#8 Celebrating the Chaparral

Manzanita Apples making me stop and smell the chaparral at Fort Ord Nat'l Monument. Marina, CA

I was on a wander when a bee, on a wander of her own, led me to the flowers of a Manzanita perfectly lit by the sun.  Despite us not even being out of January, some of its flowers were already turning to fruit! As the little manzanita apples shone in the sun it I stood back and appreciated the unique beauty of the environment I was surrounded by - The Chaparral.  An environment that unfortunately I often overlook.

The plant and animal species that make up chaparral’s inhabitants are diverse.  Dominant species will shift throughout the range of what is considered chaparral. Through some areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains the dominant species are varieties of manzanita and trails seem to dip into tunnels amongst the bush - making one feel like they may have been shrunk down to follow Coyote’s path or that they’re going to find a sleeping Tororo at the other side. In other areas, the characteristic low-lying scrub can make for marvelous vistas as rocky hills and low-lying mountains reach their peaks. 

Chaparral framed vista at Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, CA

Despite some diversity, there are a few characteristics, however, that always apply.  These areas experience hot dry summers and, typically wet, mild cool winters - or a Mediterranean climate.(1)  These sorts of areas are actually fairly rare throughout the globe compared to many ecosystem types, and only exist in 5 places on the planet.  The Mediterranean, Chile, south-western Australia, South Africa, and here amongst the chaparral. 

Ceanothus in Bloom at Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz, CA

Chaparral are also fire-dependent communities and some members require a fire every once in a while in order to flourish.  FIre can trigger the seeds of plants like ceanothus, also known as California Lilac, to sprout and form the next generation of shrubs.  In some cases certain species ONLY exist in recently burned chaparral communities before other species begin to dominate the landscape. The typically hot and dry summers of the chaparral make the environment rife for burning. (2)  If you have an opportunity to watch these areas in succession after a fire it can be quite beautiful to see what can grow from what is often devastating destruction in other realms. 

While chaparral has beauty to be found at all times of year, I particularly recommend visiting in spring and early summer to see the flowers and berries in abundance. On warmer days the smells of sun warmed manzanita berries, sage leaves, or ceanothus flowers can fill the air with the sweetest of aromas. In winter, however, bright red Toyon berries provide holly-like charm. 

If you’re looking to explore a patch for yourself, chaparral habitats extend up into Oregon, out into Arizona, and down into Baja California and can be found throughout much of California. They dot the coastline and circle the foothills of the Sierra Nevada surrounding the central valley.  

I hope to dive deeper into the details and residents of the chaparral in the future. 

A short look at a chaparral environment along the trail at Cattle Rock State Park

Sources:

1.  T. Keeler-Wolf  F038 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation 10-17-2014 https://www1.usgs.gov/csas/nvcs/unitDetails/860273 

2. Iain Campbell, Ken Behrens, Charley Hesse. Pacific Chaparral.  Habitats of the World: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists.  2021 Princeton University Press https://access.infobase.com/article/12812898-pacific-chaparral 

3. Anne Andreu, Roger Ottmar. Chaparral. Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires. 2020 Springer Science+Business Media https://access.infobase.com/article/1668049-chaparral