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The Chaparral Biome?
How So Many Get it Wrong
The Chaparral Biome Correctly Defined
If the term biome is properly used, the "chaparral biome" would only refer to the limited geographic region where chaparral actually occurs - in western North America. Therefore, to avoid confusion, the name should include a geographic reference such as the California Chaparral Biome, indicating the primary location for chaparral.
Unfortunately, many websites and publications mistakening include all Mediterranean shrublands across the world as part of the "chaparral biome." This ends up causing a lot of confusion for students assigned to research the chaparral or anyone else who might be curious about what chaparral really is. In searching the web, one is met with a wild assortment of species and landscapes that have nothing to do with California's characteristic native shrubland. Photos of grasslands, forests, and jungles are misidentified as chaparral, and animals, such as jackals and hyena-like aardwolves, are listed as characteristic species (alongside California Gnatcatchers and Wrentits). The jackal species (Canis aureus) listed on chaparral biome websites is an opportunistic carnivore found in southeastern Europe and the Middle East and isn't particularly tied to shrublands. But most importantly, Jackals won't be seen roaming chaparral covered mountains in California, a fact that is often lost on students giving classroom presentations.
To use the term biome properly and include all five geographical regions with sclerophyllous plant communities in the category, the biome's name needs to reflect what is actually being identified rather than using a term that applies to only one locale. The correct all-inclusive category would be the Mediterranean Shrubland Biome.
To use the term biome properly and include all five geographical regions with sclerophyllous plant communities in the category, the biome's name needs to reflect what is actually being identified rather than using a term that applies to only one locale. The correct all-inclusive category would be the Mediterranean Shrubland Biome.
Incorrectly labeled as Chaparral
Non-native grassland with oaks from ThoughtCo.
Non-native grassland from Bioexpedition.
A lush forest from
EarthEclipse.
Great Basin sagebrush from
Treehugger.
Chaparrals?
Each of the sclerophyllous shrublands in the five Mediterranean climates has its own name. The term chaparral specifically relates to the sclerophyllous shrublands in California and portions of Oregon and Baja California, not to shrublands everywhere. For example, the shrublands that exist in central Chile are called matorral; in France, the maquis; in South Africa, the fynbos; in Australia, the kwongan.
However, the somewhat ethnocentric view that Mediterranean shrublands existing in other parts of the world are just versions of what exists in America leads to the grammatically incorrect plural, chaparrals.
There is no plural form of the word chaparral. Ask a South African or Chilean botanist if there are any chaparrals in their regions and you'll likely be met with eye rolls.
One website that uses the term chaparrals goes so far as to create a new type - grassland chaparrals. There is no such thing. The site causes further confusion by stating, "Chaparrals can include forests, shrublands, grasslands, and savannas."
Errors Multiplied
Because few fully understand the chaparral ecosystem, misconceptions can easily spread, being innocently repeated over and over again, especially on the web. For example, we found the following statement about chaparral animals on multiple websites created by academic institutions, educational organizations, and students:
"The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. A few examples from California are: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bees and ladybugs."
Beyond the fact that chaparral animals are not merely migrants from drier habitats, the species listed are not specific to chaparral, but can be found in most California environments.
After being notified of the error, one institution removed the page where it appeared on their website, and another promised to make the needed corrections. Unfortunately, the error remains on other sites, finding its way into powerpoints and online projects created by students assigned to investigate the world's biomes.
Conflating Different Plant Communities
When multiple plant communities are combined into one biome, misconceptions and errors abound.
For example, a biome website that labels non-native grassland as chaparral also mistakenly suggests that chaparral plants have "heavy bark." Where the heavy bark idea came from is unclear (chaparral shrubs have notoriously thin to non-existent bark), but it may be referring to the conifers shown in the forest photo on the same site, which is also mistakenly labeled as chaparral. Our review of photos identified as chaparral on the web has shown that most are not chaparral at all. This includes photos from professional photo sites like Shutterstock.
For example, a biome website that labels non-native grassland as chaparral also mistakenly suggests that chaparral plants have "heavy bark." Where the heavy bark idea came from is unclear (chaparral shrubs have notoriously thin to non-existent bark), but it may be referring to the conifers shown in the forest photo on the same site, which is also mistakenly labeled as chaparral. Our review of photos identified as chaparral on the web has shown that most are not chaparral at all. This includes photos from professional photo sites like Shutterstock.
Categories That Work Best
Chaparral Ecosystem. All inclusive.If one wants to include all the living (biotic) and non-living components (soil, water, sunlight, etc.) that interact in the chaparral, it is reasonable to identify the subject of study as the chaparral ecosystem.
Chaparral Habitat. Species specific.Habitat specifically refers to an area that has the resources needed to support a particular species. So, chaparral can be a specific habitat type that supports a specific animal, such as the Scrub Jay. Chaparral Plant Community. All about the plants. This category can be very specific because it relates to an association or grouping of various plant species within a geographic area that is generally contiguous and uniform. When the uniform patch changes, it becomes another plant community. This category can also be used to distinguish between two different chaparral types that are right next to each other, such as a red shanks stand adjacent to a chamise stand.
An alpine conifer forest identified as chaparral on the
Bioexpedition website.
This photo reflects what chaparral, the chaparral ecosystem, chaparral habitat, the chaparral plant community, and the California Chaparral Biome really look like.
Misconceptions about the chaparral are not confined to the web. Several books meant for children, such as Chaparral in the Biomes of the World Series (Ricciuti 1996), and The Chaparral, Life on the Scrubby Coast (Tocci 2004), contain many of the same errors discussed here.