Animals E-Mail Me Noble High School Benbob's Homepage Noble High School Home Page Summary Of The Chaparral Biome Mediterranean climate regions often have dense thickets of shrubs and trees associated with them. In California this vegetation is commonly called chaparral. Because these climate regions have most of their precipitation in the winter, with a desert-like summer climate, many of the plants have some of the same strategies as xerophytic plants. One of the most notable features which helps to conserve moisture are the thick, leathery leaves. Thunderstorms and lightning are common at the end of summer and in early fall.
Fires are prevalent in chaparral because of the lightning and dry conditions.
Many plants have adapted to the fires. Some plants have seeds which are not released until after a fire. Others are full of volatile oils which cause the plant to burn quickly through a region. By burning quickly this gives the plant a chance of surviving. Some plants resprout from the roots after a fire.