Among the world's most beautiful and diverse biomes is the Chaparral. The Chaparral landscape can vary between ridged mountains, flat plains and rolling hills. Chaparral areas are sometimes confused with other biomes because of how diverse the species within them are. The vegetation can vary from shrubs, forests and grasslands. Which species live in an area is largely contributed to fire history, topography and soil type.
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Location
The Chaparral biome is found in North America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. It is formed when cool ocean water meets a warm landmass. As shown on the map above, the Chaparral is found 30 degrees North of the Tropic of Cancer and 30 degrees South of the Tropic of Capricorn.
The average temperatures range from 30F in the winter and 100F in the summer. Summers are classified as being extremely hot and dry whereas the winters are mild and moist. The Chaparral only receives around 10-17 inches of rain per year and most of that precipitation happens during the winter months.
Chaparral Net Primary Productivity
Net Primary Productivity is the total gain in energy per unit area per unit time by green plants after water matter has been lost through respiration. Productivity differs between biomes because biomes have different precipitation levels and varying levels of light for photosynthesis.
The Chaparral is 30 degrees North of the Tropic of Cancer and 30 degrees South of the Tropic of Caperiorn, so there are adequate amounts of sunlight year around. However, there is little rain fall in the Chaparral and often times there are droughts, making photosynthesis levels lower. Compared to other biomes, the Chaparral has one of the lowest Net Primary Productivities, besides the desert. Though many of the plants and animals have adapted to the hot dry climate, lack of water causes lack of photosynthesis.
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