Print Report
M043 Adenostoma fasciculatum - Arctostaphylos manzanita - Quercus berberidifolia Chaparral Macrogroup
Type Concept Sentence: California chaparral consists of evergreen sclerophyllous shrublands found throughout California, extreme southern Oregon, and northern Baja California, closely associated with Mediterranean climates, from fog-belt coastal settings to extremely xeric interior stands that are dominated by a wide variety of endemic shrubs include Adenostoma spp., Arctostaphylos spp., Ceanothus spp., Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Fraxinus dipetala, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Quercus berberidifolia, and many others.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Chamise - Whiteleaf Manzanita - Scrub Oak Chaparral Macrogroup
Colloquial Name: Californian Chaparral
Hierarchy Level: Macrogroup
Type Concept: California chaparral is an evergreen sclerophyllous shrubland macrogroup that ranges from mild fog-belt maritime slopes to very warm and xeric interior slopes. Dominant species include mostly evergreen but also some deciduous species. Characteristic dominants include Adenostoma fasciculatum, Adenostoma sparsifolium, Arctostaphylos bakeri, Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Arctostaphylos glauca, Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos manzanita, Arctostaphylos montaraensis, Arctostaphylos nummularia, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos silvicola, Arctostaphylos stanfordiana, Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus crassifolius, Ceanothus cuneatus, Ceanothus greggii, Ceanothus griseus, Ceanothus leucodermis, Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus megacarpus, Ceanothus verrucosus, Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber, Cercocarpus montanus var. minutiflorus, Cneoridium dumosum, Comarostaphylis diversifolia, Dendromecon rigida, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Frangula californica, Fraxinus dipetala, Fremontodendron californicum, Garrya flavescens, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Pickeringia montana, Prunus ilicifolia, Quercus berberidifolia, Quercus dumosa, Rhamnus crocea, Rhamnus ilicifolia, Rhus ovata, and Salvia mellifera. Stands occur throughout California and into southwestern Oregon, and are best represented in coastal mountains, the Transverse and Peninsular ranges, and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Along the coast it occurs from Mendocino County south to Ensenada in Baja California, and in the interior it occurs from Oregon into Mexico. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1830 m. Chaparral species are mostly limited to Mediterranean climate as increased summer drought stress limits seedling establishment at the Mojave Desert edge and winter freezes cause species-specific distributional limits at higher elevations. Soils are generally shallow and rocky, except near the cost where it occurs on deep eolian sands of marine benches and terraces. The composition of the chaparral flora has a fairly steep species turnover with distance. This geographic turnover is found among chaparral-associated species, chaparral-restricted species and community dominants.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Low to tall shrublands dominated by Adenostoma spp., Arctostaphylos spp., Ceanothus spp., Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber, Fraxinus dipetala, Fremontodendron californicum, Garrya flavescens, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Lonicera spp., Malosma laurina, Pickeringia montana, Prunus ilicifolia, Quercus berberidifolia, Quercus chrysolepis, Quercus dumosa, Quercus durata, Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens, Rhamnus crocea, Rhamnus ilicifolia, and Rhus ovata.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This macrogroup currently contains a few types that may intergrade with ~Californian Coastal Scrub Macrogroup (M044)$$, including types dominated by Malosma laurina and Rhus integrifolia that are mixed with sage scrub species. Perhaps these types should be moved to M044 (J. Buck-Diaz pers. comm. 2014). Stands of chaparral on mafic soils appear not be included here, but they may need to be (M. Peinado pers. comm. 2014, citing O''Geen et al. 2007 in Barbour et al. 2007).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Open to closed-canopy shrublands up to 5 m tall. Open stands may have herbaceous undergrowth, dense stands do not.
Floristics: This macrogroup is made up of both obligate seeders and resprouters. Characteristic species include Adenostoma fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Arctostaphylos glauca, Arctostaphylos hookeri, Arctostaphylos manzanita, Arctostaphylos montaraensis, Arctostaphylos nummularia (= Arctostaphylos sensitiva), Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea, Arctostaphylos stanfordiana, Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea (= Arctostaphylos crustacea), Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus crassifolius, Ceanothus cuneatus, Ceanothus griseus, Ceanothus leucodermis, Ceanothus masonii, Ceanothus megacarpus, Ceanothus oliganthus, Ceanothus spinosus, Ceanothus tomentosus, Ceanothus verrucosus, Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber (= Cercocarpus betuloides), Cneoridium dumosum, Comarostaphylis diversifolia, Dendromecon rigida, Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum, Fraxinus dipetala, Fremontodendron californicum, Garrya elliptica, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Lonicera spp., Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Malosma laurina, Pickeringia montana, Prunus ilicifolia, Quercus berberidifolia, Quercus chrysolepis, Quercus dumosa (= var. dumosa), Quercus durata, Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens, Rhamnus crocea, Rhamnus ilicifolia, Rhus integrifolia, and Xylococcus bicolor.
