1. Torrey Pines High School Canyon Field Study
An Inquiry Lesson in the Ecology of the
Coastal Sage
&
Chaparral
Communities
Of San Diego County

2. PURPOSE of STUDY:
San Diego County has a unique range of ecological communities that begin at the coast line and progress westward across the coastal plain, into foothills, mountains, and a desert region.
The rain shadow effect created by this geographical transect provides a unique set of micro climates that define these communities.

6. Purpose cont.
East and West Facing canyons along the coastal belt show similar plant transitions and microclimates
Students analyze these slopes and then compare and contrast their findings to the larger geographic distributions

7. Class Objectives: To collect data to demonstrate plant
distribution by microclimate using
Temperature,
Soil Conditions,
Moisture &
Animal or human interference)
To document seasonal changes from Fall to
Spring

8. Procedure
Students collect field data on biotic and abiotic factors of the canyon.
And then match the microclimate features to the key index plants

9. Key Terms Coastal Sage and Chaparral- a scrub land biome
of dense shrubs
found along the coast
characterized by mild, rainy winters
and long, hot, dry summers

10. Key Terms
Humus-The product of decaying matter from plants, animals, and decomposers
Index Plant-A main plant found in abundance in a particular community

11. Key Terms
Transect Line-A line of vegetation selected for charting plants.
Microclimate-A climate of an area with important factors such as precipitation and temperature.

13. Canyon Overview Climax Areas have stable plant Communities:
West Facing Slope(III)
East Facing Slope(I)
Riparian Area (Stream bed-I)

15. Plant Adaptations . . . . . In order to survive harsh
conditions plants must
have special features to
utilize the available:
moisture
sunlight
nutrients
and protect them from animals

16. Highly Adapted Plants . . . . . . Prickly Pear Cactus Leaves are ?
Needles for ?
Stem is green for?
Thick & Soft to store?

20. Key Difference between:
Adaptations that help a plant to survive a hot, dry climate by
preventing water loss
versus
allowing for water storage

22. Adaptations . . . . . . . . Too much light or heat
can be as damaging as
too little & require:
long narrow or tiny leaves
thick hard stems
thick waxy cuticle on leaves
to reduce water loss.

23. Plant Adaptations of the West Facing Slope Top areas . . . .
Chamise
hard woody stem
small leaves to prevent water loss.
most highly adapted of the shrubs
for a hot, dry climate.

27. Mid slope regions . . . . . . Lemonade Berry
Thick waxy cuticle on leaves
Thick stems to prevent water loss
BUT broad leaf is not as able to survive extreme conditions, so it is a mid slope belt

31. Plants in the lower slope regions
Black Sage
Strong aroma
Moderately large leaves
Turned upward to catch moisture
Silver backing to reflect the hot light

34. Mid Slope Plants cont. . . . . . . Baccharis or Chaparral Broom
Small light green leaves
Green top stems
Hard woody bottom stems
Stiff & bushy…broom!

37. Questions to ponder? Flattop Buckwheat How does it get its name?
Why so many leaves?
What function does the swirl & clustering of these leaves provide?

39. Mid Slope Plants……. What shape is the leaf?
Ceanotheus
What shape is the leaf?
What advantage in a hot, dry climate
What type of stem adaptation

41. Riparian Plants . . . . . . Rushes are round Sedges have edges
Riparian =Stream Bed
Undergoes succession
because of stream erosion
Rushes are round
Sedges have edges
Cattails
Large deep rooted trees

43. Plant Adaptations of the Riparian
Laurel Sumac-
long, broad leaves are NOT well adapted
curled leaves
help gather water &
reduce the amount of surface area exposed to the hot sun
thick woody stem
to prevent water loss

45. The Succession Study Area IV
Succession Area
South slope adjacent to the football field
Cleared & filled for the stadium
Grasses, small shrubs, and opportunistic species first colonize these areas.
This secondary succession area once had
living organism but was destroyed & is now
recovering.

46. Plants in the Succession area . . .
California Sage
Strong aroma
Very narrow, long leaves
Light gray coloration
Reflects hot intense sun light
Green stem
Increases photosynthesis area

50. Plant Adaptations of the East Facing Slope
Scrub Oak-
relatively large tree-like structure
dark, cupped oval leaves
for gathering water
with prickles for protection
This plant is an index plant of the foothills
community at higher, cooler, elevations.

52. East Facing Slope….. Mazanita- large tree long broad leaves
large surface, but are curled downward
red, woody stem prevents water loss.

54. References Http://bio.lmu.edu/socal_nat_hist/nathist.htm
Ancinec, G. et al Natural History of Southern California, A laboratory guide, Peek Publications, Palo Alto, CA.