Chaparral rangelands are often grazed year-long by livestock, because evergreen plants common to the shrublands provide a continuous forage supply. A variety of wildlife species are found in chaparral shrublands, with comparatively high populations often concentrated in fringe areas. The summer rains fall in July and August, which are the wettest months of the year. Annual potential evapotranspiration rates can approach 35 inches. Chaparral soils are typically coarse-textured, deep, and poorly developed.
Granites occur on more than half of the shrublands.
The topography is characterized by mountain ranges dissected by steep-walled gorges and canyons.