remote sensing of biotic and abiotic plant stress. Annual Review Phytopathology, 24, pp. 265-287.
It seems to us that analysed clusters can be divided into major groups reflecting their distribution and characteristic derived from environmental variables. In case of climatic variables Luzula arcuata and Carex rupestris clusters can be considered as most cold tolerant, while remaining groups seem to prefer areas with moderate (e.g. Anthoxanthum odoratum) and mild climatic conditions (Puccinellia maritima, Rumex longifolius). This differentiation seem to be shaped mainly by the mean temperature.
California Chaparral have formed many adaptations to compensate for droughts in the summer. The shrubs have a deep root systems that can reach up to 8 meters deep. Other shrubs’ roots can be wide spreading and generally shallow. To reduce transpiration the shrubs have adapted their coloration, cuticles, and stomata. Their stomata will close when water stress is occurring in the plant. To reflect light, the shrubs have a light coloring to them and a thick cuticle. The thick cuticle also prevents water loss. Chaparral adaptations have other similar adaptations to desert plants that will be discussed more thoroughly.
My biome is Temperate Forest and my animal is the bandicoot. We will discuss the habitat and the diet of my animal and also goes into detail about the bandicoot’s environment, and how the bandicoot and plants thrive in their habitat.
...e Tabbowa flora are small scale- to needle-leafed forms that is expected to characterise a relatively dry climate. The presence of cheirolepidiacean plants Brachyphyllum and Pagiophyllum favours dry conditions and Brachyphylum served as climate indicator plant of Early Jurassic period. Therefore, Tabbowa plant group may represent warm and dry climate in the mid Jurassic period.
Habitat and supporting services: soil formation and processes, pollination, provision of energy, matter and nutrient fluxes, biodiversity
Early community ecologists could be grouped in two cohorts. The historic model, which remained in favor through the 1960s, asserted that plant assemblages reached climax as a community (Cowles 1910, Cowles 1911, Clements 1916; A. Tansley 1920, 1935, E. Warming 1909). The second model believed that biotic communities consist of species behaving individually or—phrased differently—that a fixed environment is not necessary to the life of any individual plant (Gleason 1917, Gleason 1926, Gleason 1939, G. Negri 1914, L. Ramensky 1924, 1925, 1952, 1970). These two trends are compared in detail by Ponyatovskaya (1961).
...thout damage to the land or through killing off key species in the ecological web.
According to World WildLife Fund, many ecosystems around the world are being destroyed, eliminating many plant and animal species that inhabit them (“Pollution”).
Wildfires have been a major issue for many years; with the first one being recorded over four hundred and twenty million years ago the world realized they were dealing with an untamable monster. The effects that forest fires have on nature are by far extreme. Wildfire rips across the landscape tearing through and burning every living parcel in its path. If this occurs to often or burns for an excessive amount of time the natural cycle can be thrown out of balance. This equilibrium allows for the best the regeneration of the area and with this disturbance it may be slowed or even stopped. Along with plant life being thrown out of cycle the effects on nature’s creatures is also a major factor. With the loss of the majority of plant life causes the animal’s key food source is lost and many begin to migrate away from the area and into more adequate ones or some just starve to death. On top of losing a food source the anima...
This has threatened biodiversity, causing drastic declines of mammal and bird counts, recurrent flooding and erosion, and
Nowadays it is common to read articles in newspapers and magazines regarding biodiversity issues. Human beings have been knowingly and unknowingly destroying biodiversity since their existence. Biodiversity is the measure of the variety of species of animals living in an area. Forests are usually areas with high biodiversity while deserts are the opposite. Human beings have always destroyed biodiversity either by deforestation, or by some other means. Biodiversity depletion is a natural phenomenon. But the present levels of biodiversity depletion are many times higher than the natural rate. Recently the levels of loss in biodiversity have started causing global concern. Some of the main causes for loss in biodiversity are alteration of habitats, increasing levels of pollution and human population growth.
Sclater created one of the very first publications of biogeographic regions in 1858 based on the distribution of bird species. In the 1870s, Adolf Engler created a schema based on plant species while Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker’s collection of plant species and Alfred Russel Wallace’s zoogeographic work influenced Charles Darwin and led to the Darwinian Theory of Evolution (Groves, 2017). From the 1850s to 1900, the exploration of Natural Selection was of major interests, with the 1900s to 1950’s uncovering evolution and continental drift followed by ecological classifications and centers of origin being created. (Historical Development of Biogeography. (n.d.). Recently, works focusing on classifying biomes and analyzing changing migration patterns and species distributions of certain animals have been of major interests. These topics are most likely of major interest today due to changing climates and weather patterns that are influencing many of the factors that biogeography is focused
The world today is vastly different from what it was before urbanisation and industrialisation had taken its toll on the world. Since the turn of the new millennium the issue of the environment has suddenly evolved into a widespread issue which is greatly discussed throughout the world. No longer are humans living in a world where the environment is serene or stable but much rather becoming unrecognisable and diminishing before our eyes. The plants, trees and flowers are life forms which God has created for us to enjoy its beauty but it is now solely up to us and many other organisations to protect preserve and respect how fragile our environment really is.