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Fynbos The chaparral biome
is found in a little bit of most of the continents - the
west coast of the United States, the west coast of South
America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip
of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.
Lay of the land: The
chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some
examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes.
It is sometimes used in movies for the "Wild
West". Chaparral is
characterized as being very hot and dry. As for the
temperature, the winter is very mild and is usually about 10
°C. Then there is the summer. It is so hot and dry at
40 °C that fires and droughts are very
common. Fortunately, the
plants and animals are adapted to these conditions. Most of
the plants have small, hard leaves which hold moisture. Some
of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and
other shrubs, trees and cacti. The animals are all
mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry
weather. A few examples: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer,
alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee
and ladybugs. So, if you ever go
somewhere that is like chaparral, make sure to bring some
sunscreen and lots of water! by Lucy M.
2000
bibliography: "Biomes". The World
Book Encyclopedia. 1994 ed. Ricciuti, Edward.
Chaparral. Marshal Cavendish Corporation. 1996. "Research/Project
Results for Chaparral Biome", http://ncboard.ncboard.edu.on.ca/biome/chaparral.htm,
(3 June 2000) "Biomes of the World
- Chaparral", http://www.snowcrest.net/geography/slides/biomes/chap.htm,
(3 June 2000) Silvia, Ben.
"Summary of the Chaparral Biome", http://knight.noble-hs.sad60.k12.me.us/benbob/chaparral/summary.html,
(3 June 2000)
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