chaparrals
Drought-adapted shrub ecosystems
Chaparrals are dense thickets of shrubs and small trees found in dry regions, especially the American Southwest and Mediterranean climates.
The vegetation is drought-resistant, with tough, leathery leaves adapted to hot summers and mild winters.
Chaparral terrain is notoriously fire-prone: The wildfire tore through miles of chaparral.
The singular chaparral can refer to either the plant community or a specific area covered by it.
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- scrublandArea of low shrubs
- maquisMediterranean coastal scrub
- MediterraneanSea between Europe, Africa, Asia
- drought-resistantAble to withstand aridity
evergreen · brushland · thicket · oak woodland · manzanita · buckwheat · yucca · sumac
Red-barked western shrub
- scrub oakLow-growing drought-tolerant tree
- sageWisdom keeper or seasoning
- yuccaSpiny desert plant
- sumacSpice shrub, sometimes irritating
greasewood · buckwheat · laurel · sagebrush · aromatic · leathery · waxy · woody
Edge of settlement
- ranchingOperating a livestock farm
- cowboyMounted cattle herder
- cattleDomesticated bovines kept commercially
- trailPath through wilderness
rugged · backcountry · wilderness · Zorro · Southwest · outlaw · hideout · terrain
Wild North American canid
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- quailFlinch from fear
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
- mule deerLarge-eared western cervid
bobcat · rattlesnake · lizard · scrub jay · towhee · woodrat · mountain lion · tarantula
Evolved to survive flames
- burnDamage by heat
- conflagrationLarge destructive blaze
- fuelEnergy source material
- tinderCombustible material for ignition
flammable · combustible · firestorm · crown fire · ember · ash · scorched · regeneration
shrubland
Bush-dominated vegetation zone
- scrublandArea of low shrubs
- maquisMediterranean coastal scrub
- MediterraneanSea between Europe, Africa, Asia
drought-resistant · evergreen · brushland · thicket · oak woodland · manzanita · buckwheat · yucca · sumac · sagebrush
manzanita
Red-barked western shrub
sumac · greasewood · buckwheat · laurel · sagebrush · aromatic · leathery · waxy · woody · stunted
frontier
Edge of settlement
- ranchingOperating a livestock farm
- cowboyMounted cattle herder
- cattleDomesticated bovines kept commercially
trail · rugged · backcountry · wilderness · Zorro · Southwest · outlaw · hideout · terrain · landscape
coyote
Wild North American canid
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- quailFlinch from fear
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
mule deer · bobcat · rattlesnake · lizard · scrub jay · towhee · woodrat · mountain lion · tarantula · gopher snake
fire-adapted
Evolved to survive flames
- burnDamage by heat
- conflagrationLarge destructive blaze
- fuelEnergy source material
tinder · flammable · combustible · firestorm · crown fire · ember · ash · scorched · regeneration · resprouting
chaparralsrainforests
Wet, dense tropical woodlands
tropical rainforests · forests · temperate rainforests · jungles · cloud forests