A Comparison Of The Desert And The Chaparral Deserts

The plants in The desert and the Chaparral Shrubland of the California Region share many adaptations though they are not closely related. The deserts in North America cover the regions from the northwest United States to western Mexico and the southern parts of Texas and New Mexico to north central Mexico. The Chaparral Shrubland of the California Region ranges from southern Oregon to northern Baja California (Vankat 2003).

Rain rarely falls in these deserts and when it does the precipitation to evaporation ratio is very low. The temperature throughout the day varies greatly. At night the temperature is very cool, but during the day the temperatures soar. The dry heat and low humidity causes a very high rate of precipitation. Wind is strong

California Chaparral have formed many adaptations to compensate for droughts in the summer. The shrubs have a deep root systems that can reach up to 8 meters deep. Other shrubs’ roots can be wide spreading and generally shallow. To reduce transpiration the shrubs have adapted their coloration, cuticles, and stomata. Their stomata will close when water stress is occurring in the plant. To reflect light, the shrubs have a light coloring to them and a thick cuticle. The thick cuticle also prevents water loss. Chaparral adaptations have other similar adaptations to desert plants that will be discussed more thoroughly. California Chaparral is fire dependent. These species have many adaptations to deal with fire but one of the most common is that many shrub species can sprout from below the ground. These latent buds are underground to protect themselves from the fire above, and since heat rises they are safe from the heat. Other adaptations include becoming dormant for great lengths of time, being heat resistant, or germinating when exposed to high