Chaparral

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chaparral

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the biome classification?Sclerophyllous shrubland
2. What is the dominant vegetation trait?Sclerophyllous evergreen shrubs with hard, leathery leaves adapted to aridity
3. Where does chaparral grow?Chaparral mainly grows in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California.
4. Why do chaparral plants have hard, leathery leaves?The hard, leathery leaves help the plants keep water inside so they can survive hot, dry summers.

Sclerophyllous: Possessing hard, leathery, evergreen leaves adapted to survive drought and high temperatures.
Mediterranean Climate: A climate zone characterized by seasonal rainfall patterns: wet winters and dry summers.
Pyric Ecology: The study of how fire influences ecosystems and the adaptations of organisms to fire.
Lignotuber: A woody swelling at the base of a plant stem, containing stored food and buds for resprouting after damage.