How do plants and animals survive in the hot, dry climate?

Even though the average temperature of the Chaparral during summer months is 100F, the plants and animals within this biome have adapted to the hot, dry conditions. Most of the Chaparral's plants can be described by the Greek word sclerophyll meaning "hard leaved". Plants have small, hard, waxy leaves that retain moisture well or have long needles that absorb moisture from the air. Both of which help plants in times of drought. Because of the intense heat during the day, most animals are nocturnal and active only at night. Natural fires are also important to this biomes health. Some plants such as the wildflower, whispering bells and ceanothus require fire for their seeds to re-germinate.
The following are species that have adapted to the Chaparral conditions...

 

COYOTE

Coyotes are one of the larger animals in the Chaparral. Though they can see in the light, coyotes are primarily nocturnal animals. Coyotes have adapted to be nocturnal because most of their prey only come out at night due to the heat. Coyotes live in burrows under the ground to keep themselves cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 

                   OLIVE TREE  

Something the Chaparral is most famous for is its olive trees and olive oil. These trees are adapted to hot dry summers by flowering in mid to late spring, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and rain. These trees are incredibly drought resistance. Olive Trees have large root systems and have a large internal storages of water. Olive tree's leaves are small, dense, and the stoma is only on the lower side of the leaf, these features allow the leafs to control transpiration. One of the most widely known parasites of the Olive Tree are Olive Fruit Flies. The fly larvae feed inside the fruit, destroying it and allowing bacteria to come in and to rot. When a crop of olives is infested with olive fruit flies it can drop the value of Olive Oil by 80%.

CACTUS WREN
Cactus Wrens are primarily found in the chaparral of North America. The male and female are both brown and dust colors so they are easily camouflaged in the environment. They have adapted to the climate through their foraging behaviors. In the mornings when it is cooler, Cactus Wren will search for food on the ground and as the day goes on they will continue their search in tree canopies. These birds get most of their water from the food that they eat. The Cactus Wren also provides an example of commensalism. Female Cactus Wren make their nests in chaparral shrub that has just been burned from fire. The thorny shrub protects the cactus wren from predators, but the chaparral shrub is neither   benefited or harmed.

                                                            SAN JOACHIM KIT FOX
     San Joachim Kit Foxes are nocturnal animals in the Chaparral. The pads on their feet are hairy to help give them traction on the sandy soil of the chaparral. Because of the intense heat, San Joachim Kit Foxes live in dens under ground or in man made structures. They eat small rodents, birds and vegetation. Another Fox found in the Chaparral is the Grey fox. The grey fox is also nocturnal, lives in dens, and has a similar diet. The two foxes are an example of interspecific competition.                        
                                                                                                       
   

 BLUE OAK
Blue Oak trees are found mostly in the Chaparral regions of California. They have adapted to heat and can survive in temperatures above 100F for extensive periods of time. They have waxy coating on their leaves to help retain moisture and have extensive root systems to absorb water. An example of mutualism in the Chaparral is between the Blue Oak tree and the Coyote Shrub. The Coyote Shrub can survive in bad soil, but will help the soil obtain nutrients again. The Blue Oak provides shade for the shrub and the Coyote Shrub enhances the soil under the tree.