Temperate shrub lands is a biome that occurs under warm climates. They can be found from 30° to 50° N and 30° to 40° S latitudes. The zone is located in most of the continents: the west coast of the United States, the west coast of South America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Temperate shrub lands s exists in this mid-latitude climate and lie in a belt of prevailing westerly winds. This is why they tend to be on the west sides of continents. A prime example of a temperate shrub lands biome is located in the southern portion of California and into Baja California.

The temperate shrub lands biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes.

Temperate shrub lands is characterized as being very hot an

The fire destroys the vegetation that is necessary to slow down the process of erosion. After a fire erosion levels grow to some of the highest known levels. The erosion will continue until new vegetation grows to slow down the process.

Some species of chaparral can sprout from stumps. These bushes keep energy in their roots. After the top of the plant burns off, they simply sprout new leaves and branches. Some plants may survive many fires, and could live to be hundreds of years old.

Temperate shrub lands can be identified by the chaparral. Chaparrals are dense thickets of shrubby plants occurring in these semi-arid areas. The word Chaparral comes from the Spanish word, "chaparro" meaning scrub oak.

Most plants in the chaparral range from 10 to 15 feet in height. Chaparral is a common vegetation form in the southwestern United States. They have the ability to survive without a continuous amount of rainfall. Common chaparral plants include scrub oak, mesquite, and several species of sage, and manzanita.

Certain mammals such as the California deer mouse may be found as having a close association with chaparral. The Wrentit, a small bird of western North America resembling the wren and the titmouse, also makes its home here. Other common species are coyotes, mule deer, and many species of lizards.

This biome only gets about 10-17 inches of rain all year, and most of it comes in the winter. Because of the long period of dryness in the summer, only plants with hard leaves can survive, such as scrub oaks, chamiso shrubs, pines, cork, and olive trees. Man

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Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)