FUTURE OF CHAPARRAL | californiachaparral

FUTURE OF THE CHAPARRAL

Based on the given information regarding current human impacts, the prognosis for this ecosystem does not look good. The harmful practices that people have adopted to "deal" with chaparral show no signs of slowing down. With more human-caused ignitions along with the severe drought currently underway in Southern California, the likelyhood of frequent and devastating fires is extremely high. This increase in human-caused fire frequencies and consequently the shorter intervals between fires have caused severe degradation and even complete elimination of chaparral in some areas. On top of this, the chaparral ecosystem will continue to diminish because of the clear-cutting and on-going develoment of the region, which has isolated and destroyed the habitats of many plants and animals that call the ecosystem home. All of these practices suggest bad news for the future: isolated fragments less than one square kilometer are expected to lose their native vertebrate species within a few decades, and within 20-40 years of isolation, Southern California canyons could lose at least half of their bird species (Hogan, 2014). This ecosystem supports a large variety of plant and animal species - some of which are endemic - and many of these species are facing the threat of extinction. In Southern California alone, there are seventy-seven species currently on the endangered species list, and another 378 are under consideration (Hogan, 2014). If humans continue their dangerous and harmful practices and fail to educate themselves on the impact their actions have on this ecosystem, Southern California will be in danger of losing many of its native species in a span of just a few decades. If we are to save the chaparral, it is essential that we change our ways.

Since the Southern California chaparral currently maintains a poor standing in terms of human impact and its conservational status, there are some measures that can be followed in order to improve the future of the ecosystem. Some efforts have already been initiated, such as the California Chaparral Preservation Plan which seeks to select certain areas as “National Chaparral Recreation Areas” and create plans to protect the environment surrounding the chaparrals, manage fires, conserve old-growth plants, and discourage type-converting the native plants ("Chaparral Facts," n.d.). With time and commitment to the proposed ideals, this plan can prove to be helpful because fires and non-native plants pose significant threats to the chaparrals in Southern California. Furthermore, the Coastal Scrub and Chaparral Bird Conservation Plan seeks to protect the status of the birds who lose their habitats, which is oftentimes a result of human impacts such as urbaniziation (Ballard & Chase, 2004). To help the birds keep their population, the plan encourages the human development in areas that do not affect the habitats of the birds or any other organism, such as over canyons instead of through the bottoms of the canyons (Ballard & Chase, 2004). If people abide by the guidelines outlined in both the California Chaparral Preservation Plan and the Coastal Scrub and Chaparral Bird Conservation Plan, the standing of the ecosystem will most likely improve and the organisms will reside in safe, unthreatened habitats. Humans are the main force responsible for the degradation of the chaparral, but through conscious attempts to save old-growth plants, preserve native plant communities, control fires, and urbanize land away from chaparral ecosystems, the Southern California land will prosper into a healthy biome.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
CHAPARRAL

FUTURE OF THE CHAPARRAL

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