Why is the land being developed and degraded?
1) Wildfires (forest, grass, and desert)
Either naturally or by human impact, wildfires can easily spread throughout the chaparral, burning down anything in its path. When the fire burns the land, everything turns to
2) Overgrazing
Many farms reside in the Chaparral area and so farmers bring their cattle to graze in the area. But the farmers leave their cattle grazing in the same area for too long and cattle devour all of the vegetation. This trend will bring the chaparral ecosystem to extinction because the cattle leav no vegetation left so it cannot produce. If farmers do not stop their overgrazing then not only will they not have any food for the animals on their farm, but they will have destroyed their land and it would take thousands of dollars and time to grow the vegetation back.
3) Deforestation
The Northern Californian chaparral makes up only 8% of the total of California's land so it is important to preserve it. When humans remove the Chaparral for personal use, such as to room for buildings, roads, and farms, they are destroying one of the most fragile and nearly extinct biomes in the world. When humans remove the chaparral, not only are they ruining the land, but they are taking away shelter for animals and putting endangered species at more of a risk.
Either naturally or by human impact, wildfires can easily spread throughout the chaparral, burning down anything in its path. When the fire burns the land, everything turns to
2) Overgrazing
Many farms reside in the Chaparral area and so farmers bring their cattle to graze in the area. But the farmers leave their cattle grazing in the same area for too long and cattle devour all of the vegetation. This trend will bring the chaparral ecosystem to extinction because the cattle leav no vegetation left so it cannot produce. If farmers do not stop their overgrazing then not only will they not have any food for the animals on their farm, but they will have destroyed their land and it would take thousands of dollars and time to grow the vegetation back.
3) Deforestation
The Northern Californian chaparral makes up only 8% of the total of California's land so it is important to preserve it. When humans remove the Chaparral for personal use, such as to room for buildings, roads, and farms, they are destroying one of the most fragile and nearly extinct biomes in the world. When humans remove the chaparral, not only are they ruining the land, but they are taking away shelter for animals and putting endangered species at more of a risk.
What effects will land development and degradation have on the ecosystem of the Chaparral?
The plants of the chaparral provide important ecosystem services that allow us to live where we do. They slow down storm water runoff, reducing erosion and keeping the streams clean. Without the vegetation of the chaparral, the ecosystem will collapse and thousands of endangered species of plants and animals will go extinct. Not only will it affect the ecosystems, but it will also affect humans by causing extensive flooding.