Chaparral is a shrubland plant community found primarily in California, in southern Oregon and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate and infrequent, high-intensity crown fires.
Chaparral in the Santa Ynez Mountains, near Santa Barbara, California
Old-growth chaparral more than a century old
Coastal sage scrub in San Diego County
An old-growth manzanita, a classic member of the chaparral plant community
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It may be the mature vegetation type in a particular region and remain stable over time, or a transitional community that occurs temporarily as the result of a disturbance, such as fire. A stable state may be maintained by regular natural disturbance such as fire or browsing. Shrubland may be unsuitable for human habitation because of the danger of fire. The term was coined in 1903.
Low shrubland in Hawaii
Scrub vegetation with cactus in Webb County in south Texas
Mediterranean shrubland in Sardinia Italy
Shrubland in Prince Edward County, Ontario.