Dynamics: The fire regime ranges from root sprouter-dominated shrubland that survive and regrow after stand-replacing fires. Other stands are dominated by seed reproducers that need long fire-free intervals to develop a viable seedbank that can reproduce following fire (Keeley and Davis 2007). Recent studies of many sites that have been fire-free for decades suggest that at least some of the species of Ceanothus may be able to germinate without fire and thus sustain populations during long fire-free intervals. Other stands are stable and do not need frequent fire to persist. Studies show that frost damage to mature plants and drought stress on seedlings may limit the range and distribution of California chaparral species (Keeley and Davis 2007).
Environmental Description: This macrogroup occurs on a wide variety of settings. It occurs within the fog belt along the coast of central and northern California on generally nutrient-poor edaphic conditions (sands, sandstones, other marine sediments, and stabilized sand dunes), the southern California coast and into the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is typically found on arid, south-facing slopes and ridges, and occasionally on mesic sites, such as north-facing slopes, concavities, or toeslopes, with well-drained soils and mafic soils. The more frost-tolerant species are found at higher, cooler and generally more mesic sites up to approximately 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation. Chaparral is naturally displaced by woodlands on very mesic slopes and by sage scrub on xeric slopes (Keeley and Davis 2007). These shrublands include extensive areas on coarse-grained soils with annual precipitation up to 75 cm (winter rain, and only intermittent snow).
Californian chaparral is mainly linked to three conditions: climate, soil and dynamics. With regard to climate, Mediterranean climate is the norm, regardless of the total amount of precipitations, because within that macroclimate it can be found under a wide range of rainfall. However, when rainfall is low (roughly below 300 mm/year), chaparral constitutes the late-seral vegetation, whereas when rainfall is higher, chaparral plays two ecological roles. First, they constitute the edaphic vegetation living on shallow and rocky soils [see Keeley and Davis (2007)], including deep eolian sands and mafic substrates. Second, in areas with higher rainfall (~>300 mm), they are successional and linked to fire, forming early- and mid-seral stages of bushlands and pyrophytic chaparral that replace oak woodlands and forests, and mixed-coniferous forests (M. Peinado pers. comm. 2014).
Californian chaparral is mainly linked to three conditions: climate, soil and dynamics. With regard to climate, Mediterranean climate is the norm, regardless of the total amount of precipitations, because within that macroclimate it can be found under a wide range of rainfall. However, when rainfall is low (roughly below 300 mm/year), chaparral constitutes the late-seral vegetation, whereas when rainfall is higher, chaparral plays two ecological roles. First, they constitute the edaphic vegetation living on shallow and rocky soils [see Keeley and Davis (2007)], including deep eolian sands and mafic substrates. Second, in areas with higher rainfall (~>300 mm), they are successional and linked to fire, forming early- and mid-seral stages of bushlands and pyrophytic chaparral that replace oak woodlands and forests, and mixed-coniferous forests (M. Peinado pers. comm. 2014).
Geographic Range: This macrogroup occurs throughout Mediterranean California, fingering into southern Oregon and Baja California, Mexico.
Nations: MX,US
States/Provinces: CA, MXBCN, OR
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.835950
Confidence Level: High
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation | F038 | 2.B.1 |
| Division | 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division | D327 | 2.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.1.Na.1 Chamise - Whiteleaf Manzanita - Scrub Oak Chaparral Macrogroup | M043 | 2.B.1.Na.1 |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.1.a Chamise - Buckbrush - Sticky Whiteleaf Manzanita Xeric Chaparral Group | G257 | 2.B.1.Na.1.a |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.1.b Scrub Oak - Eastwood''s Manzanita - California Ash Chaparral Group | G261 | 2.B.1.Na.1.b |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.1.c Woolly-leaf Manzanita - Glossyleaf Manzanita - Barranca Brush Maritime Chaparral Group | G258 | 2.B.1.Na.1.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Chaparral (Barbour et al. 2007a) [Chapter 13]
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- O''Geen, A. T., R. A. Dahlgren, and D. Sánchez-Mata. 2007. California soils and examples of ultramafic vegetation. Pages 71-93 in: M. G. Barbour, T. Keeler-Wolf, and A. A. Schoenherr, editors. Terrestrial vegetation of California, third edition. University of California Press, Berkeley. 712 pp.
- Peinado Lorca, Prof. Dr. Manuel. Personal communication. Catedrático, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Spain.
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