scrublands
Thorny, arid terrain
Scrublands are areas of land covered with low-growing, hardy vegetation—shrubs, bushes, and stunted trees rather than forests or grasslands.
They typically occur in regions with poor soil or limited rainfall: The trail wound through miles of dry scrubland.
Mediterranean climates, deserts, and coastal areas often feature scrubland ecosystems.
Dense, drought-adapted shrubbery
- maquisMediterranean coastal scrub
- malleeMulti-stemmed Australian shrub
- biomeMajor ecological community
- ecotoneBoundary between distinct habitats
habitat · flora · fauna · biodiversity · endemic · fire-adapted · vegetation · bushveld
Planted area of bushes
- thicketDense shrub cluster
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
- brushwoodCut or fallen branches
- sagebrushAromatic arid-land shrub
spinifex · manzanita · saltbush · greasewood · acacia · banksia · protea · heath
Prolonged water scarcity
- parchedExtremely dry or thirsty
- barrenUnable to produce
- sunbakedDried by solar heat
- aridityAbsence of moisture
desiccation · waterless · scorching · dusty · hardpan · arid · semi-arid · evaporation
Able to withstand aridity
- fire-adaptedEvolved to survive flames
- hardinessAbility to endure adversity
- regrowthGrowing back again
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
survival · persistence · recovery · tenacity · deep-rooted · resprouting · regeneration · tough
chaparral
Dense, drought-adapted shrubbery
- maquisMediterranean coastal scrub
- malleeMulti-stemmed Australian shrub
- biomeMajor ecological community
ecotone · habitat · flora · fauna · biodiversity · endemic · fire-adapted · vegetation · bushveld
shrubbery
Planted area of bushes
- thicketDense shrub cluster
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
- brushwoodCut or fallen branches
sagebrush · spinifex · manzanita · saltbush · greasewood · acacia · banksia · protea · heath · low-growing
drought
Prolonged water scarcity
aridity · desiccation · waterless · scorching · dusty · hardpan · arid · semi-arid · evaporation · desertification
drought-resistant
Able to withstand aridity
- fire-adaptedEvolved to survive flames
- hardinessAbility to endure adversity
- regrowthGrowing back again
adaptation · survival · persistence · recovery · tenacity · deep-rooted · resprouting · regeneration · tough · hardy
outback
Remote interior wilderness
- backcountrySparsely populated wilderness areas
- wildsRemote, uninhabited areas
- remoteDistant or controller
untamed · rugged · expansive · trackless · uninhabited · isolation · frontier · harsh · windswept · semi-wild
- habitatsforest, ocean, lake, river, pond
- wildlife landswildlife refuges, game reserves, hunting grounds, wildlife corridors, deer habitat
- Cerradogiant anteater, giant armadillo, Bahia, Brasilia, endemism
- butterfly habitatsmeadow, meadows, garden, gardens, butterfly garden
- desertsSahara, Gobi, Mojave, Namib, Kalahari
- Australian plantseucalyptus, eucalypts, gum tree, acacia, wattle
scrublandsforest
Tree-dense ecosystem
rainforest · jungle · old-growth forest · dense forest · woodland
scrublandsrainforest
Wet tropical woodland ecosystem
tropical rainforest · wetlands · lush vegetation · marshland · jungle
scrublandsfarmland
Agricultural terrain
urban area · agricultural land · cropland · orchards · plantations